अस्याऽभूदिन्दुवदनस्तनयो नयकोविदः । शुको नाम महाप्राज्ञो यज्ञो मूर्त्यैव सुस्थितः ॥ ८ ॥
asyā’bhūdinduvadanastanayō nayakōvidaḥ | śukō nāma mahāprājñō yajñō mūrtyaiva susthitaḥ || 8 ||
Translation
had a son with a face like the moon, skilled in right conduct: Śuka by name, of great wisdom, as though sacrifice itself stood there in bodily form.
Word by word
- asya
- his
- abhūd
- (abhūt) had
- indu
- like the moon
- vadanas
- (vadanaḥ) with a face
- tanayō
- (tanayaḥ) a son
- naya
- in right conduct
- kōvidaḥ
- skilled
- śukō
- (śukaḥ) Śuka
- nāma
- by name
- mahā
- of great
- prājñō
- (prājñaḥ) wisdom
- yajñō
- (yajñaḥ) sacrifice
- mūrtyā
- in bodily form
- ēva
- as though
- susthitaḥ
- stood there
Meaning
Śuka is described in three strokes. His face is like the moon (indu-vadana), a sign of calm. He is skilled in conduct (naya-kovida), wise in the ways of the world and of scripture. And he is "sacrifice in bodily form" (yajño mūrtyā): one whose whole life is an offering. The comparison to the sacrifice is old: the Veda calls the sacrifice the best of acts, and a person in whom every act is offered is that sacrifice made visible. Śuka is not described as a beginner. He is learned, disciplined and pure; and yet, as the story will show, even such a one may lack the last thing, rest.