श्रीशुक उवाच । संसाराडम्बरमिदं कथमभ्युत्थितं गुरो । कथं प्रशममायाति यथावत्कथयाऽऽशु मे ॥ २९ ॥
śrīśuka uvāca | saṁsārāḍambaramidaṁ kathamabhyutthitaṁ gurō | kathaṁ praśamamāyāti yathāvatkathayā’’śu mē || 29 ||
Translation
Śrī Śuka said: Teacher, how did this show of the world arise? And how does it come to rest? Tell me quickly, as it truly is.
Word by word
- śrīśuka
- Śrī Śuka
- uvāca
- said
- saṁsāra
- of the world
- āḍambaram
- show
- idaṁ
- this
- katham
- how
- abhyutthitaṁ
- did arise
- gurō
- teacher
- kathaṁ
- how
- praśamam
- to rest
- āyāti
- does come
- yathāvat
- as it truly is
- kathaya
- tell
- āśu
- quickly
- mē
- me
Meaning
Śuka asks Janaka the very question he asked his father (verse 14). He does not hide that he asked before or pretend to bring something new. He calls the king "teacher" (guru), though Janaka has only just bowed to him. And he wants the answer "quickly" (āśu) and "as it is" (yathāvat). The repetition is the whole point of the story. The question has not changed; what has changed is the one asking. He has been tested and humbled, and now he is ready to hear the same answer as if for the first time.