In India there lived a holy man, a great sage named Vyasa. He is known as the author of Vedanta aphorisms. He himself did not quite achieve the goal, but his son Shuka was born perfect. Vyasa taught his son wisdom and, having taught him the truth, sent him to the palace of King Janaki. The latter was a great king and was called "Janaka Videha". "Videha" means "without body." Being a king, he completely forgot that he had a body and felt like a spirit all the time. The boy Shuka was sent to him to learn wisdom.
The king knew that Vyasa's son was coming to him, and made appropriate orders in advance, as a result of which the guards did not pay any attention to the boy when he appeared at the gates of the palace. They gave only a chair, and Shuka sat on it for three days and three nights; no one spoke to him, no one asked him who he was or where he was from. He was the son of a great sage; his father was a very significant person, and he was revered by the whole country, and Shuka himself was a person worthy of all veneration. However, the ignorant, rude palace guards did not pay any attention to him. After three days, the king's ministers and nobles came and received him with great honors. They led Shuka into magnificent rooms, bathed him in a fragrant bath, gave him wonderful clothes and for eight days surrounded him with every possible luxury. But Shuka's serious and clear face did not change in the slightest degree from the change in treatment. He remained the same in the midst of luxury as he had been when he waited alone at the gate. Finally he was taken to the king. The king sat on the throne, music played, people danced around and had fun in every possible way. The king gave him a cup of milk filled to the brim and asked him to walk around the hall with it seven times without spilling a drop. The boy took the cup and walked among the music and the beautiful faces surrounding him. According to the king's wishes, he walked around the hall seven times without spilling a drop of milk. His mind could not be attracted by the outside world as long as he did not allow the world to influence himself. When Shuka brought the cup to the king, he said:
“I can only repeat what your father taught you and what you yourself learned.” You have known the Truth. Go home.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru