यथैव हि समिद्धो ऽग्निर्भाति हव्यमुपात्तवान्
Just as kindled fire shines forth, having received the sacrificial offering,
बिभ्रञ्चित्रं च विप्रेन्द्र रूपवर्णमनुत्तमम्
He bore a wondrous and unsurpassed form and complexion, O best of Brāhmaṇas.
अभ्येत्य स्नापयामास वारिणा स्वेन नारद
Having approached, Nārada bathed him with his own water.
जगीयन्त च गन्धर्वा ननृतुञ्चाप्सरोगणाः
The Gandharvas sang, and the hosts of Apsarases danced.
विश्वावसुश्च गन्धर्वस्तथा तुंबुरुनारदौ
Viśvāvasu the Gandharva, as well as Tumburu and Nārada, were present.
तत्र शक्रपुरोगाश्च लोकपालाः समागताः
There, the guardians of the worlds, headed by Indra, assembled.
दिव्यानि सर्वपुष्पाणि प्रववर्ष च मारुतः
The wind poured down all kinds of divine flowers.
तं महात्मा स्वयं प्रीत्या देव्या सह महाद्युतिः
That great-souled, radiant one, together with the goddess, joyfully attended him.
तस्य देवेश्वरः शक्तो दिव्यमद्भुतदर्शनम्
The lord of the gods, endowed with power and wondrous divine form, attended him.
हंसाश्च शतपत्राश्च सारसाश्च सहस्रशः
Thousands of swans, lotuses, and cranes were present.
आरणे यस्तदा दिव्यं प्राप्य जन्म महामुनिः
At that time, the great sage, having attained a divine birth in the forest,
उत्पन्नमात्रं तं वेदाः सरहस्याः ससंग्रहाः
As soon as he was born, the Vedas, with their secrets and collections, became manifest to him.
बृहस्पतिं स वव्रे च वेदवेदाङ्गभाष्यवित्
He chose Bṛhaspati, the knower of the Vedas, Vedāṅgas, and their commentaries, as his teacher.
सो ऽधीत्य वेदानखिलान्सरहस्यान्ससंग्रहान्
He studied all the Vedas, their secrets, and their collections.
गुरवे दक्षिणां दत्त्वा समावृत्तो महामुनिः
Having given the teacher’s fee to his guru, the great sage completed his studies.
देवतानामृषीणां च बाल्ये ऽपि सुमहातपाः
Even in childhood, he was possessed of great austerity among gods and sages.
न त्वस्य रमते बुद्धि राश्रमेषु मुनीश्वर
But, O best of sages, his mind did not delight in the hermitages.
स मोक्षमनुचिन्त्यैव शुकः पितरमभ्यगात्
Thinking only of liberation, Śuka approached his father.
मोक्षधर्मेषु कुशलो भगवान् प्रब्रवीतु मे
He said, 'O blessed one, skilled in the dharmas of liberation, please teach me.'
शृत्वा पुत्रस्य वचनं परमर्षिरुवाच तम्
Hearing his son’s words, the supreme sage spoke to him.
पितुर्निदेशाज्जग्राह शुको ब्रह्मविदां वरः
By his father's command, Śuka, foremost among those who know Brahman, accepted it.
शतं ब्राह्म्या श्रिया युक्तं ब्रह्मतुल्यपराक्रमम्
He was endowed with the wealth of Brahman, possessing a hundredfold brilliance and power equal to Brahma.
उवाच गच्छेति तदा जनकं मिथिलेश्वरम्
Then he said, 'Go,' to Janaka, the king of Mithilā.
पितुर्नियोगादगमज्जनकं मेथखिलं नृपम्
By his father's instruction, he went to Janaka, the king of the land of Mithilā.
उक्तश्च मानुषेण त्वं तथा गच्छेत्यविस्मितः
He was told by a human, 'In this way, go,' without astonishment.
आर्जवेनैव गन्तव्यं न सुखाय क्षणात्त्वया
You must go with straightforwardness, not for ease or pleasure, even for a moment.
अहॄङ्कारो न कर्तव्यो याज्ये तस्मिन्नराधिपे
You must not display pride in the sacrifice before that king.
स धर्मकुशलो राजा मोक्षशास्त्रविशारदः
That king is skilled in dharma and an expert in the scriptures of liberation.
एवमुक्तः स धर्मात्मा जगाम मिथिलां मुनिः
Thus instructed, the righteous sage went to Mithilā.
सगिरीं श्चाप्यतिक्रम्य भारतं वर्षमासदत्
Having crossed the mountains, he reached the land of Bhārata.