Shukashtakam

Shukashtakam is a profound octet composed by the narrator of the Srimad Bhagavatam, Sri Shuka Maharishi, son of Sri Veda Vyasa, verily describing the state of an Enlightened One. In just eight delightful verses that end with the refrain “nistraiguṇye pathi vicarataḥ ko vidhiḥ ko niṣedhaḥ,” Sri Shuka Maharishi reveals the nature of the ultimate Reality even while declaring the utter freedom enjoyed by the Man of Realisation. The additional ninth verse gives the promise of Liberation for any seeker who makes a devoted perusal of this octet every day. An insight into this composition will enhance a seeker’s spiritual pursuit and assimilation of the precepts of Advaita-vedanta.