Chapter 58 - Śuka’s Temptation

[Note: This chapter incorporates chapters 323 (from verse 11 onwards), 324, 325 of the Śānti Parva of the Mahābhārata. In the notes on these, Mahābhārata=Mahābhārata Śānti Parva, the next reference is to chapter No. and Verse Nos.]

Nārada submitted:

1. When there was a reference to the term Anūcāna (well- versedness in Vedas) all the Vedāṅgas (ancillaries to the Vedas) were heard (by me) from your lotus-like mouth (as they were being explained) partially in brief and partially in details.

2a. Narrate to me in details the (story of) the birth of Śuka [e.g., śukotpatti], O highly intelligent sage.

Sanandana narrated:

2b-3. It is reported that formerly, on one occasion, on the peak of mount Meru [e.g., meruśṛṅga], in an extensive forest of Karṇikāra trees [e.g., karṇikāravana], Lord Mahādeva accompanied by multitudes of terrible goblins sported himself. The daughter of the Lord of mountains, goddess Pārvatī, was also there with them.

4-5a. The holy sage Vyāsa (Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana) performed a divine penance there. He was devoted to the practice of Yoga. By dint of his yogic power, he entered (withdrew) in the soul and performed Dhāraṇā. That excellent-most sage performed those austerities for the sake of a son.

5b-7a. “May my son have the virility of Fire, Earth, Wind and Ether all round”^[1]. With this solemn vow of performance of penance, he practised severe austerities and sought after the Lord of gods who is impossible to be attained by persons who are not self-possessed.

7b-8a. It is reported that the powerful sage stood for one hundred years, subsisting on the air only, and propitiated the multi-formed great god (Mahādeva), the consort of Umā.

8b-12a. There were (in attendance) all Brāhmanical sages, heavenly sages, guardians of the worlds, demigods like Sādhyas, along with eight (twelve) Ādityas, Rudras, the Sun god and the Moon god, Gandharva (king) Viśvāvasu, Siddhas, bevis of divine damsels. There the great god Rudra, wearing an auspicious garland of Karṇikāra flowers, shone like the Moon in the autumn.

12b-13a. It was surprisingly mysterious to all the three worlds that his (Vyāsa’s) complexion did not fade nor exhaustion overcame him.

13b-14a. As he, of immeasurable splendour, was absorbed in Yoga, the locks of his matted hair due to his splendour appeared to glisten like the blazing flames of fire.

14b-15. O Nārada! Pleased at heart with this type of penance and such devotion of the sage, the great god Mahādeva made up his mind (to bestow favour on him) and the three-eyed Lord spoke to him smilingly.

16. “Your son shall be as pure as the Fire, as the Wind, as the Earth, as the Water and as the Sky.

17. He will be the partaker of consciousness of himself being the Brahman; his intelligence and mind shall be concentrated on the Brahman; he shall be permanently established in the Brahman. By dint of his (Brahmanic) splendour, he will be renowned all over the three worlds.”

18. After having obtained that excellent boon from the Lord, Vyāsa, the son of Satyavatī, was one day engaged in churning the sacrificial sticks, with the desire of making a fire (for sacrificial purpose).

19. At that time, the illustrious sage happened to see a heavenly damsel called Ghṛtācī who, in consequence of her brilliant splendour, possessed excellent beauty.

20. Seeing that celestial damsel, in that forest, the great sage Vyāsa became instantly passionately enamoured of her.

21. After making Vyāsa deeply agitated with passion, the most beautiful Ghṛtācī, transforming herself into a she- parrot, approached him.

22. Even after seeing the celestial lady disguised in another form, he was overcome with cupiḍ (passionate love) who spread in every part of his body.

23. With great (moral) courage, the sage tried to restrain his passion. But his mind being extremely agitated, Vyāsa was unable to control it.

24-25. Due to the inevitability of Destiny (lit. what was to happen) the heart of the sage was fascinated by the (beautiful) form (of Ghṛtācī). With the desire to do this (viz. the kindling of fire) while he was suppressing his passion with special efforts, all of a sudden his semen fell on the churning sticks. It was thus that the great ascetic Śuka was born, while Vyāsa continued the churning of sacrificial sticks.

26-27. The foremost of sages, the great Yogī, was (thus) born of (lit. from the womb of) two (sacrificial) churning sticks. Just as a blazing sacrificial fire after being fed with oblations of ghee, sheds his effulgence all around, in the same way Śuka was born as if blazing with his brilliance, assuming a wonderfully beautiful form and excellent, unsurpassable complexion, O, foremost of Brāhmaṇas.

28.^[2] The Gaṅgā, the greatest of all rivers, assumed her (godly) form and coming to the top of the Meru bathed Śuka (with her own waters after his birth), O Nārada.

29. There fell from the sky to the ground a deer-skin garment for Śuka (to wear it). The Gandharvas constantly performed their musical concerts and the various groups of celestial nymphs indulged in dances.

30-31a. High sounding heavenly kettle-drums began to beat lustily. Gandharva Viśvāvasu, Nārada and Tumburu, and the pair of Gandharvas Hāhā and Hūhū eulogised the nativity of Śuka.

31b-33a. There arrived the regents of different worlds of whom Indra was the leader, and gods, heavenly sages anḍ Brahmanical sages as well. And the wind-god showered all varieties of heavenly flowers. (In this manner) all the world, the mobile and immobile, became highly delighted.

33b-34a. The highly resplendent, noble-souled god Mahādeva along with the goddess Umā performed with due formalities the ceremony of investiture of thread of the sage’s son (i.e. Śuka) as soon as he was born.

34b-36a. To him gifted Indra, the Lord of gods, a wonderful-looking heavenly water-pot (Kamaṇḍalu) out of love and gods gave him clothes. Thousands of swans, peacocks, cranes, parrots and bluejays hovered around him clockwise, O Nārada.

36b-37a. The highly intelligent great sage, having obtained his divine nativity from the two sacrificial sticks, stayed there, observing his holy vows with great attention.

37b-38a. As soon as he was born, the Vedas with all their esoteric secrets and all their abstracts, approached him for dwelling in him even as they approached his father.

38b-39a. Although he was conversant with Vedas, Vedāṅgas (accessories of the Vedas) together with their commentaries he remembering that it was his duty (to have a guru, as per ancient religious practice), selected Bṛhaspati as his preceptor, O prominent Brāhmaṇa.

39b-40. Having studied all the Vedas along with their mysteries and abstracts as well as Itihāsa (History, like the Mahābhārata) and all the sciences and scriptural texts based on the Vedas, the great sage paid his tuition-fees to his preceptor and performed the rite of Samāvartana (the formal conclusion of the life as a religious student).

41-42a. Observing the vow of celibacy, he, with great concentration, began to perform severe austerities. Even though he was a child, the great ascetic became worthy of being honoured and consulted due to his knowledge and penance.

42b-43. The mind (intelligence) of Śuka who was the observer of the path leading to Emancipation (from the cycle of Saṃsāra did not take interest in the three Āśramas (stages of life) depending on the house-holder’s stage of life.^[3]

44-45a. Desirous as he was of the highest beatitude and endowed with humility as he was, he bowed down to him and requested him: ‘You are an expert in the religious path that leads to Emancipation from Saṃsāra. May you be pleased to elucidate that to me, so that I may be blessed with Supreme tranquility of mind.”

45b-46a. Hearing the words of his son, the great sage advised him, “Do you learn the scripture pertaining to Mokṣa as well as all other different religious duties.”

46b-47a. At the behest of his father, Śuka, the excellent- most among the knowers of the Brahman (or Vedas) learnt the entire Yoga-Śāstra and the (Sāṅkhya) philosophy of Kapila completely.

47b-49a. Seeing his son resplendent with the splendour of the Vedas^[4] and endowed with the glory of Brahman and thoroughly conversant with Mokṣa-Śāstra, he directed him then “Go to Janaka, the king of Mithilā. That king will explain to you everything about the meaning of the Mokṣaśāstra.

49b-50a. At the behest of his father, Śuka went (was about to go) to Janaka, the king of Mithilā, in order to enquire about the definite knowledge (niṣṭhā) about duties leading to Mokṣa and the nature of that ultimate goal.

50b-54. (As he was about to depart) he was instructed (by his father). “You go by the way traversed by ordinary mortals.” Śuka was not surprised (at this instruction). He was further advised: “You should not go through the sky by your Yogic power. You should proceed there with simplicity and straightforwardness and not for seeking pleasure. Specialities (friendship etc.) should not be seen (formed) by you, as those specialities (or contacts) become binding. Even though the king is adopted by us as one on whose behalf sacrifices are to be performed by us, you should not entertain any pride about it. You should stay in his premises. He will dispel all your doubts as the king is proficient in Dharma (religious duties) as well as scriptures regarding (the path to) Mokṣa. You should abide unhesitatingly by whatever he asks you to do.”

Being thus instructed, the righteous-souled sage Śuka proceeded to Mithilā.

55. Though he had the capability of traversing through the sky the whole of the earth along with the oceans, he crossed on foot the mountains and reached the sub-continent called Bhārata.

56. The great sage passed through different prosperous and rich countries. At last reaching the country (known as) Videha, he approached Janaka.

57. When he arrived at the gate of (Janaka’s) palace, he was stopped by the door-keepers. The great Yogin stood there unaffected by hunger or thirst.

58-60a. O Nārada, even in the heat of the sun, he was not distressed by exhaustion or dejection and was absorbed in meditation. One of the porters who was posted there saw Śuka standing, blazing like the mid-day sun. He worshipped Śuka with due formalities and paying obeisance to him with his palms joined, led him to the second apartment of the king’s palace.

60b-61. Near the harem, there was a beautiful garden like Caitraratha park (of Kubera). It abounded in trees in full blossom and had separate swimming pools and playgrounds. Showing him that garden, the porter made him sit and humbly reported (his arrival) to the king.

62. Having heard that Śuka had arrived, the king appointed courtesans for his service as well as to gauge the disposition and the inclinations of his mind.

63. All those damsels were young, beautiful-looking with fine tresses of hair, possessing excellent hips, clad in red clothes of fine texture and decked with ornaments of burnished gold.

64-65a. All of them were experts in agreeable conversation, competent to read the minds of man and skilled in all (amorous) acts. They were more than fifty. They arranged for his reception with water for washing feet etc. They gratified him with such articles of food as were agreeable in the season.

65b-66a. When he had eaten his food, they showed him beautiful parks in the town one by one, O Nārada.

66b-67a. Sporting, giggling and singing, those ladies, conversant with male psychology, entertained that noble-souled sage.

67b-68. The pure-souled ascetic, born of sacrificial firesticks, had conquered his anger and had subdued his senseorgans. He was always absorbed in meditation. He was neither delighted nor angry at these.

68b-69a. Śuka washed his feet and after completing his Sandhyā prayer, seated himself on a holy seat meditating on that object for which he had come there.

69b-70a. In the earlier part of the night, he became absorbed in meditating upon Nārāyaṇa. In the middle part of the night he duly went to sleep.

70b-71a. Getting up early in the morning and after performing the necessary rites of bodily purification and ablution, the highly intelligent sage, though he was surrounded by women, was once again absorbed in meditation.

64-72. It is in this manner that he spent the remaining part of the day and that night in the palace of the king, O Nārada.^[5]

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

For abhitaḥ of the Nārada-purāṇa aṃbhasaḥ would be a better reading as the puissance of five Mahābhūtas is desired. The Mahābhārata also includes ‘water’ in the list of Mahābhūtas whose strength is requested.

[2]:

Grammatically the verse is loose and defective.

[3]:

Here ends chapter 324 of the Mahābhārata Śānti.

[4]:

Nārada-purāṇa. reads:—“śataṃ brāhyā śrīyā yuktam.”—But “śataṃ brāhyā” is meaningless and an obvious miscopying of—“sa taṃ brāhmyā” of the Mahābhārata Śānti. 325.5a.

[5]:

Here ends chapter 325 in the Mahābhārata Śānti.