Canto
5
Chapter 8: The Rebirth of Bharata Mahârâja
(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'Once upon a time having taken a bath in the great Gandakî, having done his daily duties and chanted his mantras, sat he [Bharata] for a few minutes down at the bank of the river. (2) O King, there he saw a single doe that of its thirst was driven to the river. (3) Exactly at the time it to its great satisfaction drank of the water, arose from very nearby the tumultuous roar of the king of the jungle that is so fearful to all living beings.(4) Hearing that great noise was the she-deer, always fearful of her life looking about, very afraid of the intrusion of the lion, and upset with restless eyes without having quenched her thirst properly, took she terrified all of a sudden a leap over the river. (5) Of being pregnant slipped, of its out of fear forcefully jumping up, her baby out of her womb and fell it down in the flowing water. (6) From the miscarriage of jumping and being afraid, fell the black doe, separated from the flock and plagued by exhaustion, down in some cave, because of which it died. (7) Seeing that deer calf then, separated from its kind, helplessly floating away in the waves, took the wise King Bharata considering it orphaned, it as a friend to his âs'rama. (8) To this deer he grew greatly attached in accepting it as his own kid, every day feeding it, protecting it, raising it and petting it. Within a couple of days was indeed, giving up on his personal care for himself, his duties and worship of the Original Person, the complete of his practice of detachment lost. (9) 'Alas! [he thought to himself], is by the Controller turning the wheel of time, this one deprived of its kin, friends and relatives and has it, in finding me for its shelter, only me as its father, mother, brother and equal belonging to the herd. Surely having no one else it puts great faith in the person of me to rely on and is it fully dependent on me for its learning, sustenance, love and protection; I shouldn't look away but instead know what the fault is of neglecting someone who has taken shelter and thus also act accordingly. (10) Indeed is it surely of great importance that the civilized, the saintly, even though complete in their renunciation, as friends of the helpless are committed to the principles, even at the cost of their own self-interest.'
(11) Thus grown attached he sat, lied down, walked, bathed, ate etc. with the young animal and became he in his heart captivated by affection. (12) When entering the forest for flowers, firewood, kus'a grass, leaves, fruits and roots and going to collect water, took he, doubtful of wolves, dogs and other animals of prey, always the deer with him. (13) On his way carried he, with a mind and heart full of love, it on his shoulder here and there, and kept he, fond as he was of the young, it fondling it on his lap or on his chest when he slept, thus deriving great pleasure.(14) In worship, would he at times get up although not finished, just to look after the deer calf and to that derived the master of the domain great satisfaction from wishing it all his blessings saying: 'O my dear calf let there be unto you all the best'. (15) At times he was so concerned that he got upset like a piteous, miserly man who has lost his riches; with great anxiety in his heart, agitated from being separated from the deer-calf, had he no other thoughts anymore but these and was thus certain of running into the greatest illusion with considerations as: (16) 'Oh, alas! my dear child, that orphan of a deer, must be very distressed; it'll turn up again to put faith in me as being a perfectly gentle person and as one of its own kind - it will forget about me as being such an ill-behaved cheater, such a barbarian with a mind not good at all. (17) Will I be seeing it again unafraid walking around my âs'rama nibbling the grass under divine protection? (18) Or would the poor creature have met with one of the many wolves or dogs, or a group of hogs or a wandering tiger? (19) Alas, the Supreme Lord of the whole Universe, the vedic threefold to the prosperity of all, is [in the form of the sun] already setting; and still has this baby that the mother entrusted to me not returned! (20) Would that princely deer of mine really return and please me who gave up on the pious exercise; it was so cute to behold - pleasing it in a way befitting its kind drove away all unhappiness! (21) Playing with me when I with closed eyes feigned meditation, it would angry out of love, trembling and timidly approach to touch my body with the tips of its horns soft as waterdrops. (22) When I grumbled at it for polluting the things placed on kus'a grass for sacrifice, it immediately in great fear stopped its play, just like the son of a saint sitting in complete restraint of its senses. (23) Oh, what practice of penance by the most austere on this planet can bring the earth the wealth of the sweet, small, beautiful and most auspicious soft imprints of the hooves of this most unhappy creature in pain of being lost! For me they indicate the way to achieve the wealth of her lands that, on all sides adorned by them, are turned into places of sacrifice to the gods and the brahmins desirous on the path to heaven! (24) Could it be that the moon so very powerful and kind to the unhappy, out of compassion for the young its fear for the great beast of prey, is now protecting this motherless deer-child which strayed from its protective refuge? (25) Or, may it, by its rays, so peaceful and cool, out of love, be splashing nectarine water from its mouth, giving my heart, that red lotus flower unto which the deer was so submissive, comfort, for the heat of the separation is burning with the flames of a forest fire.'
(26) In this way was he, whose heart was aggrieved with a mind deriving from bad karma, carried away by the impossibility of a son that looked like a deer and had he fallen down from the exercises of yoga, the penance of yoga and the devotional service towards the Supreme Lord. What possible way could he, so attached to the body of a different species, a deer calf, directly achieve the goal of life with that kind of a hindrance - he who previously had given up his sons born from his heart, even though that was a thing difficult to do. Because of that obstacle of his thus being obstructed in the execution of his yoga, was King Bharata, thus absorbed in maintaining, pleasing, protecting and fondling a baby deer, neglecting his own soul and saw he that very rashly the inevitable of his time had come like a snake entering the hole of a mouse. (27) At that time giving up this world he indeed saw at his side lamenting like his own son the deer that occupied his mind; with his body dying with the deer present at his side, he thereafter got the body of a deer, but unlike with other births, was the remembrance of what had happened before at his death not destroyed. (28) In that birth, as a consequence of his past devotional activities, constantly remembering what the cause was of having gotten the body of a deer, he repenting said: (29) 'Oh what a misery! I have fallen from the way of life of the self-realized, although I had given up my sons and home, lived solitary in a sacred forest as one perfect to the soul who takes shelter of the Supersoul of all beings and although I was constantly listening to and thinking about Him, the Supreme Lord Vâsudeva, with chanting, worshiping and remembering being absorbed, filling all my hours; by time does a mind fixed in such a practice turn into a mind fully established to the eternal, but again, fallen in affection for a deer-young, I am a great fool far from that! '
(30) Thus being this way silent to itself did [he as] the deer unmotivated give up its mother and turned it from the Kâlañjara mountain where it was born, back again to the place, to the âs'rama of Pulastya and Pulaha in the village called S'âlagrâma, where he before had worshiped the Supreme Lord so dear to the great saints living there in complete detachment. (31) In that place, eating fallen leaves and herbs, he awaited his time in the eternal company of the Supersoul, and existed he, constantly alert to bad association, only in consideration of the end of the cause of his deer body, the body that he, bathing it in the water of that holy place, ultimately gave up.
Second edition, loaded January 15, 2007.
Source texts:
A Description of the Character of Bharata Mahârâja
S'rî S'uka said: 'Once upon a time having taken a bath in the great Gandakî, having done his daily duties and chanted his mantras, sat he [Bharata] for a few minutes down at the bank of the river.S'rî S'ukadeva Gosvâmî continued: My dear King, one day, after finishing his morning duties--evacuating, urinating and bathing--Mahârâja Bharata sat down on the bank of the River Gandakî for a few minutes and began chanting his mantra, beginning with omkâra. (Vedabase)
O King, there he saw a single doe that of its thirst was driven to the river.
O King, while Bharata Mahârâja was sitting on the bank of that river, a doe, being very thirsty, came there to drink. (Vedabase)
Exactly at the time it to its great satisfaction drank of the water, arose from very nearby the tumultuous roar of the king of the jungle that is so fearful to all living beings.
While the doe was drinking with great satisfaction, a lion, which was very close, roared very loudly. This was frightful to every living entity, and it was heard by the doe. (Vedabase)
Hearing that great noise was the she-deer, always fearful of her life looking about, very afraid of the intrusion of the lion, and upset with restless eyes without having quenched her thirst properly, took she terrified all of a sudden a leap over the river.
By nature the doe was always afraid of being killed by others, and it was always looking about suspiciously. When it heard the lion's tumultuous roar, it became very agitated. Looking here and there with disturbed eyes, the doe, although it had not fully satisfied itself by drinking water, suddenly leaped across the river. (Vedabase)
Of being pregnant slipped, of its out of fear forcefully jumping up, her baby out of her womb and fell it down in the flowing water.
The doe was pregnant, and when it jumped out of fear, the baby deer fell from its womb into the flowing waters of the river. (Vedabase)
From the miscarriage of jumping and being afraid, fell the black doe, separated from the flock and plagued by exhaustion, down in some cave, because of which it died.
Being separated from its flock and distressed by its miscarriage, the black doe, having crossed the river, was very much distressed. Indeed, it fell down in a cave and died immediately. (Vedabase)
Seeing that deer calf then, separated from its kind, helplessly floating away in the waves, took the wise King Bharata considering it orphaned, it as a friend to his âs'rama.
The great King Bharata, while sitting on the bank of the river, saw the small deer, bereft of its mother, floating down the river. Seeing this, he felt great compassion. Like a sincere friend, he lifted the infant deer from the waves, and, knowing it to be motherless, brought it to his âs'rama. (Vedabase)
To this deer he grew greatly attached in accepting it as his own kid, every day feeding it, protecting it, raising it and petting it. Within a couple of days was indeed, giving up on his personal care for himself, his duties and worship of the Original Person, the complete of his practice of detachment lost.
Gradually Mahârâja Bharata became very affectionate toward the deer. He began to raise it and maintain it by giving it grass. He was always careful to protect it from the attacks of tigers and other animals. When it itched, he petted it, and in this way he always tried to keep it in a comfortable condition. He sometimes kissed it out of love. Being attached to raising the deer, Mahârâja Bharata forgot the rules and regulations for the advancement of spiritual life, and he gradually forgot to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead. After a few days, he forgot everything about his spiritual advancement. (Vedabase)
'Alas! [he thought to himself], is by the Controller turning the wheel of time, this one deprived of its kin, friends and relatives and has it, in finding me for its shelter, only me as its father, mother, brother and equal belonging to the herd. Surely having no one else it puts great faith in the person of me to rely on and is it fully dependent on me for its learning, sustenance, love and protection; I shouldn't look away but instead know what the fault is of neglecting someone who has taken shelter and thus also act accordingly.
The great King Mahârâja Bharata began to think: Alas, this helpless young deer, by the force of time, an agent of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has now lost its relatives and friends and has taken shelter of me. It does not know anyone but me, as I have become its father, mother, brother and relatives. This deer is thinking in this way, and it has full faith in me. It does not know anyone but me; therefore I should not be envious and think that for the deer my own welfare will be destroyed. I should certainly raise, protect, gratify and fondle it. When it has taken shelter with me, how can I neglect it? Even though the deer is disturbing my spiritual life, I realize that a helpless person who has taken shelter cannot be neglected. That would be a great fault. (Vedabase)
Indeed is it surely of great importance that the civilized, the saintly, even though complete in their renunciation, as friends of the helpless are committed to the principles, even at the cost of their own self-interest.'
Even though one is in the renounced order, one who is advanced certainly feels compassion for suffering living entities. One should certainly neglect his own personal interests, although they may be very important, to protect one who has surrendered. (Vedabase)
Thus grown attached he sat, lied down, walked, bathed, ate etc. with the young animal and became he in his heart captivated by affection.
Due to attachment for the deer, Mahârâja Bharata lay down with it, walked about with it, bathed with it and even ate with it. Thus his heart became bound to the deer in affection. (Vedabase)
When entering the forest for flowers, firewood, kus'a grass, leaves, fruits and roots and going to collect water, took he, doubtful of wolves, dogs and other animals of prey, always the deer with him.
When Mahârâja Bharata wanted to enter the forest to collect kusa grass, flowers, wood, leaves, fruits, roots and water, he would fear that dogs, jackals, tigers and other ferocious animals might kill the deer. He would therefore always take the deer with him when entering the forest. (Vedabase)
On his way carried he, with a mind and heart full of love, it on his shoulder here and there, and kept he, fond as he was of the young, it fondling it on his lap or on his chest when he slept, thus deriving great pleasure.
When entering the forest, the animal would appear very attractive to Mahârâja Bharata due to its childish behavior. Mahârâja Bharata would even take the deer on his shoulders and carry it due to affection. His heart was so filled with great love for the deer that he would sometimes keep it on his lap or, when sleeping, on his chest. In this way he felt great pleasure in fondling the animal. (Vedabase)Text 14
In worship, would he at times get up although not finished, just to look after the deer calf and to that derived the master of the domain great satisfaction from wishing it all his blessings saying: 'O my dear calf let there be unto you all the best'.
When Mahârâja Bharata was actually worshiping the Lord or was engaged in some ritualistic ceremony, although his activities were unfinished, he would still, at intervals, get up and see where the deer was. In this way he would look for it, and when he could see that the deer was comfortably situated, his mind and heart would be very satisfied, and he would bestow his blessings upon the deer, saying, "My dear calf, may you be happy in all respects." (Vedabase)
At times he was so concerned that he got upset like a piteous, miserly man who has lost his riches; with great anxiety in his heart, agitated from being separated from the deer-calf, had he no other thoughts anymore but these and was thus certain of running into the greatest illusion with considerations as:
If Bharata Mahârâja sometimes could not see the deer, his mind would be very agitated. He would become like a miser, who, having obtained some riches, had lost them and had then become very unhappy. When the deer was gone, he would be filled with anxiety and would lament due to separation. Thus he would become illusioned and speak as follows. (Vedabase)
'Oh, alas! my dear child, that orphan of a deer, must be very distressed; it'll turn up again to put faith in me as being a perfectly gentle person and as one of its own kind - it will forget about me as being such an ill-behaved cheater, such a barbarian with a mind not good at all.
Bharata Mahârâja would think: Alas, the deer is now helpless. I am now very unfortunate, and my mind is like a cunning hunter, for it is always filled with cheating propensities and cruelty. The deer has put its faith in me, just as a good man who has a natural interest in good behavior forgets the misbehavior of a cunning friend and puts his faith in him. Although I have proved faithless, will this deer return and place its faith in me? (Vedabase)
Will I be seeing it again unafraid walking around my âs'rama nibbling the grass under divine protection?
Alas, is it possible that I shall again see this animal protected by the Lord and fearless of tigers and other animals? Shall I again see him wandering in the garden eating soft grass? (Vedabase)
Or would the poor creature have met with one of the many wolves or dogs, or a group of hogs or a wandering tiger?
I do not know, but the deer might have been eaten by a wolf or a dog or by the boars that flock together or the tiger who travels alone. (Vedabase)
Alas, the Supreme Lord of the whole Universe, the vedic threefold to the prosperity of all, is [in the form of the sun] already setting; and still has this baby that the mother entrusted to me not returned!
I do not know, but the deer might have been eaten by a wolf or a dog or by the boars that flock together or the tiger who travels alone. (Vedabase)
Would that princely deer of mine really return and please me who gave up on the pious exercise; it was so cute to behold - pleasing it in a way befitting its kind drove away all unhappiness!
That deer is exactly like a prince. When will it return? When will it again display its personal activities, which are so pleasing? When will it again pacify a wounded heart like mine? I certainly must have no pious assets, otherwise the deer would have returned by now. (Vedabase)
Playing with me when I with closed eyes feigned meditation, it would angry out of love, trembling and timidly approach to touch my body with the tips of its horns soft as waterdrops.
Alas, the small deer, while playing with me and seeing me feigning meditation with closed eyes, would circumambulate me due to anger arising from love, and it would fearfully touch me with the points of its soft horns, which felt like drops of water. (Vedabase)
When I grumbled at it for polluting the things placed on kus'a grass for sacrifice, it immediately in great fear stopped its play, just like the son of a saint sitting in complete restraint of its senses.
When I placed all the sacrificial ingredients on the kusa grass, the deer, when playing, would touch the grass with its teeth and thus pollute it. When I chastised the deer by pushing it away, it would immediately become fearful and sit down motionless, exactly like the son of a saintly person. Thus it would stop its play. (Vedabase)
Oh, what practice of penance by the most austere on this planet can bring the earth the wealth of the sweet, small, beautiful and most auspicious soft imprints of the hooves of this most unhappy creature in pain of being lost! For me they indicate the way to achieve the wealth of her lands that, on all sides adorned by them, are turned into places of sacrifice to the gods and the brahmins desirous on the path to heaven!
After speaking like a madman in this way, Mahârâja Bharata got up and went outside. Seeing the footprints of the deer on the ground, he praised the footprints out of love, saying: O unfortunate Bharata, your austerities and penances are very insignificant compared to the penance and austerity undergone by this earth planet. Due to the earth's severe penances, the footprints of this deer, which are small, beautiful, most auspicious and soft, are imprinted on the surface of this fortunate planet. This series of footprints show a person like me, who am bereaved due to loss of the deer, how the animal has passed through the forest and how I can regain my lost wealth. By these footprints, this land has become a proper place for brâhmanas who desire heavenly planets or liberation to execute sacrifices to the demigods. (Vedabase)
Could it be that the moon so very powerful and kind to the unhappy, out of compassion for the young its fear for the great beast of prey, is now protecting this motherless deer-child which strayed from its protective refuge?
Mahârâja Bharata continued to speak like a madman. Seeing above his head the dark marks on the rising moon, which resembled a deer, he said: Can it be that the moon, who is so kind to an unhappy man, might also be kind upon my deer, knowing that it has strayed from home and has become motherless? This moon has given the deer shelter near itself just to protect it from the fearful attacks of a lion. (Vedabase)
Or, may it, by its rays, so peaceful and cool, out of love, be splashing nectarine water from its mouth, giving my heart, that red lotus flower unto which the deer was so submissive, comfort, for the heat of the separation is burning with the flames of a forest fire.'
After perceiving the moonshine, Mahârâja Bharata continued speaking like a crazy person. He said: The deer's son was so submissive and dear to me that due to its separation I am feeling separation from my own son. Due to the burning fever of this separation, I am suffering as if inflamed by a forest fire. My heart, which is like the lily of the land, is now burning. Seeing me so distressed, the moon is certainly splashing its shining nectar upon me -- just as a friend throws water on another friend who has a high fever. In this way, the moon is bringing me happiness. (Vedabase)
In this way was he, whose heart was aggrieved with a mind deriving from bad karma, carried away by the impossibility of a son that looked like a deer and had he fallen down from the exercises of yoga, the penance of yoga and the devotional service towards the Supreme Lord. What possible way could he, so attached to the body of a different species, a deer calf, directly achieve the goal of life with that kind of a hindrance - he who previously had given up his sons born from his heart, even though that was a thing difficult to do. Because of that obstacle of his thus being obstructed in the execution of his yoga, was King Bharata, thus absorbed in maintaining, pleasing, protecting and fondling a baby deer, neglecting his own soul and saw he that very rashly the inevitable of his time had come like a snake entering the hole of a mouse.
S'ukadeva Gosvâmî continued: My dear King, in this way Bharata Mahârâja was overwhelmed by an uncontrollable desire which was manifest in the form of the deer. Due to the fruitive results of his past deeds, he fell down from mystic yoga, austerity and worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If it were not due to his past fruitive activity, how could he have been attracted to the deer after giving up the association of his own son and family, considering them stumbling blocks on the path of spiritual life? How could he show such uncontrollable affection for a deer? This was definitely due to his past karma. The King was so engrossed in petting and maintaining the deer that he fell down from his spiritual activities. In due course of time, insurmountable death, which is compared to a venomous snake that enters the hole created by a mouse, situated itself before him. (Vedabase)
At that time giving up this world he indeed saw at his side lamenting like his own son the deer that occupied his mind; with his body dying with the deer present at his side, he thereafter got the body of a deer, but unlike with other births, was the remembrance of what had happened before at his death not destroyed.
At the time of death, the King saw that the deer was sitting by his side, exactly like his own son, and was lamenting his death. Actually the mind of the King was absorbed in the body of the deer, and consequently--like those bereft of Krishna consciousness--he left the world, the deer, and his material body and acquired the body of a deer. However, there was one advantage. Although he lost his human body and received the body of a deer, he did not forget the incidents of his past life. (Vedabase)
In that birth, as a consequence of his past devotional activities, constantly remembering what the cause was of having gotten the body of a deer, he repenting said:
Although in the body of a deer, Bharata Mahârâja, due to his rigid devotional service in his past life, could understand the cause of his birth in that body. Considering his past and present life, he constantly repented his activities, speaking in the following way. (Vedabase)
'Oh what a misery! I have fallen from the way of life of the self-realized, although I had given up my sons and home, lived solitary in a sacred forest as one perfect to the soul who takes shelter of the Supersoul of all beings and although I was constantly listening to and thinking about Him, the Supreme Lord Vâsudeva, with chanting, worshiping and remembering being absorbed, filling all my hours; by time does a mind fixed in such a practice turn into a mind fully established to the eternal, but again, fallen in affection for a deer-young, I am a great fool far from that!'
In the body of a deer, Bharata Mahârâja began to lament: What misfortune! I have fallen from the path of the self-realized. I gave up my real sons, wife and home to advance in spiritual life, and I took shelter in a solitary holy place in the forest. I became self-controlled and self-realized, and I engaged constantly in devotional service, hearing, thinking, chanting, worshiping and remembering the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vâsudeva. I was successful in my attempt, so much so that my mind was always absorbed in devotional service. However, due to my personal foolishness, my mind again became attached--this time to a deer. Now I have obtained the body of a deer and have fallen far from my devotional practices. (Vedabase)
Thus being this way silent to itself did [he as] the deer unmotivated give up its mother and turned it from the Kâlañjara mountain where it was born, back again to the place, to the âs'rama of Pulastya and Pulaha in the village called S'âlagrâma, where he before had worshiped the Supreme Lord so dear to the great saints living there in complete detachment.
Although Bharata Mahârâja received the body of a deer, by constant repentance he became completely detached from all material things. He did not disclose these things to anyone, but he left his mother deer in a place known as Kâlañjara Mountain, where he was born. He again went to the forest of S'âlagrâma and to the âs'rama of Pulastya and Pulaha. (Vedabase)
In that place, eating fallen leaves and herbs, he awaited his time in the eternal company of the Supersoul, and existed he, constantly alert to bad association, only in consideration of the end of the cause of his deer body, the body that he, bathing it in the water of that holy place, ultimately gave up.
Remaining in that âs'rama, the great King Bharata Mahârâja was now very careful not to fall victim to bad association. Without disclosing his past to anyone, he remained in that âs'rama and ate dry leaves only. He was not exactly alone, for he had the association of the Supersoul. In this way he waited for death in the body of a deer. Bathing in that holy place, he finally gave up that body. (Vedabase)
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