[Advaita-l] Suka Deva learning Brahmma Jnana from King Janaka

[KAMESWARARAO MULA]

Dear Members,                         Sukadeva was born from the Divine Fire when Veda Vyasa was making Yagnya. Sukadeva came out, he bowed down tohis father and said, “Father! What shall I do?” and the father said, “Go learnthe Vedas, study with Brihaspati.” Sukadeva studied with Brihaspati for manyyears and he became expert at Veda Vedanta and he got his Samavartan. He cameback from his graduation from studies – the Guru sent him back to his father’shome. “You are now Veda-vid, You are a knower of the Vedas” and Sukadeva boweddown to his father Veda Vyasa and Veda Vyasa kissed him and hugged him andsaid, “My son you have come back full of knowledge” and Sukadeva said, “Father,now what do you want me to do?”. Father Vyasa said, “According to ourscriptures, you finished your Brahmachari stage, you should now become aGrahasta, get married, have a family, make a contribution to this world, makethis world a better place because of your having been here” and Sukadeva said,“Father, you’ve got to be kidding me, I was born from the Divine Fire, I had afather like Veda Vyasa, I studied under a Guru like Brihaspati, the Guru of theGods. I learned for many, many years Veda, Vedanta and now you’re throwing mein to the whirlpool of maya and attachment. You want me to get married! Noway!”. Veda Vyasa tried again and again and again to convince Sukadeva thatyou’ve got to get married, that’s what it says in the scriptures. You’vestudied the scriptures, first your Brahmacharya, then you’re Grahasta, then youcan become a Vanaprastha, and then you become Sanyasa, and nobody skips a step.No matter how Veda Vyasa pleaded with Suakdeva, Sukadeva refused to getmarried.
He said, “No way!” and Veda Vyasa said, “I’m at my wits end, Idon’t know how to convince this kid what he should do, what’s best for him. Youwon’t follow my instructions, I’m telling you, Sukadeva, if you don’t believeme you go & see Janak Raja, go see the King Janak, get darshan of KingJanaka and then you come back here and see me and I will allow you to doanything you choose to do, you make your own decision. So Sukadeva went to seeJanak and he had to cross all of India, and he had so many adventures on theway. He got to Janak’s court in Mithila and he was greeted by the guard whosaid, “Who are you, and what business do you have in our city, and where do youthink you are going?”. Sukadeva said, “I’m a Brahmin, I’ve come to see theKing, my father sent me, but I don’t think there is any reason to see the King.My father said that I would see the darshan of someone who is known as Videha i.e He doesn’t have a body, He’sliberated while living, He is a jivanmukta and here this man is so bound byattachment, he’s got guards and soldiers standing with weapons around his citysaying “Who are you, and what business do you have to enter my door?” No reasonto go in at all, I don’t even want to see this guy, I’m going home!” and theguard said, “Wait, wait please, I didn’t mean to offend you. It’s just that myjob is to stand here and ask everybody, “Who are you and what business do youhave to come in to the city, and where are you going and what is your purposehere.” But I can tell you are a noble man, you are a knowledgeable man. Pleasefeel free to go about your business.” and Sukadeva said, “Well, I know this isa wasted trip, and I know there is nothing to be accomplished here, but I’vecome this far I might as well just go in and look around” and he walked in tothe city and he saw normal people conducting the normal functions of life andpeople were bartering, people were bickering, people were trying to bargainover the price of goods and commodities and trying to beat each other down tothe lowest common denominator and everyone was just normal & Normal and sowhen Janak heard that Sukadeva, his Guru’s son had come to see him, he sent theprime minister.

The prime minister went and greeted Sukadeva and invited him in tothe hospitality chambers where he was served delicious food and he was massagedby beautiful maidens and given a nice bath and given fine clothes to wear andtreated like a royal guest and Sukadeva said, “What nonsense this is. I’m abrahmin, I was born from the Divine Fire, I had a father like Veda Vyasa, I hada Guru like Brihaspati. I studied the Vedas for all my life and here these peopleare trying to bribe me with beautiful clothes and sumptuous feast and beautifulladies, I have no desire whatsoever.” Well, the night passed in this way.Sukadeva got up early in the morning and performed his meditation and heperformed his puja, and then he recited his path and then he had his breakfast andthen the king sent for him and he went into the audience chamber with JanakRaja, the king and Janak greeted him politely and gave him a seat and they satdown and began to talk.

Janak said, “What is the purpose of your visit here?” and Sukadevasaid, “King, I was born from the Divine Fire, I had a father like Veda Vyasa, Ihad a Guru like Brihaspati, I studied the Vedas and I came home and my dad saidget married.” I said, “What nonsense! Why shall I get married and bind myselfto the attachments. To a wife, and family, household, a need for an income, allthat nonsense when here I am with this knowledge and this mind I’m alreadyfeeling free, why should I do that?” and Janaka said, “Well, you know, it saysin our scriptures that a man should be a Brahmacharya, then he becomes aGrahasta, and then he is a Vanaprastha, and then he takes Sanyasa and Sukadevasaid, “I’ve heard all that before, I’m not interested. A man who is bound to asacrificial pillar could hope for escape, but a man who is bound to care for awife and family can never hope for escape. Where is he going to run away too!How can he flee from the attachments, the bondage to family? I don’t want toget married!” Janaka said, “Well, this is our custom, and this is ourtradition, and this is the best thing in your interest. Because who knows, whenyou go in to the forest, you are one man by yourself. You have an asan, youhave a water pot, you have a stick, these are yours, there is no lessattachment to these articles.”
Sukadeva responded, “King, look at all the stuff that you have!You’ve got this whole kingdom and this throne and this golden crown and allthese silk cloths and these sumptuous feasts, and all these beautiful ladies towait and serve on you, aren’t you attached to them?” and Janak said, “What you say is very true. I have all ofthese responsibilities, but none of it is mine. I’m the administrator of this kingdom on behalf of a higher King. I’m only a servant in the kingdom of Godand that’s why they call me liberatedwhile living.” Sukadeva bowed down to the King, and went back to VedaVyasa’s house, and said, “Father, Whatever you say, I’m ready to do.” Accordingly,Sukadeva got married and he had two children and he educated his children. Hegave his daughter and son in marriage and he fixed their marriage, and set themup in their own households with their own livelihoods, and when they were firmlyestablished he said, “Ok.” and he ascended to heaven and Veda Vyasa called out,“Sukadeva, come back down here, wait a minute, I wanted a son so that posteritywould be here in order to perform my funeral rites so that I could go to heavenand here you’ve achieved liberation and you are ascending to heaven and leavingme here.” Sukadeva called down to his father Veda Vyasa, “Father, don’t look atme through the eyes of attachment, look at me through the eyes of wisdom andknow that I have fulfilled my dharma, I fulfilled my highest purpose on thisearth, and now I am free to ascend. You still have karma left to perform, youremain and perform it.”
Ashada Sukla Pournami (Guru/Vyasa Pournami)
Sri Guru Padaravindarpana MastuKameswarananda