Kahola

By Swami Harshananda

Kahola was a disciple of the sage Uddālaka. Later, he married Sujātā, Uddālaka’s daughter and got Aṣṭāvakra as his son. He once visited the court of the king Janaka and was defeated by the sage Bandi in a philosophical disputation. Consequently he was imprisoned in water. Aṣṭāvakra rescued him.

As per the Bṛhadāranyaka Upaniṣad, Kahola questioned the sage Yājñavalkya in the court of the king Janaka about the Brahman but was silenced by his brilliant answers.

References

• The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore