भीष्म उवाच स लब्ध्वा परमं देवाद् वरं सत्यवतीसुतः। अरणी सहिते गृह्य ममन्थाग्निचिकीर्षया॥
Bhishma said Having got this high boon from the great God, the son of Satyavati, was one day engaged in rubbing his sticks for making a fire.
अथ रूपं परं राजन् बिभ्रती स्वेन तेजसा। घृताची नामाप्सरसमपश्यद् भगवानृषिः॥
While thus engaged, the illustrious Rishi, O king, saw the . Apsara Ghritachi, who, on account of her energy, was then possessed of great beauty.
ऋषिरप्सरसं दृष्ट्वा सहसा काममोहितः। अभवद् भगवान् व्यासो वने तस्मिन् युधिष्ठिर॥
Seeing the Apasara in those woods, the illustrious Rishi Vyasa, O Yudhisthira, became suddenly possessed by desire.
सा च दृष्ट्वा तदा व्यासं कामसंविग्नमानसम्। शुकी भूत्वा महाराज घृताची समुपागमत्॥
The Apsara, seeing the Rishi's heart smitten with desire, changed herself into a she-parrot and came to that spot.
तामप्सरसं दृष्ट्वा रूपेणान्येन संवृताम्। शरीरजेनानुगदः सर्वगात्रातिगेन ह॥
Although he saw the Apsara disguised in another form, the desire that had arisen in the Rishi's heart spread itself over every part of his body.
स तु धैर्येण महता निगृह्णन् हृच्छयं मुनिः। न शशाक नियन्तुं तद् व्यास: प्रविसृतं मनः॥ भावित्वाच्चैव भावस्य घृताच्या वपुषा हृतः।
Inviting all his patience, the ascetic tried to suppress that desire. With all his efforts, however, Vyasa could not control his agitated mind. On account of the inevitability of what was to take place the Rishi's heart was drawn by Ghritachi's beauty.
यत्नान्नियच्छतस्तस्य मुनेरग्निचिकीर्षया॥ अरण्यामेव सहसा तस्य शुक्रमवापतत्।
He tried his best for making a fire for suppressing his emotion, but despite all his efforts his vital seed came out in the wood.
सोऽविशंकेन मनसा तथैव द्विजसत्तमः॥ अरणी ममन्थ ब्रह्मर्षिस्तस्यां जज्ञे शुको नृप।
That best of twice-born ones, however O king, continued to rub his stick without feeling any scruples for what had taken place. From the seed that feil, was born a son to him called Shuka.
शुक्रे निर्मथ्यमाने स शुको जज्ञे महातपाः॥ परमर्षिर्महायोगी अरणीगर्भसम्भवः
On account of this incident about his birth, he came to be called by the name of Shuka. : Indeed, it was thus that great ascetic, that foremost of Rishis and highest of Yogins, was born from the two sticks.
यथाध्वरे समिद्धोऽग्नि ति हव्यमुदावहम्॥ तथारूप: शुको जज्ञे प्रज्वलन्निव तेजसा।
As in a sacrifice a blazing fire spreads its effulgence all around when libations of clarified butter are poured upon it, similarly did Shuka take his birth, blazing with effulgence on account of his own energy.
बिभ्रत् पितुश्च कौरव्य रूपवर्णमनुत्तमम्॥ बभौ तदा भावितात्मा विधूम इव पावकः।
Assuming the excellent form and hue of his father, Shuka, O son of Kuru, of purified Soul, shone like a smokeless fire.
तं गङ्गा सरितां श्रेष्ठा मेरुपृष्ठे जनेश्वर॥ स्वरूपिणी तदाभ्येत्य तर्पयामास वारिणा।
O king, coming to the breast of Meru, in her own embodied form, the foremost of rivers, viz., Ganga, bathed Shuka with her waters.
अन्तरिक्षाच्च कौरव्य दण्डः कृष्णाजिनं च ह॥ पपात भूमिं राजेन्द्र शुकस्यार्थे महात्मनः।
There fell from the sky, O son of Kuru, an ascetic's stick and a dark deer skin for the use, O king, of the great Shuka.
जेगीयन्ते स्म गन्धर्वा ननृतुश्चाप्सरोगणाः॥ देवदुन्दुभयश्चैव प्रावाद्यन्त महास्वनाः।
The Gandharvas sang repeatedly and the various clans of Apsaras danced; and celestial kettle drums of loud sound began to bcat.
विश्वावसुश्च गन्धर्वस्तथा तुम्बुरुनारदौ॥ हाहा हूहूच गन्धर्वी तुष्टवुः शुकसम्भवम्।
The Gandharvas Vishvavasu, and Tumvuru, and Narada, and those other Gandharvas called by the name of Haha, and Huhu, eulogised the birth of Shuka.
तत्र शक्रपुरोगाश्च लोकपालाः समागताः॥ देवा देवर्षयश्चैव तथा ब्रह्मर्षयोऽपि च।
There the regents of the world headed by Indra, as also the gods and the celestial and the regenerate Rishis.
दिव्यानि सर्वपुष्पाणि प्रववर्ष च मारुतः॥ जङ्गमाजङ्गमं चैव प्रहृष्टमभवज्जगत्।
The Wind-god poured there showers of celestial flowers. The entire universe, mobile and immobile, became filled with joy.
तं महात्मा स्वयं प्रीत्या देव्या सह महाद्युतिः॥ जातमात्रं मुनेः पुत्र विधिनोपानयत् तदा।
The great and the highly effulgent Mahadeva, accompanied by the Goddess, and moved by affection, came there and soon after the birth of the Muni's son invested him with the sacred thread.
तस्य देवेश्वरः शक्रो दिव्यमद्भुतदर्शनम्॥ ददौ कमण्डलु प्रीत्या देववासांसि वा विभो।
Shakra, the king of the gods, gave him, from affection, a celestial pitcher of excellent form, and some celestial dresses.
हंसाच शतपत्राश्च सारसाश्च सहस्रशः॥ प्रदक्षिणमवर्तन्त शुकाश्चाषाश्च भारत।
Thousands of Swans and Shatapatras and cranes, and many parrots and Chasas, O Bharata, wheeled over his head.
आरणेयस्ततो दिव्यं प्राप्य जन्म महाद्युतिः॥ तत्रैवोवास मेधावी व्रतचारी समाहितः।
Highly effulgent and intelligent Shuka, having obtained his birth from the two sticks, continued to live there, practising many vows and fasts.
उत्पन्नमात्रं तं वेदाः सरहस्या: ससंग्रहाः॥ उपतस्थुर्महाराज यथास्य पितरं तथा।
As soon as Shuka was born, the Vedas, with all their mysteries and all their abstracts, came for living in him, O king, even as they live in his father.
बृहस्पतिं च वत्रे स वेदवेदाङ्गभाष्यवित्॥ उपाध्यायं महाराज धर्ममेवानुचिन्तयन्।
For all that, Shuka, selected Brihaspati, who was a master of all the Vedas together with their branches and commentaries, for his preceptor, remembering universal practice.
सोऽधीत्य निखिलान् वेदान् सरहस्यान् ससंग्रहान्।।२४ इतिहासं च कात्स्र्येन राजशास्त्राणि वा विभो। गुरवे दक्षिणां दत्त्वा समावृत्तो महामुनिः।।२५। उग्रं तयः समारेभे ब्रह्मचारी समाहितः।
Having read all the Vedas together with all their mysteries and abstracts, as also all the histories and the science of polity, O powerful king, the great ascetic returned home, after giving his preceptor the tuition-fee. Adopting the vow of celibacy, he then bagan to practise the austerest penances, concentrating all his attention thereon.
देवतानामृषीणां च बाल्येऽपि स महातपाः। सम्मन्त्रणीयो मान्यश्च ज्ञानेन तपसा तथा॥
Even in his childhood, he became an object of reverence with the gods and Rishis for his knowledge and penances.
न त्वस्य रमते बुद्धिराश्रमेषु नराधिप। त्रिषु गार्हस्थ्यमूलेषु मोक्षधर्मानुदर्शिनः॥
The mind of the great ascetic, O king, found pleasure in the three modes of life, keeping in view, as he did, the Religion of Liberation.