Dhruva and Ashtavakra

by Anant Pai

'To possess true knowledge, one need not be grey-haired or bald' - this ancient adage was proved true by the young Dhruva and Ashtavakra. Dhruva countered the evil intentions of his scheming stepmother with intense devotion. Ashtavakra worked hard and by the age of 12 had absorbed all there was to learn. One was rewarded with a kingdom and a shining place in the celestial world for ever more; the other's brilliance brought his father back to life.

Genres: Comics, Mythology

32 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 2005

About the author

Anant Pai popularly known as Uncle Pai, was an Indian educationalist and creator of Indian comics, in particular the Amar Chitra Katha series in 1967, along with the India Book House publishers, and which retold traditional Indian folk tales, mythological stories, and biographies of historical characters. In 1980, he launched Tinkle, a children's anthology, which was started under Rang Rekha Features, India's first comic and cartoon syndicate, that lasted till 1998, with him as the Managing Director.

Today, Amar Chitra Katha sells about three million comic books a year, in English and more than 20 Indian languages, and has sold about 100 million copies since it inception in 1967 by Anant Pai, and in 2007 was taken over by ACK Media.

Reviews

[Krishnan Nair · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read the story of Ashtavakra in Rajagopalachari's version of the Mahabharata. The story here is a bit more extended and had a different ending. I assume this is because Rajagopalachari's version is understandably condensed.

I'm not sure why 2 stories were combined into a single issue considering that there is no connection between the 2 characters.

Overall, I liked reading this extended version of Ashtavakra's story.

[Yash Sharma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dhruva and Ashtavakra, They Reached for the Skies by Amar Chitra Katha tells us the story of Dhruva Tara, who, through his penance, got the blessings of Lord Shri Hari Vishnu, and the tale of Rishi Ashtavakra, who at an early age gained the wisdom of the Vedas and in a debate defeated Sage Bandi and also brought his father back to life.