The Birth of Shuka from the Fire-Stick

Verse 1 (12.332.1)

स लब्ध्वा परमं देवाद्वरं सत्यवतीसुतः । अरणीं तु ततो गृह्य ममन्थाग्निचिकीर्षया ॥

sa labdhvā paramaṃ devādvaraṃ satyavatīsutaḥ | araṇīṃ tu tato gṛhya mamanthāgnicikīrṣayā

Having received that supreme boon from the god, the son of Satyavati took up the fire-stick and began to churn it, wishing to kindle fire.

Verse 2 (12.332.2)

अथ रूपं परं राजन्बिभ्रतीं स्वेन तेजसा । घृताचीं नामाप्सरसमपश्यद्भगवानृषिः ॥

atha rūpaṃ paraṃ rājanbibhratīṃ svena tejasā | ghṛtācīṃ nāmāpsarasamapaśyadbhagavānṛṣiḥ

Then, O king, the blessed sage saw the apsara named Ghritachi, who wore a supreme beauty with a radiance of her own.

Verse 3 (12.332.3)

ऋषिरप्सरसं दृष्ट्वा सहसा काममोहितः । अभवद्भगवान्व्यासो वने तस्मिन्युधिष्ठिर ॥

ṛṣirapsarasaṃ dṛṣṭvā sahasā kāmamohitaḥ | abhavadbhagavānvyāso vane tasminyudhiṣṭhira

Seeing the apsara, the sage was suddenly overcome by desire, O Yudhishthira, the blessed Vyasa in that forest.

Verse 4 (12.332.4)

सा च दृष्ट्वा तदा व्यासं कामसंविग्नमानसम् । शुकी भूत्वा महाराज घृताची समुपागमत् ॥

sā ca dṛṣṭvā tadā vyāsaṃ kāmasaṃvignamānasam | śukī bhūtvā mahārāja ghṛtācī samupāgamat

And Ghritachi, seeing Vyasa then with his mind stirred by desire, became a female parrot, O great king, and came near him.

Verse 5 (12.332.5)

स तामप्सरसं दृष्ट्वा रूपेणान्येन संवृताम् । शरीरजेनानुगतः सर्वगात्रातिगेन ह ॥

sa tāmapsarasaṃ dṛṣṭvā rūpeṇānyena saṃvṛtām | śarīrajenānugataḥ sarvagātrātigena ha

Seeing that apsara covered in another form, he was seized by desire, born of the body, which runs through every limb.

Verse 6 (12.332.6)

स तु धैर्येण महता निगृह्णन्हृच्छयं मुनिः । न शशाक नियन्तुं तद्व्यासः प्रविसृतं मनः । भावित्वाच्चैव भावस्य घृताच्या वपुषा हृतः ॥

sa tu dhairyeṇa mahatā nigṛhṇanhṛcchayaṃ muniḥ | na śaśāka niyantuṃ tadvyāsaḥ pravisṛtaṃ manaḥ | bhāvitvāccaiva bhāvasya ghṛtācyā vapuṣā hṛtaḥ

With great firmness the sage tried to hold back the stirring in his heart, but Vyasa could not restrain his mind, which had gone loose; and because what is to be must be, he was carried away by Ghritachi's form.

Verse 7 (12.332.7)

यत्नान्नियच्छतस्तस्य मुनेरग्निचिकीर्षया । अरण्यामेव सहसा तस्य शुक्रमवापतत् ॥

yatnānniyacchatastasya muneragnicikīrṣayā | araṇyāmeva sahasā tasya śukramavāpatat

Though the sage strove to restrain himself, intent as he was on kindling fire, his seed suddenly fell upon the fire-stick itself.

Verse 8 (12.332.8)

सोऽविशङ्केन मनसा तथैव द्विजसत्तमः । अरणीं ममन्थ ब्रह्मर्षिस्तस्यां जज्ञे शुको नृप ॥

so'viśaṅkena manasā tathaiva dvijasattamaḥ | araṇīṃ mamantha brahmarṣistasyāṃ jajñe śuko nṛpa

With a mind free of hesitation, the best of brahmins, the brahmin sage, went on churning the fire-stick just as before, and in it Shuka was born, O king.

Verse 9 (12.332.9)

शुक्रे निर्मथ्यमाने स शुको जज्ञे महातपाः । परमर्षिर्महायोगी अरणीगर्भसंभवः ॥

śukre nirmathyamāne sa śuko jajñe mahātapāḥ | paramarṣirmahāyogī araṇīgarbhasaṃbhavaḥ

As the seed was being churned, the greatly austere Shuka was born, a supreme sage and great yogin, sprung from the womb of the fire-stick.

Verse 10 (12.332.10)

यथाऽध्वरे समिद्धोऽग्निर्भाति हव्यमुदावहन् । तथारूपः शुको जज्ञे प्रज्वलन्निव तेजसा ॥

yathā'dhvare samiddho'gnirbhāti havyamudāvahan | tathārūpaḥ śuko jajñe prajvalanniva tejasā

As the fire kindled at a sacrifice shines, bearing the offerings, so Shuka was born in such a form, as if blazing with radiance.

Verse 11 (12.332.11)

विभ्रत्पितुश्च कौरव्य रूपवर्णमनुत्तमम् । बभौ तदा भावितात्मा विधूमोऽग्निरिव ज्वलन् ॥

vibhratpituśca kauravya rūpavarṇamanuttamam | babhau tadā bhāvitātmā vidhūmo'gniriva jvalan

Bearing the matchless form and complexion of his father, O Kuru, he shone then, of purified self, like a smokeless fire blazing.

Note on the text: Corrected विधूमोऽग्निरिवज्वलन् → विधूमोऽग्निरिव ज्वलन् (misprint in Wikisource; two words run together, CE vidhūmo 'gnir iva jvalan).

Verse 12 (12.332.12)

तं गङ्गा सरितां श्रेष्ठा मेरुपृष्ठे जनेश्वर । स्वरूपिणी तदाऽभ्येत्य स्नापयामास वारिणा ॥

taṃ gaṅgā saritāṃ śreṣṭhā merupṛṣṭhe janeśvara | svarūpiṇī tadā'bhyetya snāpayāmāsa vāriṇā

Ganga, best of rivers, came to him in bodily form on the slope of Meru, O lord of men, and bathed him with her water.

Verse 13 (12.332.13)

अन्तरिक्षाच्च कौरव्य दण्डः कृष्णाजिनं च ह । पपात भुवि राजेन्द्र शुकस्यार्थे महात्मनः ॥

antarikṣācca kauravya daṇḍaḥ kṛṣṇājinaṃ ca ha | papāta bhuvi rājendra śukasyārthe mahātmanaḥ

From the sky, O Kuru, a staff and a black antelope skin fell to the earth, O king of kings, for the sake of the great soul Shuka.

Note on the text: Corrected शुकस्थार्थे → शुकस्यार्थे (misprint in Wikisource; CE śukasyārthe).

Verse 14 (12.332.14)

जेगीयन्ते स्म गन्धर्वा ननृतुश्चाप्सरोगणाः । देवदुन्दुभयश्चैव प्रावाद्यन्त सहस्रशः ॥

jegīyante sma gandharvā nanṛtuścāpsarogaṇāḥ | devadundubhayaścaiva prāvādyanta sahasraśaḥ

The Gandharvas sang, the hosts of Apsarases danced, and celestial drums sounded by the thousand.

Verse 15 (12.332.15)

विश्वावसुश्च गन्धर्वस्तथा तुम्बुरुनारदौ । हाहा हूहूश्च गन्धर्वौ तुष्टुवुः शुकसंभवम् ॥

viśvāvasuśca gandharvastathā tumburunāradau | hāhā hūhūśca gandharvau tuṣṭuvuḥ śukasaṃbhavam

The Gandharva Vishvavasu, Tumburu and Narada, and the two Gandharvas Haha and Huhu praised the birth of Shuka.

Note on the text: Corrected विश्वासुश्च → विश्वावसुश्च (misprint in Wikisource; dropped akshara, the Gandharva Viśvāvasu; CE viśvāvasuś).

Verse 16 (12.332.16)

तत्र शक्रपुरोगाश्च लोकपालाः समागताः । देवा देवर्षयश्चैव तथा ब्रह्मर्षयोऽपि च ॥

tatra śakrapurogāśca lokapālāḥ samāgatāḥ | devā devarṣayaścaiva tathā brahmarṣayo'pi ca

The guardians of the world, with Indra at their head, gathered there, along with the gods, the divine sages and the brahmin sages.

Verse 17 (12.332.17)

दिव्यानि सर्वपुष्पाणि प्रववर्ष च मारुतः । जङ्गमं स्थावरं चैव प्रहृष्टमभवज्जगत् ॥

divyāni sarvapuṣpāṇi pravavarṣa ca mārutaḥ | jaṅgamaṃ sthāvaraṃ caiva prahṛṣṭamabhavajjagat

The wind rained down all kinds of divine flowers, and the whole world, moving and unmoving, was filled with delight.

Verse 18 (12.332.18)

तं महात्मा स्वयं प्रीत्या देव्या सह महाद्युतिः । जातमात्रं मुनेः पुत्रं विधिनोपानयत्तदा ॥

taṃ mahātmā svayaṃ prītyā devyā saha mahādyutiḥ | jātamātraṃ muneḥ putraṃ vidhinopānayattadā

Then the great and radiant god Mahadeva himself, with the goddess, joyfully invested the sage's newborn son with the sacred thread in due rite.

Note on the text: Corrected जतामात्रं → जातमात्रं (misprint in Wikisource; CE jātamātraṃ).

Verse 19 (12.332.19)

तस्य देवेश्वरः शक्रो दिव्यमद्भुतदर्शनम् । ददौ कमण्डलुं प्रीत्या देववासांसि चाभिभो ॥

tasya deveśvaraḥ śakro divyamadbhutadarśanam | dadau kamaṇḍaluṃ prītyā devavāsāṃsi cābhibho

Indra, lord of the gods, gladly gave him a wondrous water-pot of marvellous look, and divine garments, O mighty one.

Verse 20 (12.332.20)

हंसाश्च शतपत्राश्च सारसाश्च सहस्रशः । प्रदक्षिणमवर्तन्त शुकाश्चाषाश्च भारत ॥

haṃsāśca śatapatrāśca sārasāśca sahasraśaḥ | pradakṣiṇamavartanta śukāścāṣāśca bhārata

Swans, woodpeckers, and thousands of sarasa cranes, parrots and blue jays circled him with their right sides toward him, O Bharata.

Verse 21 (12.332.21)

आरणेयस्ततो दिव्यं प्राप्य जन्म महाद्युतिः । तत्रैवोवास मेधावी ब्रह्मचारी समाहितः ॥

āraṇeyastato divyaṃ prāpya janma mahādyutiḥ | tatraivovāsa medhāvī brahmacārī samāhitaḥ

Having thus obtained a divine birth, the radiant, wise son of the fire-stick stayed on there as a self-controlled celibate student.

Verse 22 (12.332.22)

उत्पन्नमात्रं तं वेदाः सरहस्याः ससंग्रहाः । उपतस्थुर्महाराज यथाऽस्य पितरं तथा ॥

utpannamātraṃ taṃ vedāḥ sarahasyāḥ sasaṃgrahāḥ | upatasthurmahārāja yathā'sya pitaraṃ tathā

As soon as he was born, the Vedas with their secrets and compendia came to wait upon him, O great king, as they had upon his father.

Verse 23 (12.332.23)

बृहस्पतिं च वव्रे स वेदवेदाङ्गभाष्यवित् । उपाध्यायं महाराज धर्ममेवानुचिन्तयन् ॥

bṛhaspatiṃ ca vavre sa vedavedāṅgabhāṣyavit | upādhyāyaṃ mahārāja dharmamevānucintayan

Ever reflecting on dharma, O great king, he chose Brihaspati, a master of the Vedas, the Vedangas and their commentaries, as his teacher.

Verse 24 (12.332.24)

सोऽधीत्य निखिलान्वेदान्सरहस्यान्ससंग्रहान् । इतिहासं च कार्त्स्न्येन धर्मशास्त्राणि चाभिभो ॥

so'dhītya nikhilānvedānsarahasyānsasaṃgrahān | itihāsaṃ ca kārtsnyena dharmaśāstrāṇi cābhibho

Having studied all the Vedas with their secrets and compendia, the Itihasa in full, and the treatises on dharma, O mighty one,

Verse 25 (12.332.25)

गुरवे दक्षिणां दत्त्वा समावृत्तो महामुनिः । उग्रं तपः समारेभे ब्रह्मचारी समाहितः ॥

gurave dakṣiṇāṃ dattvā samāvṛtto mahāmuniḥ | ugraṃ tapaḥ samārebhe brahmacārī samāhitaḥ

he gave his teacher the parting fee and returned, that great sage, and took up fierce austerity as a self-controlled celibate student.

Verse 26 (12.332.26)

देवतानामृषीणां च बाल्येऽपि स महातपाः । संमन्त्रणीयो मान्यश्च ज्ञानेन तपसा तथा ॥

devatānāmṛṣīṇāṃ ca bālye'pi sa mahātapāḥ | saṃmantraṇīyo mānyaśca jñānena tapasā tathā

Even in boyhood that greatly austere one was honoured and consulted by gods and sages, for his knowledge and his austerity.

Verse 27 (12.332.27)

न त्वस्य रमते बुद्धिराश्रमेषु नराधिप । त्रिषु गार्हस्थ्यमूलेषु मोक्षधर्मानुदर्शिनः ॥

na tvasya ramate buddhirāśrameṣu narādhipa | triṣu gārhasthyamūleṣu mokṣadharmānudarśinaḥ

But, O ruler of men, his mind took no delight in the stages of life, in the three that have the householder's state as their root, for he saw the dharma of liberation.