Chapter 326

“Bhishma said, ‘Thinking of Emancipation, Suka approached his sire andpossessed as he was of humility and desirous of achieving his highestgood, he saluted his great preceptor and said,–Thou art well versed inthe religion of Emancipation. Do thou O illustrious one, discourse to meupon it, so that supreme tranquillity of mind, O puissant one, may bemine!–Hearing these words of his son, the great Rishi said unto him,–Dothou study, O son, the religion of Emancipation and all the diverseduties of life!–At the command of his sire, Suka, that foremost of allrighteous men, mastered all the treatises on Yoga, O Bharata. as also thescience promulgated by Kapila. When Vyasa behind his son to be possessedof the resplendence of the Vedas, endued with the energy of Brahma, andfully conversant with the religion of Emancipation, he addressed him,saying,–Go thou to Janaka the ruler of Mithila. The king of Mithila willtell thee everything for thy Emancipation.–Bearing the command of hissire, O king, Suka proceeded to Mithila for enquiring of its king aboutthe truth of duties and the Refuge of Emancipation. Before he set out,his sire further told him,–Do thou go thither by that path whichordinary human beings take. Do not have recourse to thy Yoga-puissancefor proceeding through the skies–At this Suka was not at all surprised(for he was humble by nature). He was further told that he should proceedthither with simplicity and not from desire of pleasure.–Along your waydo not seek for friends and spouses, since friends and spouses are causesof attachment to the world. Although the ruler of Mithila is one in whosesacrifices we officiate, still thou shouldst not indulge in any feelingof superiority while living with him. Thou shouldst live under hisdirection and in obedience to him. Even he will dispel all thydoubts.[1738] That king is well versed in all duties and well acquaintedwith the scriptures on Emancipation. He is one for whom I officiate insacrifices. Thou shouldst, without any scruple, do what he bids.–Thusinstructed, the righteous-souled Suka proceeded to Mithila on footalthough he was able to traverse through the skies over the whole Earthwith her seas. Crossing many hills and mountains, many rivers, manywaters and lakes, and many woods and forests abounding with beasts ofprey and other animals, crossing, the two Varshas of Meru and Harisuccessively and next the Varsha of Himavat, he came at last to theVarsha known by the name of Bharata. Having seen many countries inhabitedby Chins and Huns, the great ascetic at last reached Aryavarta. Inobedience to the commands of his sire and bearing them constantly in hismind, he gradually passed along his way on the Earth like a bird passingthrough the air. Passing through many delightful towns and populouscities, he saw diverse kinds of wealth without waiting to observe them.On his way he passed through many delightful gardens and planes and manysacred waters. Before much time had passed he reached the country of theVidehas that was protected by the virtuous and high-souled Janaka. Therehe beheld many populous villages, and many kinds of food and drink andviands and habitations of cowherds swelling with men and many herds ofcattle. He beheld many fields abounding with paddy and barley and othergrain, and many lakes and waters inhabited by swans and cranes andadorned with beautiful lotuses. Passing through the Videha countryteeming with well-to-do people, he arrived at the delightful gardens ofMithila rich with many species of trees. Abounding with elephants andhorses and cars, and peopled by men and women, he passed through themwithout waiting to observe any of the things that were presented to hiseye. Bearing that burthen in his mind and ceaselessly dwelling upon it(viz., the desire of mastering the religion of Emancipation), Suka ofcheerful soul and taking delight in internal survey only, reached Mithilaat last. Arrived at the gate, he sent word through the keepers. Enduedwith tranquillity of mind, devoted to contemplation and Yoga, he enteredthe city, having obtained permission. Proceeding along the principalstreet abounding with well-to-do men, he reached the king’s palace andentered it without any scruples. The porters forbade him with roughwords. Thereat, Suka, without any anger, stopped and waited. Neither thesun nor the long distance he had walked had fatigued him in the least.Neither hunger, nor thirst, nor the exertion he had made, had weakenedhim. The heat of the Sun had not scorched or pained or distressed him inany degree. Among those porters there was one who felt compassion forhim, beholding him staying there like the midday Sun in his effulgence.Worshipping him in due form and saluting him properly, with joined handshe led him to the first chamber of the palace. Seated there, Suka, O son,began to think of Emancipation only. Possessed of equable splendour helooked with an equal eye upon a shaded spot and one exposed to the Sun’srays. Very soon after, the king’s minister, coming to that place withjoined hands, led him to the second chamber of the palace. That chamberled to a spacious garden which formed a portion of the inner apartmentsof the palace. It looked like a second Chaitraratha. Beautiful pieces ofwater occurred here and there at regular intervals. Delightful trees, allof which were in their flowering season, stood in that garden. Bevies ofdamsels, of transcendent beauty, were in attendance. The minister ledSuka from the second chamber to that delightful spot. Ordering thosedamsels to give the ascetic a seat, the minister left him there. Thosewell-dressed damsels were of beautiful features, possessed of excellenthips, young in years, clad in red robes of fine texture, and decked withmany ornaments of burnished gold. They were well-skilled in agreeableconversation and maddening revelry, and thorough mistresses of the artsof dance and singing. Always opening their lips with smiles, they wereequal to the very Apsaras in beauty. Well-skilled in all the acts ofdalliance, competent to read the thoughts of men upon whom they wait,possessed of every accomplishment, fifty damsels, of a very superiororder and of easy virtue, surrounded the ascetic. Presenting him withwater for washing his feet, and worshipping him respectfully with theoffer of the usual articles, they gratified him with excellent viandsagreeable to the season. After he had eaten, those damsels then, oneafter another, singly led him through the grounds, showing him everyobject of interest, O Bharata. Sporting and laughing and singing, thosedamsels, conversant with the thoughts of all men, entertained thatauspicious ascetic of noble soul. The pure-souled ascetic born in thefire-sticks, observant without scruples of any kind of his duties, havingall his senses under complete control, and a thorough master of hiswrath, was neither pleased nor angered at all this. Then those foremostof beautiful women gave him an excellent seat. Washing his feet and otherlimbs, Suka said his evening prayers, sat on that excellent seat, andbegan to think of the object for which he had come there. In the firstpart of the night, he devoted himself to Yoga. The puissant ascetic,passed the middle portion of the night in sleep. Very soon waking up fromhis slumber, he went through the necessary rites of cleansing his body,and though surrounded by those beautiful women, he once again devotedhimself to Yoga. It was in this way, O Bharata, that the son of theIsland-born Krishna passed the latter part of that day and the whole ofthat night in the palace of king Janaka.'”