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.’
कृत्वा गृहाश्रमं पुत्र सुखिनं कुरु मां शुक । आशा मे महती पुत्र पूरयस्व महामते
‘By becoming a householder, make me happy, Śuka, my son; fulfill my great hope, O wise one.’
तपस्तप्त्वा महाघोरं प्राप्तोऽसि त्वमयोनिजः । देवरूपी महाप्राज्ञ पाहि मां पितरं शुक
‘Having performed terrible austerities, you were born without a mother, O wise one with a divine form; protect me, your father, Śuka.’
सूत उवाच इति वादिनमभ्याशे प्राप्तः प्राह शुकस्तदा । विरक्तः सोऽतिरक्तं तं साक्षात्पितरमात्मनः
Sūta said: As Vyāsa was speaking thus, Śuka, who had arrived, replied; though detached, he was deeply devoted to his father, who was like his very self.
शुक उवाच किं त्वं वदसि धर्मज्ञ वेदव्यास महामते । तत्त्वेन शाधि शिष्यं मां त्वदाज्ञां करवाण्यलम्
Śuka said: ‘Why do you say this, O knower of dharma, O Vedavyāsa, O wise one? Instruct me truly, your disciple; I am ready to carry out your command.’
व्यास उवाच त्वदर्थे यत्तपस्तप्तं मया पुत्र शतं समाः । प्राप्तस्त्वं चातिदुःखेन शिवस्याराधनेन च
Vyāsa said: For your sake, my son, I performed austerities for a hundred years; you were obtained with great hardship and by propitiating Śiva.
ददामि तव वित्तं तु प्रार्थयित्वाथ भूपतिम् । सुखं भुंक्ष्व महाप्राज्ञ प्राप्य यौवनमुत्तमम्
I will give you wealth, having requested it from the king; enjoy happiness, O most wise one, having attained the prime of youth.
शुक उवाच किं सुखं मानुषे लोके ब्रूहि तात निरामयम् । दुःखविद्धं सुखं प्राज्ञा न वदन्ति सुखं किल
Śuka said: What happiness in the human world is truly free from affliction? Tell me, father. The wise do not call that happiness which is touched by suffering.
स्त्रियं कृत्वा महाभाग भवामि तद्वशानुगः । सुखं किं परतन्त्रस्य स्त्रीजितस्य विशेषतः
If I take a wife, O most fortunate one, I will become subject to her will; what happiness is there for one who is dependent, especially one conquered by a woman?
कदाचिदपि मुच्येत लोहकाष्ठादियन्त्रितः । पुत्रदारैर्निबद्धस्तु न विमुच्येत कर्हिचित्
One bound by iron or wooden restraints may sometimes be freed; but one bound by children and wife is never released.
विण्मूत्रसम्भवो देहो नारीणां तन्मयस्तथा । कः प्रीतिं तत्र विप्रेन्द्र विबुधः कर्तुमिच्छति
This body is born of filth and urine, and so too is a woman's body; O best of Brāhmaṇas, what wise person would wish to take delight in that?