पित्रेत्युक्ते शुकः प्रायात् सुमेरोर्वसुधातले । विदेहनगरीं प्राप जनकेनाऽभिपालिताम् ॥ १९ ॥
pitrētyuktē śukaḥ prāyāt sumērōrvasudhātalē | vidēhanagarīṁ prāpa janakēnā’bhipālitām || 19 ||
Translation
Told this by his father, Śuka went from Sumeru down to the earth and reached the city of Videha, ruled by Janaka.
Word by word
- pitrā
- by his father
- ity
- (iti) this
- uktē
- told
- śukaḥ
- Śuka
- prāyāt
- went
- sumērōr
- (sumeroḥ) from Sumeru
- vasudhā
- the earth
- talē
- down to
- vidēha
- of Videha
- nagarīṁ
- the city
- prāpa
- reached
- janakēna
- by Janaka
- abhipālitām
- ruled
Meaning
Śuka obeys at once. He comes down from Meru, the mountain of the gods, to the earth (vasudhā-tala), to the city of Videha that Janaka protects. The descent is also a lesson. The seeker who sat in solitude on the summit must go down into the world of men, into a king's city, to find the last thing he lacks.