Kahoda studied the holy verses. His unborn son learnt many verses in his mother's womb. Once when Kahoda was teaching his class, the baby spoke, 'Father, you are saying the verse wrong." Kahoda cursed him that he would be born deformed. Once King Janak wanted to perform a yajana, but Sage Bandhi stopped it. He declared that someone had to defeat him in the debate of holy verses. Whoever was defeated would be drowned  in the river.

Kahoda tried but was defeated. Kahoda's son was born with eight bends in his body and was named 'Ashtavakra'. He defeated Bandhi in the debate. Bandhi then revealed that he was Varuna, the god of water's son. Varuna was performing a yajna in heaven for which he needed sages. By drowning the sages Bandhi had sent them to heaven. As the yajana was complete all the sages came out of the river. Bandhi asked Astavakra to take a dip in the river and when he came out his body had straightened.