rule




 
Canto 5
S'rī S'rī S'ikshāshthaka
 


Chapter 8: The Rebirth of Bharata Mahārāja

(1) S'rī S'uka said: 'One day having taken a bath in the great Gandakī, he [Bharata], after performing his daily duties, sat for a few minutes on the bank of the river to chant the transcendental syllable [AUM]. (2) Oh King, he then saw a single doe that, being thirsty, had come to the river. (3) As it eagerly drank from the water, suddenly nearby the loud roar of a lion sounded that terrifies all living beings. (4) When the doe heard that loud sound, it, fearfully looking about, out of fear for the lion immediately, without having quenched her thirst, leaped over the river. (5) Because of the force of the leap it made in great fear, the doe, being pregnant, lost its baby that slipped from its womb and fell into the water. (6) Being exhausted from the miscarriage that was caused by the jumping and the fear, the black doe, being separated from its flock, fell some place into a cave and died. (7) Seeing that the deer calf, being separated from its mother, helplessly floated away in the stream, the wise king Bharata, considering it orphaned, compassionately as a friend took it to his ās'rama. (8) Adopting it as his child, feeding it every day, protecting it, raising it and petting it, he became greatly attached to this deer calf. Very soon he, having given up his routines, his self-restraint and his worship of the Original Person, thus lost his entire practice of detachment. (9) 'Alas! [he thought to himself], by the Controller turning the wheel of time this creature was deprived of its family, friends and relatives. Finding me for its shelter, it has only me as its father, mother, brother and member of the herd. Surely having no one else it puts great faith in me as the support to rely upon and thus fully depends on me for its learning, sustenance, love and protection. I have got to admit that it is wrong to neglect someone who has taken shelter and must accordingly act without regrets. (10) Undoubtedly all honorable and pious souls will, however detached they are, put aside even their most important self-interests, in order to observe those principles as friends of the poor.'

(11) Sitting, lying down, walking, bathing, eating and such with the young animal, his heart thus having grown attached became captivated by affection. (12) When he went into the forest to collect flowers, firewood, kus'a grass, leaves, fruits, roots and water, he, apprehensive about wolves, dogs and other animals of prey, always took the deer with him. (13) On his way he, with a mind and heart full of love, carried it on his shoulder now and then, and kept, fond as he was of the young, it fondling on his lap or on his chest when he slept and derived great pleasure from it. (14) During worship the emperor sometimes got up despite not being finished, just to look after the deer calf and then felt happy bestowing all his blessings saying: 'Oh my dear calf, I wish you all the best.' (15) Sometimes, not seeing the calf anywhere, he was so anxious that he got upset like a piteous, miserly man who has lost his riches. He then found himself in a state wherein he could not think of anything else anymore. Thus he ran into the greatest illusion entertaining thoughts like: (16) 'Oh, alas! My dear child, that orphan of a deer, must be very distressed. It willl turn up again and put faith in me as being a perfectly gentle member of its own kind. It will forget about me being such an ill-behaved cheater, such a bad-minded barbarian. (17) Shall I see that creature protected by the gods again walk around and nibble grass, unafraid in the garden of my ās'rama? (18) Or would the poor thing be devoured by one of the many packs of wolves or dogs, or else by a lone wandering tiger? (19) Alas, the Supreme Lord of the entire universe, the Lord of the three Vedas who is there for the prosperity of all, is [in the form of the sun] already setting; and still this baby that the mother entrusted to me has not returned! (20) Will that princely deer of mine really return and please me, who gave up his different pious exercises? 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 to meditate, it would nervously out of love, trembling and timidly approach to touch my body with the tips of its horns that are as soft as water drops. (22) When I grumbled at it for polluting the things placed on the kus'a grass for worship, it immediately in great fear stopped its play to sit down in complete restraint of its senses, just like the son of a saint would do. (23) Oh, what practice of penance performed by the most austere souls 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! To me they point the way to achieve the wealth of the body of her lands that, on all sides adorned by them, are turned into places of sacrifice to the gods and the brahmins so desirous on the path to heaven! (24) Could it be that the moon [god] so very powerful and kind to the unhappy, out of compassion for the young that lost its mother because of her fear for the great beast of prey, is now protecting this deer child that strayed from my protective ās'rama? (25) Or would the moon god out of love by means of his rays, which so peaceful and cool stream from his face like nectarean water, comfort my heart, that red lotus flower to which the little deer submitted itself as my son and that now, in the fire of separation, burns with the flames of a forest fire?'

(26) With a heart saddened by a mind derived from what he had undertaken in the past, he was thus carried away by the impossible desire of having a son that looked like a deer. Consequently he failed in his yoga exercises, his penances and devotional service to the Supreme Lord. How could he, attached as he was to the body of a different species, to the body of a deer calf, fulfill his life's purpose now with such a hindrance? How could that be while he previously had abandoned his so difficult to forsake sons whom he had fathered with a loving heart? King Bharata, who, absorbed in maintaining, pleasing, protecting and fondling a baby deer, because of that hindrance was obstructed in the execution of his yoga, thus neglected [the interest of] his soul. Meanwhile with most rapid strides inevitably his time approached, like a snake entering the hole of a mouse. (27) The moment he left this world he found at his side the deer, lamenting like his son, that had occupied his mind. With his body dying in the presence of the deer, he thereafter himself obtained the body of a deer [see also B.G. 8: 6]. [But] when he after his death obtained another body, his memory of his previous existence was not destroyed. (28) In that birth constantly remembering, as a consequence of his past devotional activities, what the cause was of having obtained the body of a deer, he remorsefully said: (29) 'Oh what a misery! I have fallen from the way of life of the self-realized, despite having given up my sons and home and living solitary in a sacred forest as someone who, perfectly in accord with the soul, takes shelter of the Supersoul of all beings. Despite constantly listening to and thinking about Him, the Supreme Lord Vāsudeva and spending all my hours on being absorbed in chanting, worshiping and remembering. In due course of time a mind fixed in such a practice turns into a mind fully established in the eternal reality, but having fallen deeply in my affection for a young deer, I by contrast am a great fool again!'

(30) Thus in silence turning away from the world [he as] the deer gave up his deer mother and turned back from the Kālańjara mountain where he was born, to the place where he before had worshiped the Supreme Lord, the ās'rama of Pulastya and Pulaha in the village called S'ālagrāma that is 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. Vigilantly guarding against bad association, he existed with the only motivation to put an end to the cause of his deer body. That body he ultimately gave up, bathing in the water of the holy place.'
 

 

    next     

 

 

Third revised edition, loaded March 20, 2018.

 

 

 

 

Previous Aadhar edition and Vedabase links:

Text 1

S'rī S'uka said: 'One day having taken a bath in the great Gandakī, he [Bharata], after performing his daily duties, sat for a few minutes on the bank of the river to chant the transcendental syllable [AUM].
S'rī S'uka said: 'Once upon a time having taken a bath in the great Gandakī, having done his daily duties and chanted his mantras, sat he [Bharata] for a few minutes down at the bank of the river. (Vedabase)

 

Text 2

Oh King, he then saw a single doe that, being thirsty, had come to the river.

O King, there he saw a single doe that of its thirst was driven to the river. (Vedabase)

 

Text 3

As it eagerly drank from the water, suddenly nearby the loud roar of a lion sounded that terrifies all living beings.

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. (Vedabase)

 

Text 4

When the doe heard that loud sound, it, fearfully looking about, out of fear for the lion immediately, without having quenched her thirst, leaped over the river.

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. (Vedabase)


Text 5

Because of the force of the leap it made in great fear, the doe, being pregnant, lost its baby that slipped from its womb and fell into the water.

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. (Vedabase)

 

Text 6

Being exhausted from the miscarriage that was caused by the jumping and the fear, the black doe, being separated from its flock, fell some place into a cave and died.

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. (Vedabase)


Text 7

Seeing that the deer calf, being separated from its mother, helplessly floated away in the stream, the wise king Bharata, considering it orphaned, compassionately as a friend took it to his ās'rama.

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 ās'rama. (Vedabase)

 

Text 8

Adopting it as his child, feeding it every day, protecting it, raising it and petting it, he became greatly attached to this deer calf. Very soon he, having given up his routines, his self-restraint and his worship of the Original Person, thus lost his entire practice of detachment.

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. (Vedabase)


Text 9

'Alas! [he thought to himself], by the Controller turning the wheel of time this creature was deprived of its family, friends and relatives. Finding me for its shelter, it has only me as its father, mother, brother and member of the herd. Surely having no one else it puts great faith in me as the support to rely upon and thus fully depends on me for its learning, sustenance, love and protection. I have got to admit that it is wrong to neglect someone who has taken shelter and must accordingly act without regrets.

'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. (Vedabase)

 

Text 10

Undoubtedly all honorable and pious souls will, however detached they are, put aside even their most important self-interests, in order to observe those principles as friends of the poor.'

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.' (Vedabase)


Text 11

Sitting, lying down, walking, bathing, eating and such with the young animal, his heart thus having grown attached became captivated by affection.

Thus grown attached he sat, lied down, walked, bathed, ate etc. with the young animal and became he in his heart captivated by affection. (Vedabase)

 

Text 12

When he went into the forest to collect flowers, firewood, kus'a grass, leaves, fruits, roots and water, he, apprehensive about wolves, dogs and other animals of prey, always took the deer with him.

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. (Vedabase)

 

Text 13

On his way he, with a mind and heart full of love, carried it on his shoulder now and then, and kept, fond as he was of the young, it fondling on his lap or on his chest when he slept and derived great pleasure from it.

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. (Vedabase)
 
Text 14

During worship the emperor sometimes got up despite not being finished, just to look after the deer calf and then felt happy bestowing all his blessings saying: 'Oh my dear calf, I wish you all the best'.

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'. (Vedabase)

 

Text 15

Sometimes, not seeing the calf anywhere, he was so anxious that he got upset like a piteous, miserly man who has lost his riches. He then found himself in a state wherein he could not think of anything else anymore. Thus he ran into the greatest illusion entertaining thoughts like:

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: (Vedabase)

Text 16

'Oh, alas! My dear child, that orphan of a deer, must be very distressed. It will turn up again and put faith in me as being a perfectly gentle member of its own kind. It will forget about me being such an ill-behaved cheater, such a bad-minded barbarian.

'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. (Vedabase)

 

Text 17

Shall I see that creature protected by the gods again walk around and nibble grass, unafraid in the garden of my ās'rama?

Will I be seeing it again unafraid walking around my ās'rama nibbling the grass under divine protection? (Vedabase)

 

Text 18

Or would the poor thing be devoured by one of the many packs of wolves or dogs, or else by a lone wandering tiger?

Or would the poor creature have met with one of the many wolves or dogs, or a group of hogs or a wandering tiger? (Vedabase)


Text 19

Alas, the Supreme Lord of the entire universe, the Lord of the three Vedas who is there for the prosperity of all, is [in the form of the sun] already setting; and still this baby that the mother entrusted to me has not returned!

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! (Vedabase)

 

Text 20

Will that princely deer of mine really return and please me, who gave up his different pious exercises? It was so cute to behold. Pleasing it in a way befitting its kind drove away all unhappiness!

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! (Vedabase)

 

Text 21

Playing with me when I with closed eyes feigned to meditate, it would nervously out of love, trembling and timidly approach to touch my body with the tips of its horns that are as soft as water drops.

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. (Vedabase)

 

Text 22

When I grumbled at it for polluting the things placed on the kus'a grass for worship, it immediately in great fear stopped its play to sit down in complete restraint of its senses, just like the son of a saint would do.

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. (Vedabase)

 

Text 23

Oh, what practice of penance performed by the most austere souls 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! To me they point the way to achieve the wealth of the body of her lands that, on all sides adorned by them, are turned into places of sacrifice to the gods and the brahmins so desirous on the path to heaven!

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! (Vedabase)

 

Text 24

Could it be that the moon [god] so very powerful and kind to the unhappy, out of compassion for the young that lost its mother because of her fear for the great beast of prey, is now protecting this deer child that strayed from my protective ās'rama?

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?  (Vedabase)

 

Text 25

Or would the moon god out of love by means of his rays, which so peaceful and cool stream from his face like nectarean water, comfort my heart, that red lotus flower to which the little deer submitted itself as my son and that now, in the fire of separation, burns with the flames of a forest fire?'

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.' (Vedabase)


Text 26

With a heart saddened by a mind derived from what he had undertaken in the past, he was thus carried away by the impossible desire of having a son that looked like a deer. Consequently he failed in his yoga exercises, his penances and devotional service to the Supreme Lord. How could he, attached as he was to the body of a different species, to the body of a deer calf, fulfill his life's purpose now with such a hindrance? How could that be while he previously had abandoned his so difficult to forsake sons whom he had fathered with a loving heart? King Bharata, who, absorbed in maintaining, pleasing, protecting and fondling a baby deer, because of that hindrance was obstructed in the execution of his yoga, thus neglected [the interest of] his soul. Meanwhile with most rapid strides inevitably his time approached, like a snake entering the hole of a mouse.

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. (Vedabase)

 

Text 27

The moment he left this world he found at his side the deer, lamenting like his son, that had occupied his mind. With his body dying in the presence of the deer, he thereafter himself obtained the body of a deer [see also B.G. 8: 6]. [But] when he after his death obtained another body, his memory of his previous existence was not destroyed.

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. (Vedabase)

 

Text 28

In that birth constantly remembering, as a consequence of his past devotional activities, what the cause was of having obtained the body of a deer, he remorsefully said:

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: (Vedabase)

 

Text 29

'Oh what a misery! I have fallen from the way of life of the self-realized, despite having given up my sons and home and living solitary in a sacred forest as someone who, perfectly in accord with the soul, takes shelter of the Supersoul of all beings. Despite constantly listening to and thinking about Him, the Supreme Lord Vāsudeva and spending all my hours on being absorbed in chanting, worshiping and remembering. In due course of time a mind fixed in such a practice turns into a mind fully established in the eternal reality, but having fallen deeply in my affection for a young deer, I by contrast am a great fool again!'

'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 Vāsudeva, 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!' (Vedabase)

 

Text 30

Thus in silence turning away from the world [he as] the deer gave up his deer mother and turned back from the Kālańjara mountain where he was born, to the place where he before had worshiped the Supreme Lord, the ās'rama of Pulastya and Pulaha in the village called S'ālagrāma that is so dear to the great saints living there in complete detachment.

Thus being this way silent to itself did [he as] the deer unmotivated give up zijn mother and turned he from the Kālanjara mountain where he was born, back again to the place, to the ās'rama of Pulastya and Pulaha in the village called Sālagrāma, where he before had worshiped the Supreme Lord so dear to the great saints living there in complete detachment. (Vedabase)

 

Text 31

In that place eating fallen leaves and herbs, he awaited his time in the eternal company of the Supersoul. Vigilantly guarding against bad association, he existed with the only motivation to put an end to the cause of his deer body. That body he ultimately gave up, bathing in the water of the holy place.'

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. (Vedabase)

 

 
 

 

 

Creative Commons
              License
The text and audio are offered under the conditions of the
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.

The picture of deer in a forest as the love of Bharata,
is a detail of a painting by Kailash Raj titled: 'Ragini Todi'.
It is © of exoticindianart.com. Used with permission.
Production: Filognostic Association of The Order of Time.


  

 

Feed-back | Links | Downloads | MusicPictures | What's New | Search | Donations