The legendary saint Ved Vyasa credited for compiling the Vedas, had a son named Suka. Vyasa dearly loved his son because he was born after the sage practiced intense austerities for a hundred years. He wanted his son to marry a young woman and lead the life of a householder.
Suka was a Sannyāsi since his birth. He asked his father why he asked him to marry when the human body and the relationships established in the mortal world were temporary. Suka wanted to spend his time contemplating and performing austerities to reach the final goal of liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Suka told his father that marriage is a trap that binds a man and encloses him in the darkest prison. Suka also narrated the scriptures to his fathers and said no earthly pleasure could equal the bliss of one-pointed meditation.
Sage Vyasa explained to Suka that a householder whose mind is detached can always find liberation. The householder supports the world by contributing to a functional society, and no stage in life is nobler than a householder. He then gave Suka the example of Sage Vishwamitra, who had mediated for 3000 years, and yet when he saw a heavenly nymph, he succumbed to her charms because of unfulfilled desires that lay latent in his heart.
However, Suka called marriage a leash and said this path would plunge him into a sea of anguish. Vyasa saw this is son would not be satisfied, so he taught him the highest of scriptures. However, nothing seemed to satisfy him, so he finally implored Suka to visit king Janaka of Mithila, who was a liberated soul. Suka could not believe that a mere householder and a king could be liberated. However, he knew his father only ever spoke the truth, so he took leave of his father and started walking towards Mithila to meet Janaka. His journey took one year, and he crossed mountains, rivers, jungles, and swamps.
He finally appeared before the king and informed him of his predicament. He told him how his father was pressuring him to marry and how he, Suka, felt it was the worst bondage in life. Janaka listened to him speak and then responded to his questions.
He told him that Moksha — liberation — is tough to attain. A man must experience the four stages of life of being a student, householder, renunciate, and ascetic before achieving the ultimate freedom from the cycle of life and death.
Suka argued that if a man is detached, why does he need to follow these stages? He stated that a detached being can directly become a renunciate or Sannyāsi.
King Janaka gazed deeply into Suka’s eyes. He told him that anyone who enters Sannyāsa without experiencing the four stages of life is walking on the edge of a cliff because they are bound to have unfulfilled desires. He added that a wise man experiences the four stages of life so that he can cleanse his mind and realize the ultimate truth experientially. The king gave his own example of how he conducts his affairs as a free man who is unattached to anything. He finally described how everything in the universe is a manifestation of divine energy, and once you realize it, you don’t see any separation.
Suka was still not convinced. He said that like a mere mention of a lamp does not dispel darkness, a householder living in the thick of the world can never discover the eternal truth of liberation. He then told King Janaka that he did not think of him as a liberated soul since he was still a king living in the real world and was surrounded by material comforts. He asked him if he did not consider Mithila his city or if he could not distinguish garland of flowers and a serpent. He concluded by telling Janaka that he thought Janaka was pretending to be liberated while enjoying his throne and comforts.
Janaka smiled and told Suka that while he made clever arguments, he, Janaka, was free, and nothing could change that. He asked Suka why he imagined living in a forest would be more liberating than Mithila. The forest is also made of the same five elements as the city. He would still have the same mind that’s asking him questions and tormenting him. Finally, Janaka reminded Suka that he had walked a year and crossed mountains to see him. Janaka drove home the point that he was already at peace and its Suka’s heavy and grief-stricken heart that made him make this journey.
Suddenly, the penny dropped for Suka, and he started seeing Janaka for who he was — a Jeevanmuktha — liberated soul. He prostrated him before the king and went back to meet his father. He married a wonderful woman, lived a contended life, took sannyasa to climb mount Kailasha alone, sat in profound meditation, and finally achieved liberation.
Implementing This Wisdom at Work
I had been thinking for some time, why did Suka listen to King Janaka? His father, Maharishi Vyasa, is considered one of the greatest sages to walk this planet. I think it was because King Janaka finally called out the harsh truth that eventually led to Suka’s realization. King Janaka was at peace and lived a complete life. Suka was the one who was restless and had walked a year to see him.
I see many Suka’s in the corporate world today. They are very competent individuals with the right intent but struggle for direction. Let’s see what lessons they can learn from this story.
Competence in Core Skill: One of the most significant changes people make when they step into leadership positions is to abandon the core skill that got them the job. Their role now is to guide and direct the team; this typically requires a different skill set. They learn management skills, conflict resolution, and culture building but, in the process, sometimes break away from their technical skills. The best leaders manage to retain and enhance their key skills while learning new ones. Janaka did not stop being a king after attaining liberation. He became a much better king, and Mithila prospered like never before.
Detachment Leads to Truth: One of the greatest gifts that detachment gives you is the ability to speak the truth fearlessly. Many people I know in are honest individuals but shy away from speaking their minds because they are too attached to a perceived image they have built and nurtured over the years. This means that sometimes planning meetings go in circles. Everyone knows something is wrong, but no one is willing to call out the uncomfortable truth. You tend to sneak around it and use fancy words to cover it up. Maybe the product quality was not good enough. Perhaps you need to hire a new marketing head. Maybe your profit margin means you need a learner team. All such conversations can happen only when we are detached from the situation. Vyasa was too attached to his son Suka, and he could not tell him the harsh truth. Janaka listened to him patiently but did not engage in endless debate around the scriptures. He finally told him the bitter truth that cut through all the fancy arguments and penetrated Suka’s heart.
Avoid Lifestyle Inflation: Janaka was a liberated king and yet lived a simple life. He saw all possessions as a means to an end and was happy with or without them. This is best demonstrated in a different story where he is sitting with his guru Ashtavakra, and a guard comes running to tell him the whole palace is burning. Most of us will react with horror upon hearing such news. Janaka reprimanded the guard for disturbing the spiritual session and turned back to his guru to continue the discussion. One of the biggest things that shackle people to their work and stop them from speaking the truth is lifestyle inflation. We all begin our lives with simple dreams. As our means increase, our lifestyle significantly changes. Suddenly, even astronomical salaries are barely enough to sustain the big houses, cars, holidays, and fancy schools. If you are competent and lead a simple life, there is very little power anyone can wield over you.
This article is a submission at the lotus feet of my guru Om Swami – the founder of the Vedic Sadhana app. The app helps you identify your ishta and then perform daily rituals that deepen your relationship with them. This incredible app makes the ancient rituals and practices followed by the sages of India available to you.
