12.320
Bhishma said.
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)
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)
Then, in that eternal, qualityless, and characteristicless state of Brahman, he stood firm, shining like a smokeless fire. (12-320-3)
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)
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)
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)
Indra rained fragrant water like nectar, and the pure wind also blew, carrying a divine fragrance. (12-320-7)
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)
O Bhārata, in the beautiful northern direction, extending a hundred yojanas across and upwards, he indeed beheld it. (12-320-9)
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)
Then, suddenly he emerged from between the two mountain peaks, and the best of mountains did not obstruct his movement. (12-320-11)
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)
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)
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)
O great king, at that time, when the parrot descended, the sky was indeed covered on all sides with divine flowers. (12-320-15)
Then the righteous-souled Śuka, approaching from above, saw the beautiful Mandakini, delightful with blossoming trees. (12-320-16)
There, delighted, groups of apsarases play and bathe; seeing Shuka, who was formless and appeared as emptiness, without clothing. (12-320-17)
Seeing him set forth, the father, filled with affection, took the supreme path and followed behind him indeed. (12-320-18)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
He caused the one-syllabled sound "bho" to resound, and thus drew in the entire world, both immobile and mobile, aloud. (12-320-24)
From that time, even today, the sounds uttered separately on the backs of mountain caves were addressed to Śuka. (12-320-25)
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)
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)
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)
Some hid themselves in the water; some approached the bushes; some, having seen him, the best of sages, took their garments. (12-320-29)
But when the sage realized his son's freedom from attachment, and his own attachment, he became both pleased and ashamed. (12-320-30)
The Lord Śaṅkara, holding the Pināka bow, surrounded by gods and gandharvas and honored by groups of great sages, approached him. (12-320-31)
Then Mahadeva spoke these words with gentle consolation to Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana, who was afflicted by grief for his son. (12-320-32)
A son, equal in strength to Agni, earth, waters, Vāyu, and the atmosphere, was formerly chosen by you from me. (12-320-33)
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)
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)
Your imperishable fame, along with your son, will endure as long as the mountains and oceans exist. (12-320-36)
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)
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)
O best of the Bharatas, thus I have described in detail the birth and journey of Śuka, as you asked me. (12-320-39)
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)
Whoever, intent on tranquility, upholds this meritorious history, a collection relating to mokṣa, dharma, and artha, he attains the supreme state. (12-320-41)
