A sage named Uddalaka had a disciple named Khagodara (Kahodaka) and a daughter named Sujata. The sage was pleased with his disciple and married his daughter to him. Soon Sujata became pregnant. Once, when Kahodaka was reciting the vedas, the unborn child said that it had already learned the vedas and that Kahodaka’s reciting had flaws. Kahodaka was angry and cursed that just like the child’s words, its body too would be twisted. As per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapter 132, Sujata gave birth to a child which 8 twists and eight curves in its body. It was thus called Ashtavakra.

There is another story that appears in the scriptures. Once there was a sage named Asita. He prayed to Shiva for a child, and Devala was born to him. The apsara Rambha was besotted with Devala, but he was uninterested. Rambha cursed him and made his body twisted, and he was then called Ashtavakra. He prayed for six thousand years after which Krishna and Radha appeared before him. Radha found his form repugnant, but Krishna hugged him, following which Ashtavakra regained his original form and left for the heavens with Krishna and Radha, ina  chariot that appeared, as per Brahmavaivartapurana.

As per Uttararamayana, Ashtavakra was one of the sages who attended Rama’s coronation ceremony after his return from Lanka. Ashtavakra cursed all the deva women who mocked his form and they were born as Krishna’s wives. After the destruction of the Yadava clan, these wives were kidnapped by the gopalas, as per Agnipurana Chapter 15.

While Sujata was pregnant, her family was living in poverty. She asked Kahodaka to seek alms from the king Janaka. Janaka was busy then with a yajna and could not meet Kahodaka. Kahodaka later entered Janaka’s court and issued a challenge to Vandeena for a debate, in which the loser would be thrown into the ocean. Kahodaka lost and was thrown into the ocean. Uddalaka had a child named Shwetaketu. Shwetaketu and Ashtavakra grew up in the hermitage together. Uddalaka and Sujata kept the news of his father’s death from Ashtavakra.

Once, when Shwetaketu and Ashtavakra were playing, they had a fight and Shwetaketu ridiculed Ashtavakra for not having a father. Ashtavakra learned the details of how this came to be, from his mother, and then set out for Janaka’s court. Since he was only a boy, the gatekeepers wouldn’t let him in, but he said that knowledge should be considered, not age, and was finally let in. He then started a debate with Vandeena, won it and Vandeena was thrown into the ocean as part of the challenge. But since Vandeena was the son of Varuna, he escaped. However, as soon as Vandeena was thrown into the ocean, Kahodaka emerged from it. Kahodaka returned with his son to the hermitage and took a bath in the river. When Ashtavakra emerged, his body was normal, as per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapter 133.

After a few years, Ashtavakra decided to marry Suprabha, daughter of the sage Vadanya. He conveyed his desire to Vadanya, who wanted to test Ashtavakra. Vadanya asked Ashtavakra to proceed north to Kailash, greet Shiva and Parvati, and then go further north, where he would find an extremely beautiful woman. Vadanya asked Ashtavakra to speak to that woman and return and then he would get Suprabha. Ashtavakra set forth and when he reached the Himalayas, he was met by Kuber. He stayed there for a year, watching the dance of the apsaras, and after meeting Shiva and Parvati, continued on his journey. After some time, he met seven beautiful women. he asked for their leader and the oldest among them Uttara stayed while the others went away. She told Ashtavakra that she desired him, and after transforming into a more youthful self, asked him to marry her. But he declined and told her of his conversation with Vadanya. She was happy with his response and told him that she was a goddess who had appeared in this form to test him. She blessed him, following which Ashtavakra returned to marry Suprabha, as per Mahabharata Anushasanaparva Chapter 19.