Aṣṭāvakra
Seers of the Epics and Purāṇas · Ṛṣis and Ṛṣikās
Cursed in the womb to be born bent in eight places, he went at twelve to Janaka's court, defeated Bandin in debate and so won his drowned father back from the sea.
Aṣṭāvakra corrected his father from inside his mother's womb, and was cursed to be born bent in eight places. His father went to King Janaka's court to win wealth and was defeated in debate by Bandin and drowned. At twelve, Aṣṭāvakra learned the truth, went to Janaka's sacrifice with his uncle Śvetaketu, talked his way past the gatekeeper, answered the king's riddles and defeated Bandin, and all the drowned brahmins, his father among them, came back out of the sea. Later he went to the far north to win a bride, and was tested there, and did not fall.