www.religiousworlds.com/mystic...ta.html

i stumbled across this link

there is this mythological person called ashtavakra.he was a great soul born into a rishi's family.while he was still in his mothers womb he would hear his fathers chanting of the vedas.once the rishi's heard a voice coming from the womb of the woman."chant the veda properly my lord".the rishi was furious that he cursed the child would be deformed in 8 places.ashta means 8 in sanskrit.vakra mens deformed.and thus he was born like that.
during this time the king had a very good debator.the debator made a condition that those who beat him in debate can carry foward with the kings yajna(sacrifice)if not the person will be drowned.the debator was dandi.soon ashtavakra's father the rishi himself went to debate with
dandi because of financial difficulties.dandi defeated him and was thus sent to be drowned in the river.
soon ashtavakra grew to be a boy mastered the vedas and scriptures at a tender age of 8.he found out his fathers death and wanted to challenge dandi.
al the people were stunned this boy could ever challenge the great dandi.but the king tested the boy and found out the boy is ready.
soon dandi lost to the boy.the boy demanded to the king to drown dandi like his father was drowned.soon dandi confessed that he was the king of the ocean and he wanted to do a yajna as well and thats why he was taking all the rishis to the river.he said the promised hour is over you will see all those who were drowned.slowly one by one were emerging from the water.ashtavakra got his father.his father told him to jump into the river and come out.soon ashtavakra wa cured of his illness.thi happened during the time of the mahabarata.