आज्ञासिषं पूर्वमेतदहमित्यथ तत्पितुः । स शुकः शुभया बुद्ध्या न वाक्यं बह्वमन्यत ॥ १६ ॥
ājñāsiṣaṁ pūrvamētadahamityatha tatpituḥ | sa śukaḥ śubhayā buddhyā na vākyaṁ bahvamanyata || 16 ||
Translation
"I knew this before," Śuka thought, and with his good mind he did not hold his father's words in high regard.
Word by word
- ājñāsiṣaṁ
- knew
- pūrvam
- before
- ētad
- (etat) this
- aham
- I
- ity
- (iti) thus
- atha
- then
- tat
- his
- pituḥ
- father's
- sa
- he
- śukaḥ
- Śuka
- śubhayā
- with good
- buddhyā
- mind
- na
- not
- vākyaṁ
- the words
- bahu
- in high regard
- amanyata
- did hold
Meaning
Śuka hears his father and thinks, "I knew this already" (ājñāsiṣam pūrvam etat). The commentary: since he learned nothing new, he did not give his father's words special honour. The text says he did this "with a good mind" (śubhayā buddhyā): there was no arrogance in it. And yet this is exactly the trap. Because the teacher only confirmed what the student had found, the student did not let the confirmation count. He waited for something new, and the new thing never comes, because there is nothing beyond the truth. Many seekers pass by a confirmation in this way, thinking it is only repetition.