Suka is tested at Mithila : Devi Bhagavatham
Click for Reference : 17th Adhyaya of the First skanda. See Also : Devi Bhagavatham for the story so far.
Recap : We have seen how the pure minded Suka, the son of Vyasa, was born from the Vedic fire started by his father using Arani sticks. We have seen how he completed his Vedic studies under the Deva Guru, Brihaspati himself. We have heard his arguments with his father, where he refused to live the Vedic way and considered his father deluded and his guru idiotic. He insisted on going directly to the sannyasa asrama and refused all wordly knowledge. Then his father taught him the Devi Bhagavatham together with Romaharshana (Suta). Even after this Suka was not satisfied and his father advised him to visit Rajarshi Janaka at Mithila. He was stopped at the gate of Mithila. When the gatekeeper was impressed with Suka’s knowledge he was allowed into Mithila.
This episode :
The gatekeeper led Suka to a beautiful apartment at Mithila. On the way, Suka saw good, average and bad people.
The shops were filled with various articles of merchandise. The many things were being incessantly purchased and sold there. Within that town, filled with many men, money and all sorts wealth and prosperities, almost everywhere were seen instances of attachment, hatred, lust, anger, greed, vanity and delusion; at some parts there were seen persons quarrelling with each other. Seeing thus the three sorts of persons, the highly energetic S’ûka, blazing like a second Sun went to the royal palace when the gateman stopped him.
Suka went into a deep meditation and became silent. The minister came there and took him to a second compartment. There were beautiful gardens, lovely fruit yielding trees and a wonderful palace. The minister left Suka there and sent skilled and beautiful courtesans to cook and care for him. There are some men who covet courtesans and some who have contempt or pity for them. But Suka was different. He treated them with the respect a son shows to his mother. Though the ladies were attracted to his beauty and youth, Suka was untouched by their feelings. He was not tempted either by the lovely food or by the comfortable bed made for him to sleep comfortably after so long a journey. There are even some saints who are fond of a good meal, but Suka was not one of them.
Sandhya Vandanam : Click for Source
He, then, washed his feet and with vigilance, put on his finger the ring prepared of Kus’a grass, and completing his evening Sandhyâ, became merged in Dhyâna. Meditating on Supreme Brahmâ for three hours (one Prahara), slept for 6 hours and getting up, again became merged in Brahmâ Dhyâna for the last three hours of the night. Then at the Brahmâ mûhurta (one hour preceding the sunrise) he took his bath and completing his morning duties, became immersed in Samâdhi (inner enlightenment) and sat at ease.
Sri Krishnaarpanam.
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