the quantum leap into

8
Ashtavakra Gita and which has turned out to
be a great blessing for all posterity.
Another story in circulation is that once
Janaka when relaxing and lying down on his
couch with his wives attending on him began
to have the following vision:
Suddenly, the soldiers of an enemy king
rushed into his room, made him a captive and
took him (Janaka) before their master. The
enemy king was generous enough not to kill
Janaka but decreed that he should go outside
the boundary of that kingdom before
midnight. Janaka ran for his life and was
extremely thirsty and hungry. All the subjects
were prohibited by a proclamation from
helping the king as whosoever dared to give
even a drop of water to King Janaka was to
be beheaded immediately.
Somehow, Janaka managed to cross the
boundary just by midnight and reach a
charity-house (a choultry). The manager