A Summary of the Srimad Bhagavata Mahapuranam : 4.6 - Swami Krishnananda.

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Friday, December 16, 2022. 07:00. 

Chapter-4. The Stories of Siva and Sati, and Rishabhadeva and Bharata -6.

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Because of the fear of attachment due to the lesson that he had learned, he would not utter a word in this birth. His parents sent him to school, but he would not learn anything, not even the letters of the alphabet. Whatever was told to him fell on deaf ears. They thought that he was an idiot who was shamefully born into a Brahmin family, as Brahmins are very learned in Vedic lore. They tried to teach him again and again, but he was so idle, and never responded to anyone, and would not say anything. They thought he was an idiotic creature, and wondered what to do with him.

They said, “Go! Do some work,” but he would not do any work either.

“Okay, at least tend the cattle. Go! Graze the cows,” they said.

He took the cattle to graze, and allowed them to go into other people's fields and eat up all their crops. People were annoyed, and wondered what was wrong with him.

Then they said, “Don't do anything. Go and sit there. Idiot! Don't do anything.”

But though Bharata would not utter a word, he looked very robust. He was filled with energy, but he did not want to use that energy because of fear of attachment. He had learned his lesson. So he did not want to say anything to anybody, and just kept quiet.

Some dacoits who worshipped Kali—Bhadrakali—were looking for a human being to offer in sacrifice. They searched for a hefty, strong person, and they somehow found Bharata sitting quietly without saying anything.

“Come on,” they said.

He did not utter one word, and allowed them to drag him to the temple. They anointed him with chandanam—sandalwood paste—and garlanded him, and he still did not utter one word. Then the priest took the sword to behead him. Immediately, thunder struck. A bursting noise arose from the murti of Kali that they were worshipping, and a fierce-looking Devi rushed forward, grabbed the priest's sword, and cut him down, and smashed everything. All the dacoits ran helter-skelter. Even all this noise did not disturb Jada Bharata's peace. He kept quiet. Let Kali come, let dacoits come, let anything happen, he did not mind anything. People ran away from that place, and he sat alone there.

One day Rahugana, the king of the country, was passing that way on a palanquin carried by attendants. They wanted one more man to carry it and, seeing Bharata sitting there, said, “Come on. Will you help us?”

Bharata did not say anything.

They got angry and said, “Carry the palanquin!”

Bharata did not utter one word. He had not uttered one word in his entire life, and would not say anything. Whatever happens, let it happen.

They put the palanquin on his shoulder and said, “Carry! Go!”

He carried it, but he was not interested. He walked slowly, while the others were moving fast.

The king asked the palanquin bearers, “Why are you walking like this? Have you no strength? Move!”

The others replied, “We are not doing anything wrong. We are walking properly. But this new fellow is unable to walk. He is lethargic, and is moving like an ant.”

The king said, “Oh, Jada! Have you no sense? I am the king. I will hit you now. Go!”

This is the first time Bharata opened his mouth. Throughout his life he did not say anything, but when the king taunted him and said, “Jada, go! I'll thrash you!” he opened his mouth and said, “What are you saying, King? You uttered the word ‘Jada'. Whom are you addressing? Are you addressing the five elements—earth, water, fire, air and ether? Are you scolding them that constitute the body of all individuals, mine as well as yours? When you say ‘Jada, go!' whom are you referring to? Is it the five elements? Or you are addressing the prana which is in all people and is all-pervading, and incidentally happens to be animating this individual body also? Or, are you calling the mind Jada? It is a part of the cosmic mind. Your appellation does not apply to anyone. Are you calling the intellect Jada? It is a part of the cosmic intellect. Are you calling the Atman within Jada? It is a part of the universal Atman. What is the language that you are using? Why did you utter these words? Whatever you said is empty words. Under the impression that you are scolding me, you have done nothing except blabber something in nonsensical words. Do you understand what you have said?”

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To be continued

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