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?
अयोनिजोऽहं विप्रर्षे योनौ मे कीदृशी मतिः । न वाञ्छाम्यहमग्रेऽपि योनावेव समुद्भवम्
I am not born from a womb, O sage among Brāhmaṇas; what attachment could I have to the womb? Even in the future, I do not desire birth from a womb.
विट्सुखं किमु वाञ्छामि त्यक्त्वाऽऽत्मसुखमद्भुतम् । आत्मारामश्च भूयोऽपि न भवत्यतिलोलुपः
Why would I desire the pleasure of excrement, abandoning the wondrous joy of the Self? One who delights in the Self does not become excessively greedy.
प्रथमं पठिता वेदा मया विस्तारिताश्च ते । हिंसामयास्ते पतिताः कर्ममार्गप्रवर्तकाः
I first studied the Vedas and explained them to you; but they are filled with violence and lead to the path of ritual action.
बृहस्पतिर्गुरुः प्राप्तः सोऽपि मग्नो गृहार्णवे । अविद्याग्रस्तहृदयः कथं तारयितुं क्षमः
Bṛhaspati, the guru, was attained, but he too is sunk in the ocean of household life; his heart seized by ignorance, how can he save others?
रोगग्रस्तो यथा वैद्यः पररोगचिकित्सकः । तथा गुरुर्मुमुक्षोर्मे गृहस्थोऽयं विडम्बना
Just as a physician afflicted by disease treats the illness of others, so too is a householder as a guru for one seeking liberation—a contradiction.
कृत्वा प्रणामं गुरवे त्वत्समीपमुपागतः । त्राहि मां तत्त्वबोधेन भीतं संसारसर्पतः
Having bowed to my guru, I have come to you; save me, who am afraid of the serpent of worldly existence, by the knowledge of truth.
संसारेऽस्मिन्महाघोरे भ्रमणं नभचक्रवत् । न च विश्रमणं क्यापि सूर्यस्येव दिवानिशि
In this terrible world, wandering is like the movement of the sun in the sky; there is no rest at any time, just as for the sun day and night.
किं सुखं तात संसारे निजतत्त्वविचारणात् । मूढानां सुखबुद्धिस्तु विट्सु कीटसुखं यथा
What happiness, father, is there in worldly life apart from inquiry into one's true nature? The happiness of fools is like the pleasure of worms in filth.
अधीत्य वेदशास्त्राणि संसारे रागिणश्च ये । तेभ्यः परो न मूर्खोऽस्ति सधर्मा श्वाश्वसूकरैः
Those who study the Vedas and scriptures but remain attached to worldly life are not superior to fools; they are like dogs, donkeys, and pigs.
मानुष्यं दुर्लभं प्राप्य वेदशास्त्राण्यधीत्य च । बध्यते यदि संसारे को विमुच्येत मानवः
Having attained the rare human birth and studied the Vedas and scriptures, if one is still bound in worldly existence, who among humans can be freed?