Janaka declined to take Suka as his disciple. But Janaka was hindered for a moment by the hunger of Knowledge and enlightenment from Suka's eyes. He resolved to give Suka a second chance.

He gave Suka a bowl of Oil and said, "You should take this oil and go around the city. If you come back with the original amount of oil without even one drop getting wasted, I acknowledge that you can concentrate on the lessons and deserved to be enlightened. Even if a single drop oil falls on the ground, your head will be severed."

Suka accepted delightfully. He went across the rich palace of the King where beautiful women and Gold were present, huts where poor work hard for their living though they are happy, bungalows where rich spend heftily but still not satisfied.

Janaka arranged a lot of distractions for Suka. But Suka was thirsty to attain the knowledge of Moksha and the supreme God. Also, the fear for his life made him more cautious. Suka succeded in bringing the oil safe back.

Janaka asked, "Suka, tell me what did you observe in the city." Suka said, "O King, I, under the hunger for knowledge and fear of death, did not care about my surroundings and completely concentrated on the bowl. So I did not know what was happening."

Janaka replied, "O Suka, you are really concentrated and focussed. I greatly appreciate that. But I won't be the teacher for you. You need humbleness for the initiation which you don't have. Go back to your father."

Suka returned disappointed to his father. He explained the events to Vyasa and said, "I feel he won't accept me as his disciple, father." Vyasa said, "No my son. This is again a test by Raja Rishi. You have insulted him which shows that you did have no humility. Janaka is the perfect teacher for you. There is no other option for that. You have to repent for your actions."

Sukadeva understood the words of Veda Vyasa. He went back to Mithila and sat near a Garbage bin before the palace. He waited there patiently developing modesty. Dumps of trashes fell on his head each day. Suka remembered the Lord and meditated upon him till Janaka accepts him.

12 years passed. Suka was filled with garbage and trashes with a stinkfull body. Janaka came out and saw divine rays around Suka. Janaka understood Suka's life goal. Janaka called Suka back and accepted him as his disciple.

Sukadeva was initiated and taught under Janaka. Sukadeva learned the virtues of life, the importance of Guru, and the meaning of the 4 ashramas of life. A person can feel the pleasure of knowledge only when he destroys ignorance, fear, anger, attachment, jealousy, and arrogance in him.

After gaining knowledge from Janaka, Sukadev left-back to his father's ashram. He accepted to get married. He got married to a lady named Pivari and begot 3 sons and 1 daughter. He enlightened his children too and got them married. After completing his Grihaspati role, He entered Vanaprastha meaning giving up everything and entered the last stage: Sanyasa or the Renunciation.

Balarama ended his conversation as Pandavas and Krishna decided to depart. Dhritrashtra, Gandhari, Yuyutsu, and Vidura joined with Pandavas, Kunti, Draupadi, and Krishna to burn all the corpses.

[Contrary to TV shows, It is said that the corpses of every one were burnt on the last day]

Gandhari, the wife of the King of Hastinapur started lamenting before Pandavas for the death of her sons. Draupadi and Kunti consoled her. They went back to Hastinapur and Yuddhistira was crowned as the King.

Kunti, Gandhari, Dhritrashtra left to the forest for renunciation. Unfortunately, they died due to the forest fire.

TO BE CONTINUED................

(Published on 23rd June 2020, Tuesday)

NEXT EPISODE: Eve of Parikshit's birth

(Image credits: Google)