सूत उवाच इति सर्वं समाख्यातमुर्वशीचरितं महत् । वेदे विस्तरितं चैतत्संक्षेपात्कथितं मया
Sūta said: Thus the entire great story of Urvaśī has been recounted; this, which is elaborated in the Vedas, I have told you in brief.
व्यासेन गृहस्थधर्मवर्णनम् सूत उवाच दृष्ट्वा तामसितापाङ्गीं व्यासश्चिन्तापरोऽभवत् । किं करोमि न मे योग्या देवकन्येयमप्सराः
Sūta said: Seeing her with dark, intoxicated eyes, Vyāsa became absorbed in thought: 'What should I do? This divine maiden, this apsaras, is not suitable for me.'
एवं चिन्तयमानं तु दृष्ट्वा व्यासं तदाप्सराः । भयभीता हि सञ्जाता शापं मा विसृजेदयम्
As Vyāsa was thinking thus, the apsaras, seeing him, became filled with fear, anxious that he might utter a curse.
सा कृत्वाथ शुकीरूपं निर्गता भयविह्वला । कृष्णस्तु विस्मयं प्राप्तो विहङ्गीं तां विलोकयन्
Then, taking the form of a female parrot, she departed, trembling with fear; Kṛṣṇa was astonished upon seeing her in the form of a bird.
कामस्तु देहे व्यासस्य दर्शनादेव सङ्गतः । मनोऽतिविस्मितं जातं सर्वगात्रेषु विस्मितः
Desire arose in Vyāsa's body merely from seeing her; his mind became exceedingly astonished, and he was amazed in every limb.
स तु धैर्येण महता निगह्णन्मानसं मुनिः । न शशाक नियन्तुं च स व्यासः प्रसृतं मनः
But the sage, with great self-control, restrained his mind; yet Vyāsa could not subdue his mind, which had become unrestrained.
बहुशो गृह्यमाणं च घृताच्या मोहितं मनः । भावित्वान्नैव विधृतं व्यासस्यामिततेजसः
Though he tried repeatedly to control his mind, which was deluded by Ghṛtācī, due to destiny, Vyāsa of boundless energy could not hold it back.
मन्धनं कुर्वतस्तस्य मुनेरग्निचिकीर्षया । अरण्यामेव सहसा तस्य शुक्रमथापतत्
While the sage was producing fire by friction, wishing to kindle a sacred fire, his semen suddenly fell there in the forest.
सोऽविचिन्त्य तथा पातं ममन्थारणिमेव च । तस्माच्छुकः समुद्भूतो व्यासाकृतिमनोहरः
Without thinking about that emission, he continued to churn the fire-sticks; from that, a son named Śuka was born, possessing Vyāsa's captivating form.
विस्मयं जनयन्बालः सञ्जातस्तदरण्यजः । यथाध्वरे समिद्धोऽग्निर्भाति हव्येन दीप्तिमान्
A child was born from the fire-sticks, causing wonder, just as a blazing fire shines brightly at a sacrifice when fed with offerings.
व्यासस्तु सुतमालोक्य विस्मयं परमं गतः । किमेतदिति सञ्चिन्त्य वरदानाच्छिवस्य वै
Vyāsa, seeing his son, was filled with the utmost amazement; pondering what this could be, he remembered the boon given by Śiva.
तेजोरूपी शुको जातोऽप्यरणीगर्भसम्भवः । द्वितीयोऽग्निरिवात्यर्थं दीप्यमानः स्वतेजसा
Śuka, though born from the fire-sticks, was of the very form of brilliance; like a second fire, he blazed intensely with his own radiance.
विलोकयामास तदा व्यासस्तु मुदितं सुतम् । दिव्येन तेजसा युक्तं गार्हपत्यमिवापरम्
Then Vyāsa looked upon his joyful son, endowed with divine splendor, like a second household fire.
गङ्गान्तः स्नापयामास समागत्य गिरेस्तदा । पुष्पवृष्टिस्तु खाज्जाता शिशोरुपरि तापसाः
Then, coming from the mountain, Vyāsa bathed him in the waters of the Gaṅgā; a shower of flowers fell from the sky upon the child, as ascetics gathered.
जातकर्मादिकं चक्रे व्यासस्तस्य महात्मनः । देवदुन्दुभयो नेदुर्ननृतुश्चाप्सरोगणाः
Vyāsa performed all the birth rites for that great-souled one; divine drums resounded, and the hosts of apsarases danced.
जगुर्गन्धर्वपतयो मुदितास्ते दिदृक्षवः । विश्वावसुर्नारदश्च तुम्बुरुः शुकसम्भवे
The lords of the Gandharvas sang joyfully, eager to see him—Viśvāvasu, Nārada, and Tumburu—at the birth of Śuka.
तुष्टुवुर्मुदिताः सर्वे देवा विद्याधरास्तथा । दृष्ट्वा व्याससुतं दिव्यमरणीगर्भसम्भवम्
All the gods and the Vidyādharas, delighted, offered praise upon seeing Vyāsa’s divine son, born from the womb of a fire-stick.
अन्तरिक्षात्पपातोर्व्यां दण्डः कृष्णाजिनं शुभम् । कमण्डलुस्तथा दिव्यः शुकस्यार्थे द्विजोत्तमाः
From the sky descended a staff, a beautiful black antelope skin, and a divine water pot, all for Śuka, O best of twice-born.
सद्यः स ववृधे बालो जातमात्रोऽतिदीप्तिमान् । तस्योपनयनं चक्रे व्यासो विद्याविधानवित्
That boy, radiant and just born, immediately grew; Vyāsa, knower of the rites of learning, performed his initiation.
उत्पन्नमात्रं तं वेदाः सरहस्याः ससंग्रहाः । उपतस्थुर्महात्मानं यथास्य पितरं तथा
As soon as he was born, the Vedas, with all their secrets and collections, approached that great soul just as they had his father.
यतो दृष्टं शुकीरूपं घृताच्याः सम्भवे तदा । शुकेति नाम पुत्रस्य चकार मुनिसत्तमः
Because a parrot-form was seen at the birth from Ghṛtācī, the best of sages gave his son the name Śuka.
बृहस्पतिमुपाध्यायं कृत्वा व्याससुतस्तदा । व्रतानि ब्रह्मचर्यस्य चकार विधिपूर्वकम्
Then Vyāsa’s son took Bṛhaspati as his teacher and, following the prescribed rules, observed the vows of student life.
सोऽधीत्य निखिलान्वेदान् सरहस्यान्ससंग्रहान् । धर्मशास्त्राणि सर्वाणि कृत्वा गुरुकुले शुकः
Śuka, having studied all the Vedas with their secrets and collections, and all the treatises on dharma, completed his education in the teacher’s house.
गुरवे दक्षिणां दत्त्वा समावृत्तो मुनिस्तदा । आजगाम पितुः पार्श्वं कृष्णद्वैपायनस्य च
Having given the teacher’s fee, the sage then graduated and came to the side of his father, Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana.
दृष्ट्वा व्यासः शुकं प्राप्तं प्रेम्णोत्थाय ससम्भ्रमः । आलिलिङ्ग मुहुर्घ्राणं मूर्ध्नि तस्य चकार ह
Seeing Śuka arrive, Vyāsa rose with love and excitement, embraced him repeatedly, and smelled his head.
पप्रच्छ कुशलं व्यासस्तथा चाध्ययनं शुचि । आश्वास्य स्थापयामास शुकं तत्राश्रमे शुभे
Vyāsa asked after his well-being and his studies, and, comforting him, settled Śuka in that auspicious hermitage.
दारकर्म ततो व्यासः शुकस्य पर्यचिन्तयत् । कन्यां मुनिसुतां कान्तामपृच्छदतिवेगवान्
Then Vyāsa considered the marriage of Śuka and swiftly asked for a beautiful sage’s daughter as a bride.
शुकं प्राह सुतं व्यासो वेदोऽधीतस्त्वयानघ । धर्मशास्त्राणि सर्वाणि कुरु भार्यां महामते
Vyāsa said to his son Śuka: ‘You have studied the Veda, O sinless one, and all the treatises on dharma; now, O wise one, take a wife.’
गार्हस्थ्यं च समासाद्य यज देवान्पितॄनथ । ऋणान्मोचय मां पुत्र प्राप्य दारान्मनोरमान्
‘Entering household life, worship the gods and ancestors; free me from my debts, my son, by taking a lovely wife.’
अपुत्रस्य गतिर्नास्ति स्वर्गो नैव च नैव च । तस्मात्पुत्र महाभाग कुरुष्वाद्य गृहाश्रमम्
‘For one without a son, there is no destiny, no heaven, none at all; therefore, O greatly fortunate one, today enter the householder’s stage.’