12.320
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhishma said.
ityevam uktvā vacanaṃ brahmarṣiḥ sumahātapāḥ। prātiṣṭhata śukaḥ siddhiṃ hitvā lokāṃś caturvidhān ॥12-320-1॥
Having thus spoken these words, the great sage of immense austerity, Śuka, renounced perfection and the four types of worlds and departed. (12-320-1)
tamo hyaṣṭavidhaṃ hitvā jahau pañcavidhaṃ rajaḥ। tataḥ sattvaṃ jahau dhīmāṃs tad adbhutam ivābhavat ॥12-320-2॥
Having abandoned the eightfold darkness, he gave up the fivefold passion. Then the wise one gave up goodness as well; it was as if something wonderful happened. (12-320-2)
tatastasminpade nitye nirguṇe liṅgavarjite। brahmaṇi pratyatiṣṭhatsa vidhūmo'gniriva jvalan ॥12-320-3॥
Then, in that eternal, qualityless, and characteristicless state of Brahman, he stood firm, shining like a smokeless fire. (12-320-3)
ulkāpātā diśāṃ dāhā bhūmikampās tathaiva ca। prādurbhūtāḥ kṣaṇe tasmiṃs tadadbhutam ivābhavat ॥12-320-4॥
Meteors fell, the directions burned, and earthquakes occurred likewise; all these appeared at that moment, and it seemed as if a wonder had happened. (12-320-4)
drumāḥ śākhāś ca mumucuḥ śikharāṇi ca parvatāḥ। nirghātaśabdaiś ca giriḥ himavān dīryatīva ha ॥12-320-5॥
The trees and branches broke off, and the peaks and mountains were loosened; by the thunderous sounds, the mountain Himavat seemed as if it were splitting apart indeed. (12-320-5)
na babhāse sahasrāṃśur na jajvāla ca pāvakaḥ। hradāś ca saritaś caiva cukṣubhuḥ sāgarās tathā ॥12-320-6॥
The thousand-rayed sun did not shine, nor did the fire blaze; the lakes and rivers were agitated, and so too were the oceans. (12-320-6)
vavarṣa vāsavasto yaṁ rasavacca sugandhi ca। vavau samīraṇaś cāpi divyagandhavahaḥ śuciḥ ॥12-320-7॥
Indra rained fragrant water like nectar, and the pure wind also blew, carrying a divine fragrance. (12-320-7)
sa śṛṅge'pratime divye himavanmerusambhave। saṃśliṣṭe śvetapīte dve rukmarūpyamaye śubhe ॥12-320-8॥
He was on the unrivaled, divine peak, born of Himavat and Meru, where two auspicious peaks, white and yellow, made of gold and silver, were joined together. (12-320-8)
śatayojanavistāre tiryagūrdhvaṃ ca bhārata। udīcīṃ diśamāśritya rucire saṃdadarśa ha ॥12-320-9॥
O Bhārata, in the beautiful northern direction, extending a hundred yojanas across and upwards, he indeed beheld it. (12-320-9)
so'aviśaṅkena manasā tathaivābhyapatac chukaḥ। tataḥ parvataśṛṅge dve sahasaiva dvidhākṛte ॥ adṛśyetāṃ mahārāja tadadbhutamivābhavat ॥12-320-10॥
He, with a mind free from doubt, Śuka approached in the same way. Then, O great king, the two mountain peaks were suddenly split in two; they appeared, and that seemed truly wondrous. (12-320-10)
tataḥ parvataśṛṅgābhyāṃ sahasaiva viniḥsṛtaḥ। na ca pratijaghānāsya sa gatiṃ parvatottamaḥ ॥12-320-11॥
Then, suddenly he emerged from between the two mountain peaks, and the best of mountains did not obstruct his movement. (12-320-11)
tato mahānabhūcchabdo divi sarvadivaukasām। gandharvāṇāmṛṣīṇāṃ ca ye ca śailanivāsinaḥ ॥12-320-12॥
Then a great sound arose in the sky among all the dwellers of heaven, the Gandharvas, the Ṛṣis, and those who live in the mountains. (12-320-12)
dṛṣṭvā śukam atikrāntaṃ parvataṃ ca dvidhākṛtam। sādhu sādhu iti tatra āsīn nādaḥ sarvatra bhārata ॥12-320-13॥
O Bhārata, seeing that Śuka had crossed and split the mountain in two, a cry of "Well done, well done" arose everywhere. (12-320-13)
sa pūjyamāno devaiś ca gandharvair ṛṣibhiḥ tathā। yakṣa-rākṣasa-saṅghaiś ca vidyādhara-gaṇaiḥ tathā ॥12-320-14॥
He was worshipped by the gods, gandharvas, sages, as well as by the hosts of yakṣas, rākṣasas, and the groups of vidyādharas. (12-320-14)
divyaiḥ puṣpaiḥ samākīrṇam antarikṣaṃ samantataḥ। āsīt kila mahārāja śukābhipatane tadā ॥12-320-15॥
O great king, at that time, when the parrot descended, the sky was indeed covered on all sides with divine flowers. (12-320-15)
tato mandākinīṃ ramyām upariṣṭād abhivrajan। śuko dadarśa dharmātmā puṣpitadrumakān anām॥12-320-16॥
Then the righteous-souled Śuka, approaching from above, saw the beautiful Mandakini, delightful with blossoming trees. (12-320-16)
tasyāṃ krīḍanty abhiratāḥ snānti caiva apsarogaṇāḥ। śūnyākāraṃ nirākārāḥ śukaṃ dṛṣṭvā vivāsasaḥ ॥12-320-17॥
There, delighted, groups of apsarases play and bathe; seeing Shuka, who was formless and appeared as emptiness, without clothing. (12-320-17)
taṃ prakramantam ājñāya pitā sneha-samanvitaḥ। uttamāṃ gatim āsthāya pṛṣṭhataḥ anusasāra ha ॥12-320-18॥
Seeing him set forth, the father, filled with affection, took the supreme path and followed behind him indeed. (12-320-18)
śukas tu mārutād ūrdhvaṃ gatiṃ kṛtvāntarikṣagām। darśayitvā prabhāvaṃ svaṃ sarvabhūto'bhavat tadā ॥12-320-19॥
But Śuka, having ascended upwards from the wind and moved through the sky, having displayed his own power, then became one with all beings. (12-320-19)
mahāyogagatiṃ tvagryāṃ vyāsotthāya mahātapāḥ। nimeṣāntaramātreṇa śukābhipatanaṃ yayau ॥12-320-20॥
The great ascetic, having risen from Vyāsa, in but the briefest instant, attained the supreme state of great yoga, following the path of Śuka. (12-320-20)
sa dadarśa dvidhā kṛtvā parvatāgraṃ śukaṃ gatam। śaśaṃsur ṛṣayas tasmai karma putrasya tat tadā ॥12-320-21॥
He saw that Śuka had gone, having split the mountain-top in two. Then the sages praised to him that deed of his son. (12-320-21)
tataḥ śuketi dīrgheṇa śaikṣeṇākranditas tadā। svayaṃ pitrā svareṇoccais trīṃl lokān anunādya vai ॥12-320-22॥
Then, the student cried out "śuka" in a long tone; his father himself, with a loud voice, made the three worlds resound. (12-320-22)
śukaḥ sarvagato bhūtvā sarvātmā sarvatomukhaḥ। pratyabhāṣata dharmātmā bhoḥśabdenānunādayan ॥12-320-23॥
The parrot, having become all-pervading, the self of all, and facing in all directions, the righteous-souled one replied, resounding with the sound 'bhoḥ'. (12-320-23)
tata ekākṣaraṃ nādaṃ bho ityeva samīrayan। pratyāharaj jagat sarvam uccaiḥ sthāvarajaṅgamam ॥12-320-24॥
He caused the one-syllabled sound "bho" to resound, and thus drew in the entire world, both immobile and mobile, aloud. (12-320-24)
tataḥ prabhṛti cādyāpi śabdān uccāritān pṛthak। giri-gahvara-pṛṣṭheṣu vyājahāra śukaṃ prati ॥12-320-25॥
From that time, even today, the sounds uttered separately on the backs of mountain caves were addressed to Śuka. (12-320-25)
antarhitaḥ prabhāvaṃ tu darśayitvā śukas tadā। guṇān santyajya śabdādīn padam adhyagamat param ॥12-320-26॥
Śuka, having disappeared after displaying his power, then abandoned all qualities and sense objects such as sound, and attained the supreme state. (12-320-26)
mahimānaṃ tu taṃ dṛṣṭvā putrasyāmitatejasaḥ। niṣasāda giriprasthe putramevānucintayan ॥12-320-27॥
But when he saw the greatness of his son, who possessed immeasurable brilliance, he sat down on the mountain plateau, thinking only of his son. (12-320-27)
tato mandākinītīre krīḍanto'psarasāṃ gaṇāḥ। āsādya tam ṛṣiṃ sarvāḥ sambhrāntā gatacetasaḥ ॥12-320-28॥
Then, on the bank of the Mandākinī, the groups of apsarases who were playing, upon approaching that sage, all became agitated and lost their composure. (12-320-28)
jale nililyire kāścit kāścid gulmān prapedire। vasanāni ādaduh kāścit dṛṣṭvā taṃ munisattamam ॥12-320-29॥
Some hid themselves in the water; some approached the bushes; some, having seen him, the best of sages, took their garments. (12-320-29)
tāṃ muktatāṃ tu vijñāya muniḥ putrasya vai tadā। saktatām ātmanaś caiva prīto'bhūd vrīḍitaś ca ha ॥12-320-30॥
But when the sage realized his son's freedom from attachment, and his own attachment, he became both pleased and ashamed. (12-320-30)
taṃ devagandharvavṛto maharṣigaṇapūjitaḥ। pinākahasto bhagavān abhyāgacchata śaṅkaraḥ ॥12-320-31॥
The Lord Śaṅkara, holding the Pināka bow, surrounded by gods and gandharvas and honored by groups of great sages, approached him. (12-320-31)
tam uvāca mahādevaḥ sāntvapūrvam idaṃ vacaḥ। putraśokābhisantaptaṃ kṛṣṇadvaipāyanaṃ tadā ॥12-320-32॥
Then Mahadeva spoke these words with gentle consolation to Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana, who was afflicted by grief for his son. (12-320-32)
agner bhūmer apāṃ vāyor antarikṣasya caiva ha। vīryeṇa sadṛśaḥ putras tvayā mattaḥ purā vṛtaḥ॥12-320-33॥
A son, equal in strength to Agni, earth, waters, Vāyu, and the atmosphere, was formerly chosen by you from me. (12-320-33)
sa tathālakṣaṇo jātastapasā tava sambhṛtaḥ। mama caiva prabhāvena brahmatejomayaḥ śuciḥ ॥12-320-34॥
He, thus characterized, was born through your austerity, produced by you; and by my power, he is pure, composed of the radiance of Brahman. (12-320-34)
sa gatiṃ paramāṃ prāpto duṣprāpāmajitendriyaiḥ। daivatairapi viprarṣe taṃ tvaṃ kimanuśocasi ॥12-320-35॥
He has attained the supreme state, which is difficult to attain even for those whose senses are not conquered, even by the gods, O sage among the twice-born; why do you grieve for him? (12-320-35)
yāvatsthāsyanti girayo yāvatsthāsyanti sāgarāḥ। tāvattavākṣayā kīrtiḥ saputrasya bhaviṣyati ॥12-320-36॥
Your imperishable fame, along with your son, will endure as long as the mountains and oceans exist. (12-320-36)
chāyāṃ svaputrasadṛśīṃ sarvato'napagāṃ sadā। drakṣyase tvaṃ ca loke'smin matprasādān mahāmune ॥12-320-37॥
O great sage, by my grace, you will always see a shadow like your own son, never departing from you in this world. (12-320-37)
so'numīto bhagavatā svayaṃ rudreṇa bhārata। chāyāṃ paśyansamāvṛttaḥ sa muniḥ parayā mudā ॥12-320-38॥
O Bhārata, that sage, having been persuaded by the venerable Rudra himself, returned, and seeing the shadow, was filled with supreme joy. (12-320-38)
iti janma gatiś caiva śukasya bharatarṣabha। vistareṇa mayākhyātaṃ yan māṃ tvaṃ paripṛcchasi ॥12-320-39॥
O best of the Bharatas, thus I have described in detail the birth and journey of Śuka, as you asked me. (12-320-39)
etad ācaṣṭa me rājan devarṣir nāradaḥ purā। vyāsaś caiva mahāyogī sañjalpeṣu pade pade ॥12-320-40॥
O king, this was formerly related to me by the divine sage Nārada, and also by Vyāsa, the great yogi, in every conversation at every step. (12-320-40)
itihāsam imaṁ puṇyaṁ mokṣa-dharmārtha-saṁhitam। dhārayed yaḥ śama-paraḥ sa gacchet paramāṁ gatim ॥12-320-41॥
Whoever, intent on tranquility, upholds this meritorious history, a collection relating to mokṣa, dharma, and artha, he attains the supreme state. (12-320-41)
