Absorbed in the Self and having mastered anger, Śuka moved through the world untouched by its joys or sorrows. Witnessing the changing play of circumstances, he remained composed and steady, his mind unshaken by pleasure or pain. When he arrived, the women of the household prepared for him a splendid bed, beautifully adorned with fine coverings and all the comforts one could wish for. Yet Śuka, ever mindful, took up kuśa grass and performed the ritual purification of his feet. He worshipped the evening twilight and, settling himself, entered deep meditation. For the first watch of the night, he remained absorbed in meditation. Then, for the next two watches, he slept peacefully. As the last watch of the night began, Śuka awakened, bathed, performed his morning rites, and once again sat in unwavering concentration. Meanwhile, news of Śuka’s arrival reached King Janaka. The pure-hearted monarch, accompanied by his ministers and with the royal priest at the forefront, came forth to meet the sage’s son. With all due respect and proper ceremony, Janaka honored Śuka, offering him a noble seat and presenting a cow rich in milk as a gesture of hospitality. Śuka graciously accepted the king’s worship, inquired in return about the king’s well-being, and assured him he was free from any affliction. Once these formalities were complete and Śuka was comfortably seated, King Janaka, his heart full of reverence, addressed him: “O highly fortunate one, though you are free from all desires, what brings you here to me? Please, O best of sages, tell me your purpose.” Śuka replied, “My father Vyāsa once told me, ‘O king, take a wife; of all the stages of life, the householder’s is supreme.’ But I could not accept this instruction, for I saw it as bondage—even though it came from my own guru. My father insisted, ‘It is not bondage,’ yet I did not act upon his words. “Perceiving doubt in my heart, my father spoke again, saying, ‘Go to Mithilā, and do not grieve. There, King Janaka—renowned among men as one liberated while still living—rules his kingdom without being ensnared by illusion. Why do you, O scorcher of foes, fear the life of a householder? See for yourself that king who is like a tiger among men; abandon your doubts, take a wife, or seek his counsel. Surely, Janaka will resolve the uncertainty troubling your mind. After hearing his words, return to me swiftly, my son.’ “Thus, O great king, I have come to your city at my father’s command. I seek liberation, O sinless one—please, tell me what I should do. Is it austerity, pilgrimage, vows, sacrifices, study, service at holy places, or knowledge that leads to liberation?” King Janaka replied, “Hear what a brāhmaṇa should do who seeks the path of liberation: After his initiation, he should first reside with his teacher and study the Vedas. Having learned the Vedas and Vedānta, and having given his teacher the proper fee, he should return home and, with a wife, embrace the householder’s stage. “He should live righteously, content, free from expectation, purified of faults, performing daily rituals like agnihotra, speaking the truth, and remaining pure. Once he has a son and grandson, he should enter the stage of a forest-dweller, subduing the six inner enemies through austerity, and entrust his wife to his son. “When he has properly transferred all sacred fires into himself and is learned in dharma, he should, when weary, dwell in the fourth stage—renunciation—marked by purity and detachment. Only one who is truly detached is eligible for renunciation, never otherwise. This is the true declaration of the Vedas, and my firm conviction. “O Śuka, the Vedas describe forty-eight sacraments, of which forty are prescribed for the householder by the great sages. Eight qualities, beginning with tranquility and self-control, are prescribed for those who seek liberation. The wise instruct that one should progress through each stage of life in order.” Śuka responded, “When dispassion arises in the heart, and knowledge along with realization is attained, one may dwell in any stage of life—or even in the forests.” Janaka continued, “The senses are powerful, O bestower of honor. If not restrained, they cause many disturbances in one who is not mature. How can one who has become a renunciant, when desires for food, pleasure, rest, or offspring arise, avoid being disturbed by such changes? The web of desires is hard to overcome and does not bring peace. Therefore, one should gradually renounce desires for the sake of pacifying the mind. “Consider: one who lies down on the ground does not fall, but one who sleeps on a high place may fall. In the same way, a renunciant who strays from the path does not easily regain it. Like an ant that climbs from the root to the branch slowly and steadily, reaching the fruit at its own pace, so too should one proceed step by step. A bird, flying swiftly and ignoring obstacles, soon becomes weary, while the ant, resting as needed, comfortably reaches its goal. “The mind, strong in its desires, cannot be conquered by those who lack self-mastery. Therefore, one must subdue it gradually, following the prescribed stages of life. Even while established in the householder’s stage, one who is peaceful, wise, and self-controlled should remain unaffected by gain or loss, neither rejoicing nor grieving, but maintaining equanimity. “By performing one’s duties, abandoning attachment and anxiety, and being content in self-realization, one attains liberation—there is no doubt of this. See, though I am a king, I am liberated while living, O sinless one. I go where I please, and nothing arises in me. Enjoying various pleasures and performing many duties, I remain as I am. In the same way, O sinless one, you too will become free. “Whatever is seen or unseen is said to be bound—how could it be otherwise? All visible things are made of the five elements and their qualities as well.” Thus, in the presence of the wise king Janaka, Śuka’s doubts were addressed, and the path of liberation through righteous living and gradual renunciation was illuminated.