Śuka’s Origin, Mastery of Śāstra, and Testing at Janaka’s Court
प्रदक्षिणमवर्तंत शुकाश्चाषाश्च नारद । आरणे यस्तदा दिव्यं प्राप्य जन्म महामुनिः ॥ ३६ ॥
pradakṣiṇamavartaṃta śukāścāṣāśca nārada | āraṇe yastadā divyaṃ prāpya janma mahāmuniḥ || 36 ||
Wahai Nārada, burung nuri dan burung tiong mula mengelilingi ke kanan dengan penuh hormat; dan Mahāmuni—setelah memperoleh kelahiran ilahi di rimba ketika itu—pun menampakkan diri di sana.
Sanatkumara (teaching Narada)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Rightward circumambulation (pradakṣiṇā) is a traditional auspicious sign; here it signals sacred approval and the presence/manifestation of a spiritually elevated being described as having attained a “divine birth” in the forest.
While not directly prescribing a bhakti practice, the verse uses the devotional gesture of pradakṣiṇā as a sign of reverence—implying that even nature responds with worshipful movement around sanctity, reinforcing a bhakti-centered worldview.
It reflects śakuna-śāstra style omen-reading (often discussed alongside Jyotiṣa traditions): rightward movement is treated as auspicious, a practical indicator used in ritual and narrative contexts.