"'Bhishma said, "Thinking of Emancipation, Suka approached his sire and
possessed as he was of humility and desirous of achieving his highest
good, he saluted his great preceptor and said,--'Thou art well versed in
the religion of Emancipation. Do thou O illustrious one, discourse to me
upon it, so that supreme tranquillity of mind, O puissant one, may be
mine!'--Hearing these words of his son, the great Rishi said unto him,--'Do
thou study, O son, the religion of Emancipation and all the diverse
duties of life!'--At the command of his sire, Suka, that foremost of all
righteous men, mastered all the treatises on Yoga, O Bharata, as also the
science promulgated by Kapila. When Vyasa beheld his son to be possessed
of the resplendence of the Vedas, endued with the energy of Brahma, and
fully conversant with the religion of Emancipation, he addressed him,
saying,--'Go thou to Janaka the ruler of Mithila. The king of Mithila will
tell thee everything for thy Emancipation.'--Bearing the command of his
sire, O king, Suka proceeded to Mithila for enquiring of its king about
the truth of duties and the Refuge of Emancipation. Before he set out,
his sire further told him,--'Do thou go thither by that path which
ordinary human beings take. Do not have recourse to thy Yoga-puissance
for 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 proceed
thither with simplicity and not from desire of pleasure.--'Along your way
do not seek for friends and spouses, since friends and spouses are causes
of attachment to the world. Although the ruler of Mithila is one in whose
sacrifices we officiate, still thou shouldst not indulge in any feeling
of superiority while living with him. Thou shouldst live under his
direction and in obedience to him. Even he will dispel all thy
doubts.[1738] That king is well versed in all duties and well acquainted
with the scriptures on Emancipation. He is one for whom I officiate in
sacrifices. Thou shouldst, without any scruple, do what he bids.'--Thus
instructed, the righteous-souled Suka proceeded to Mithila on foot
although he was able to traverse through the skies over the whole Earth
with her seas. Crossing many hills and mountains, many rivers, many
waters and lakes, and many woods and forests abounding with beasts of
prey and other animals, crossing the two Varshas of Meru and Hari
successively and next the Varsha of Himavat, he came at last to the
Varsha known by the name of Bharata. Having seen many countries inhabited
by Chins and Huns, the great ascetic at last reached Aryavarta. In
obedience to the commands of his sire and bearing them constantly in his
mind, he gradually passed along his way on the Earth like a bird passing
through the air. Passing through many delightful towns and populous
cities, he saw diverse kinds of wealth without waiting to observe them.
On his way he passed through many delightful gardens and places and many
sacred waters. Before much time had passed he reached the country of the
Videhas that was protected by the virtuous and high-souled Janaka. There
he beheld many populous villages, and many kinds of food and drink and
viands and habitations of cowherds swelling with men and many herds of
cattle. He beheld many fields abounding with paddy and barley and other
grain, and many lakes and waters inhabited by swans and cranes and
adorned with beautiful lotuses. Passing through the Videha country
teeming with well-to-do people, he arrived at the delightful gardens of
Mithila rich with many species of trees. Abounding with elephants and
horses and cars, and peopled by men and women, he passed through them
without waiting to observe any of the things that were presented to his
eye. Bearing that burthen in his mind and ceaselessly dwelling upon it
(viz., the desire of mastering the religion of Emancipation), Suka of
cheerful soul and taking delight in internal survey only, reached Mithila
at last. Arrived at the gate, he sent word through the keepers. Endued
with tranquillity of mind, devoted to contemplation and Yoga, he entered
the city, having obtained permission. Proceeding along the principal
street abounding with well-to-do men, he reached the king's palace and
entered it without any scruples. The porters forbade him with rough
words. Thereat, Suka, without any anger, stopped and waited. Neither the
sun nor the long distance he had walked had fatigued him in the least.
Neither hunger, nor thirst, nor the exertion he had made, had weakened
him. The heat of the Sun had not scorched or pained or distressed him in
any degree. Among those porters there was one who felt compassion for
him, beholding him staying there like the midday Sun in his effulgence.
Worshipping him in due form and saluting him properly, with joined hands
he led him to the first chamber of the palace. Seated there, Suka, O son,
began to think of Emancipation only. Possessed of equable splendour he
looked with an equal eye upon a shaded spot and one exposed to the Sun's
rays. Very soon after, the king's minister, coming to that place with
joined hands, led him to the second chamber of the palace. That chamber
led to a spacious garden which formed a portion of the inner apartments
of the palace. It looked like a second Chaitraratha. Beautiful pieces of
water occurred here and there at regular intervals. Delightful trees, all
of which were in their flowering season, stood in that garden. Bevies of
damsels, of transcendent beauty, were in attendance. The minister led
Suka from the second chamber to that delightful spot. Ordering those
damsels to give the ascetic a seat, the minister left him there. Those
well-dressed damsels were of beautiful features, possessed of excellent
hips, young in years, clad in red robes of fine texture, and decked with
many ornaments of burnished gold. They were well-skilled in agreeable
conversation and maddening revelry, and thorough mistresses of the arts
of dance and singing. Always opening their lips with smiles, they were
equal to the very Apsaras in beauty. Well-skilled in all the acts of
dalliance, competent to read the thoughts of men upon whom they wait,
possessed of every accomplishment, fifty damsels, of a very superior
order and of easy virtue, surrounded the ascetic. Presenting him with
water for washing his feet, and worshipping him respectfully with the
offer of the usual articles, they gratified him with excellent viands
agreeable to the season. After he had eaten, those damsels then, one
after another, singly led him through the grounds, showing him every
object of interest, O Bharata. Sporting and laughing and singing, those
damsels, conversant with the thoughts of all men, entertained that
auspicious ascetic of noble soul. The pure-souled ascetic born in the
fire-sticks, observant without scruples of any kind of his duties, having
all his senses under complete control, and a thorough master of his
wrath, was neither pleased nor angered at all this. Then those foremost
of beautiful women gave him an excellent seat. Washing his feet and other
limbs, Suka said his evening prayers, sat on that excellent seat, and
began to think of the object for which he had come there. In the first
part of the night, he devoted himself to Yoga. The puissant ascetic,
passed the middle portion of the night in sleep. Very soon waking up from
his slumber, he went through the necessary rites of cleansing his body,
and though surrounded by those beautiful women, he once again devoted
himself to Yoga. It was in this way, O Bharata, that the son of the
Island-born Krishna passed the latter part of that day and the whole of
that night in the palace of king Janaka."'"