Chapter 147 - Dialogue between Vyāsa and Śuka

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Sūta said:

1. Further there is another deity there who is the bestower of sons on men. It is Śiva named Vaṭikeśvara and he dispels all sins.

2. O excellent Brāhmaṇas, there Vaṭikā performed a penance formerly, and obtained from Vyāsa a son, Kapiñjala, when Śuka went to the forest.

The sages said:

3-4. Whose daughter was Vaṭikā? Why did she perform penance there? Why did Śuka abandon his father and seek refuge in the forest? How did the lady of pure smiles obtain Kapiñjala as son from Vyāsa?

Sūta said:

5. O leading Brāhmaṇas, once Vyāsa was inclined to take a wife unto himself though he was devoid of lust. The noble-souled one was omniscient and quiescent.

6-7. Once the Kuru race became extinct ending with King Vicitravīrya, O excellent Brāhmaṇas.

Thereupon, at the bidding of Satyavatī, he begot three heroic sons including Pāṇḍu in the wives of Vicitravīrya.

8. Thus while he was in the stage of Vānaprastha, he had a desire for sexual intercourse once. Therefrom the race of Kuru was revived through the sons born of Kṣetra (wives of the dead king Vicitravīrya).

9. Then he thought thus, ‘I shall take a wife unto me. Through the rites of a householder, I shall attain excellent goal.’

10. Then he requested Jābāli^[1] for his splendid daughter, he immediately gave him his splendid daughter named Vaṭikā.

11. Then he began his residence in the forest in her company. Continuing to abide by the Vānaprastha stage, he became inclined to have sexual intercourse.

12. Then Piñjalā (Vaṭikā) became pregnant, thanks to him. During the prescribed days of the menstrual cycle, she received the semen from Vyāsa, the son of Satyavatī.

13. The foetus developed gradually in the womb of Vyāsa’s wife like the moon in the bright half of month.

14. The foetus thus attained development and twelve years passed by. But no delivery took pace.

15. The child in the womb was endowed with great intellect. Staying there whatever word he happened to hear, he immediately committed to memory.

16. Even while staying in the womb, the Vedas, the Aṅgas, Smṛtis, Purāṇas and the scriptural texts on liberation were entirely burnt by him.

17. Stationed there in the womb itself, day and night he regularly recited Vedic texts but he never thought of coming out as a child.

18. Even as he went on developing while staying there (in the womb), the mother experienced excruciating pain and was extremely agitated.

19-20. Suprised thereat Vyāsa spoke these words: “Who are you that have entered the womb of my wife assuming the form of a foetus? Why do you not come out? Will you kill her?”

The foetus said:

I am a Rākṣasa. I am a Piśāca, I am a Deva. I am also a man.

21. I am an elephant, a horse, a cock, a goat also. There are eighty-four thousand different types of species taking up nativity.

22. I have wandered over all these forms. Hence how can I say I am this or that? Now I have become a human being and am settled in a womb.

23. I will not at all come out as a human being in order to roam about in the terrible worldly existence.

24. Staying here itself, I will be perpetually engaged in the practice of Yoga and shall get rid of mundane existence. I will follow the path of salvation and undoubtedly attain salvation.

25. O Excellent Brāhmaṇa, all the creatures as long as they are in the womb, will have perfect knowledge, detachment and non-affection for all worldly objects and the memory of previous births.

26. As soon as it comes out of the womb and is touched by Viṣṇumāyā all this stops undoubtedly.

27. Hence, O excellent Brāhmaṇa, I will not at all come out of this womb. I shall attain salvation from this very spot.

Vyāsa said:

28-29. The Vaiṣṇavī Māyā will not affect you at all. Come out of this extremely terrible and despicable Naraka in the form of the stay in the womb.

Practice Yoga thereafter and resort to Śiva. So, you do show me your face so that I shall get freedom from the indebtedness to the people of Pitṛloka.

The foetus said:

30. You must now itself offer Vāsudeva as the guarantor and surety. Then my birth may be possible. Not otherwise.

Sūta said:

31. Then, Vyāsa in his great distress hastened to Dvārakā. He narrated everything to the Discus-bearing Lord in detail.

32. Later he returned to his house along with him. Vyāsa wanted to offer Viṣṇu, the unsullied, as guarantor and surety.

Śrī Kṛṣṇa said:

33. I am the gurantor unto you for the destruction of Māyā when you come out. At my instance do come out and attain the excellent salvation.

34. Then at the instance of Viṣṇu, O Brāhmaṇas, he hurriedly came out as a person nearing youth, a person twelve years old.

35. Instantly, the son of Vyāsa bowed down to Daityāri (Kṛṣṇa), Vyāsa and his mother started for residence in the forest.

36. Then the sage said to him: “Dear son, stay in your own abode so that I can perform the post-natal consecratory rites unto you.”

The child said:

37. Hundreds of consecratory rites have been performed on me in the course of the different births. These have worked as bonds whereby I have been thrown into the ocean of worldly existence.

Śrī Bhagavān said:

38. O sage, this son of yours who is expert in the yogic lore is prattling like a Śuka (parrot). So let him be named Śuka.

39. He is bereft of delusion and ignorance. He will not stay in your abode. Let him go. Do not exhibit much of affection for him.

40. I shall go home. You are freed from the indebtedness to the Pitṛs merely by the perception of your son. It is the truth that has been uttered by me.

41. After saying thus, Hṛṣīkeśa took leave of Vyāsa. Riding on the King of Birds, he started for Dvārakā.

42. After Hṛṣīkeśa had gone, Vyāsa said to his son who was at the point of starting forestwards and who was devoid of any desire for his own home:

Vyāsa said:

43. In the case of those who do not observe the householder’s rites, a statement of father comes to nought. He who does not, due to delusion, strictly abide by the statement of his father falls into Naraka. Hence, O son, do not go. Desist from going at my instance.

Śuka said:

44. Just as today I am born as your son so also in another birth you were born as my son, O excellent sage. Therefore, I am your father.

45. Hence you must carry out my order. If this is the position of Dharma, I should not be denied permission to go to penance grove.

Vyāsa said:

46. It is through merits that men attain birth in the family of a Brāhmaṇa. There as a Brāhmaṇa, he gets the Vedic con-secratory rites (and attains salvation).

Śuka said:

47. If without auspicious Karmas, salvation is attained, then heretics too will attain salvation by merely observing vows.

Vyāsa said:

48. One shall at first be a celibate student. Then he shall be a householder. He then becomes a Vānaprastha and recluse. Thereafter one shall attain salvation.

Śuka said:

49-51. If through celibacy salvation can be attained, then impotent eunuchs will always have it. If householders get it, then entire universe can get released. Or if the resident of forest were to get salvation, then (forest) animals can attain it. Or, if those having ascetic virtues attain salvation, all the poverty-stricken shall attain liberation at the first instance.

Vyāsa said:

52. It has been gloriously proclaimed by Manu that this world and the next one can be attained by men devoted to the pious activities of the householder following the path of the righteous.

Śrī Śuka said:

53. Whence can those who are well-concealed in domestic protection, and are well bound by the bonds of kinship follow the path of the righteous, since delusion and passion have adverse effect on them?

Vyāsa said:

54. In the case of a man residing in forest always, suffering is not caused by his body alone but also by supernatural beings and ancestors, because he does not fulfill the duties towards the deity and ancestors. Hence welfare of the soul should be considered seriously by one staying in the householder’s stage.

Śrī Śuka said:

55. All the benefits of penance abide in the case of sages with great austerities sanctified by mental purity. This itself is the height of happiness that persons who seek refuge in their close proximity never see faces of bad people.

Vyāsa said:

56. In the house, the spouse accords permanent happiness in this world as well as in the other world to men following the practices of the householder stage.

Śrī Śuka said:

57. At the intercession of fate chillness may exude from fire and scorching heat from the moon. But the occurrence of happiness from a spouse is neither a thing of the past nor of the present nor of the future in the human world.

Vyāsa said:

58. Human birth is a rare thing. It is obtained with great difficulty through excellent merits. If that is acquired, what is it that has not been acquired if one is conversant with the practices and virtues of the householder’s stage?

Śrī Śuka said:

59. If a man is endowed with knowledge at the time of birth, that knowledge itself will get lost on perceiving one’s own plight.

Vyāsa said:

60. To the world, as fickle as ashes, the sound of a delighted son and of the young one of a donkey is conducive to

Śrī Śuka said:

61. O sage, if the world gets satisfied and delighted with an impure child that cries and crawls in dust, then it is also childish.

Vyāsa said:

62. There is an exceedingly terrible Naraka named Pum in the palace of Yama. One not having a son goes there. Hence Putra (son) is honoured.

63. O great sage, if heavenly pleasure is attained through a son then all including pigs, dogs and locusts too should attain it.

Vyāsa said:

64. By seeing a son a man becomes free from indebtedness to Pitṛs; by seeing a grandson he becomes free from indebtedness to Devas and by seeing a great-grandson a man becomes a heaven-dweller.

Śuka said:

65. A vulture is long-lived and it sees a series of its generations (progeny). Why does it not attain salvation?

Sūta said:

66. After saying thus, he went to the forest abandoning his father and the exceedingly miserable mother who lamented in various ways.

67. On seeing him Vyāsa lost hope of seeing his son further and so became miserable. He became distressed due to the separation from the son and he stayed in the company of his wife.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

This Jābāli is different from the father of Phalavatī (chs. 143-44).