Shukadeva’s Journey to his Master

To read the previous part of the story narrating the birth of Shukadeva ji from different texts, click here.

Even though Shukadeva learned a lot from his father, Vyasa, he still felt something was missing in his spiritual knowledge. He had mastered the Vedas, Vedangas, and many other scriptures, but he wanted a deeper connection with the divine.

One day, Shukadeva decided to visit Vaikuntha, the home of Lord Vishnu, to find the ultimate truth. He believed that only with the grace and guidance of the supreme Lord could he achieve the highest spiritual realisation.

Vaikuntha is the divine home of Lord Vishnu. He is considered as one the supreme God in Hinduism. It’s a spiritual realm beyond the material world. It is said that, in Vaikuntha, Lord Vishnu lives with His eternal companions and devotees.

When Shukadeva reached Vaikuntha, the guards stopped him and asked, “What are you doing here?”

He replied, “I am Shuka, the son of Veda Vyasa. I want to see Lord Vishnu.”

Image: Shuka ji talking to Guards

They looked at him and said, “We see that you’re filled with knowledge. We can see Vedas, Upanishads, and every other scripture in your body. but you don’t have a Guru. You can’t have an entry here. You can go back,” they declared.

Shukadeva was confused because he had never considered having a Guru, a master. Everything that anybody would want to know was already within him when he was born. So, he returned to his father and said,

“Father, they wouldn’t let me into Vaikuntha. They said I need a Guru – Why is that? I also want to have a Guru. They’re saying my knowledge is not good enough.”

Veda Vyasa said, “See, there is only one person who can be your Guru. That is King Janaka.” Vyasa then suggested Shukadeva go to King Janaka of Mithila for training, as he was a vast ocean of wisdom. 

Shukadeva said, “Okay, I will go there.”

Shukadeva’s Journey to King Janaka’s Palace

He went there, and he stood at the gates of the palace. He looked at the palace — a very detailed, luxurious building with a lot of elegance.

Shukadeva thought, ‘This is not a place where a Guru can live. This looks too luxurious and is not right for a spiritual person. This man seems so attached to his possessions. He has guards and soldiers around—no reason to go in. I don’t even want to see him. I’m going home!’

So, he turned back and went to his father. He sought guidance from his father one more time.

His father said, “King Janaka is the only Guru for you.”

He went to King Janaka again. This time, he saw the king relaxing in the garden with his queen.

King Janaka and his wife in his royal palace

He was disappointed again, thinking, ‘Oh, this is not the man.’ And he went back.

In this way, these back-and-forth journeys occurred twelve times.

Then, on the 13th trip, Veda Vyasa said,

“See, you have 14 great possibilities within you. Out of them, 12 have already been wasted on these 12 trips. There are just two more left. Now it’s up to you.

Did he manage to find a Guru? To discover the answer, continue reading in the next section.

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