A description for all of us: the final teachings of Jaḍa Bharata (The Fifth Canto #15)
A serious mistake we often make when studying transcendental literature is to study it as a spectator, seeing it as something that is applicable to the personalities involved, but not to us.
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A description for all of us: the final teachings of Jaḍa Bharata
Jaḍa Bharata then connects the whole narration with the practical situation of the king:
“My dear King Rahūgaṇa, you are also a victim of the external energy, being situated on the path of attraction to material pleasure. So that you may become an equal friend to all living entities, I now advise you to give up your kingly position and the rod by which you punish criminals. Give up attraction to the sense objects and take up the sword of knowledge sharpened by devotional service. Then you will be able to cut the hard knot of illusory energy and cross to the other side of the ocean of nescience.” (SB 5.13.20)
A serious mistake we often make when studying transcendental literature is to study it as a spectator, seeing it as something that is applicable to the personalities involved, but not to us. When we do that, we miss the whole point. Just as the Bhagavad-gītā was not just spoken to Arjuna, all the discussions in the Śrīmad Bhagavad and other books are not just for others, but especially to ourselves. When we see these passages as mere objects of intellectual study or historical narrations, we miss the purpose.
Just as Rahūgaṇa, we are currently immersed in the material tree, thinking that we are men or women, that we are the maintainers of our subordinates, and so on. These instructions from Jaḍa Bharata aim to take us out of this material concept and bring us to a platform of knowledge, from which we can gradually free ourselves from material illusion, and from there attain pure devotional service to the Lord.
This verse is connected with texts 15.3-4 of the Gītā:
“The real form of this tree cannot be perceived in this world. No one can understand where it ends, where it begins, or where its foundation is. But with determination, one must cut down this tree with the weapon of detachment. So doing, one must seek that place from which, having once gone, one never returns, and there surrender to that Supreme Personality of Godhead from whom everything has begun and in whom everything is abiding since time immemorial.” (Bg. 15.3-4).
What was the reaction of Rahūgaṇa in hearing such a candid description of his own existence?
“King Rahūgaṇa said: This birth as a human being is the best of all. Even birth among the demigods in the heavenly planets is not as glorious as birth as a human being on this earth. What is the use of the exalted position of a demigod? In the heavenly planets, due to profuse material comforts, there is no possibility of associating with devotees.
It is not at all wonderful that simply by being covered by the dust of your lotus feet, one immediately attains the platform of pure devotional service to Adhokṣaja, which is not available even to great demigods like Brahmā. By associating with you just for a moment, I am now freed from all argument, false prestige and lack of discrimination, which are the roots of entanglement in the material world. Now I am free from all these problems.
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the great personalities, whether they walk on the earth’s surface as children, young boys, avadhūtas or great brāhmaṇas. Even if they are hidden under different guises, I offer my respects to all of them. By their mercy, may there be good fortune in the royal dynasties that are always offending them.” (SB 5.13.21-23)
Having understood the instructions of Jaḍa Bharata, King Rahūgaṇa considers himself very fortunate. As Prabhupāda explains, “Association with pure devotees certainly frees one from the material clutches. This is certainly true of King Rahūgaṇa’s association with Jaḍa Bharata. King Rahūgaṇa was immediately freed from the misgivings of material association. The arguments offered by pure devotees to their disciples are so convincing that even a dull-headed disciple is immediately enlightened with spiritual knowledge.”
From all species of life present on this planet, only human life offers us the opportunity to escape the clutches of illusion, but even in the human form, liberation is impossible without the association of pure devotees. Their association is so powerful that there is no need for previous qualification; all that is needed is some sincerity and humility. We can see that even though Rahūgaṇa initially offended Jaḍa Bharata, he later repented and humbly accepted his instructions, which became the source of his enlightenment.
Text 5.13.24 describes the episode from the perspective of Jaḍa Bharata himself:
“Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, O son of mother Uttarā, there were some waves of dissatisfaction in the mind of Jaḍa Bharata due to his being insulted by King Rahūgaṇa, who made him carry his palanquin, but Jaḍa Bharata neglected this, and his heart again became calm and quiet like an ocean. Although King Rahūgaṇa had insulted him, he was a great paramahaṁsa. Being a Vaiṣṇava, he was naturally very kindhearted, and he therefore told the King about the constitutional position of the soul. He then forgot the insult because King Rahūgaṇa pitifully begged pardon at his lotus feet. After this, he began to wander all over the earth, just as before.”
Often, we imagine that a pure devotee is like a robot, who doesn’t feel pain or any other human emotion, but it is not like that. A pure devotee also has a physical body and a material mind, just like us. They also feel pain, hunger, cold, etc. The difference is that a pure devotee understands he is not the body or the mind, and thus chooses to neglect these physical sensations and focus on their eternal identity. They thus teach us by their practical example.
This brings us to the conclusion of the narration:
“After receiving lessons from the great devotee Jaḍa Bharata, King Rahūgaṇa of the state of Sauvīra became completely aware of the constitutional position of the soul. He thus gave up the bodily conception completely. My dear King, whoever takes shelter of the servant of the servant of the Lord is certainly glorified because he can without difficulty give up the bodily conception.” (SB 5.13.25)
As Prabhupāda summarizes in his purport to text 5.13.21: “An intelligent person actually interested in getting freed from the material clutches must associate with pure devotees. By such association, one can gradually become detached from the material attraction of money and women. Money and women are the basic principles of material attachment. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore advised those who are actually serious about returning back to Godhead to give up money and women in order to be fit to enter the kingdom of God. Money and women can be fully utilized in the service of the Lord, and one who can utilize them in this way can become freed from material bondage. Satāṁ prasaṅgān mama vīrya-saṁvido bhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥ (Bhāg. 3.25.25). Only in the association of devotees can one relish the glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just through a little association with a pure devotee, one can become successful in his journey back to Godhead.”
Ultimately, every conditioned soul poses as a male, trying to enjoy the material world, and sees the opposite sex as the object of enjoyment, together with money and other resources. The key is to give up this mentality of enjoyment and instead use all material resources in the service of the Lord.
The conclusion of the description of the pastimes of Bharata Maharaja
The pastimes of Bharata Maharaja, who attained perfection after three lives is the crescendo of the philosophical discussions of the Fifth Canto, just like the teachings of Lord Kapila in the Third Canto, or the allegory of King Purañjana in the Fourth Canto. The description is concluded with the teachings of Jaḍa Bharata, that exposes the reality of this material world as a dangerous place, rather than a place of enjoyment. As in other situations, our understanding of this world will determine if we will be propense to leave it, or to stay. Bharata certainly had a lot of experience to share.
Śukadeva Goswami concludes this description with a glorification of the character and qualities of Bharata Maharaja:
“Having summarized the teachings of Jaḍa Bharata, Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King Parīkṣit, the path indicated by Jaḍa Bharata is like the path followed by Garuḍa, the carrier of the Lord, and ordinary kings are just like flies. Flies cannot follow the path of Garuḍa, and to date none of the great kings and victorious leaders could follow this path of devotional service, not even mentally.” (SB 5.14.42)
When we hear the description of the activities of a great person, like Dhruva Maharaja or Jaḍa Bharata, we may have an instinct of imitating that they do, just like followers of Lord Śiva often smoke ganja and use other intoxicants, trying to imitate his pastime of drinking the ocean of poison. Such attempts just serve to destroy us.
Imitation comes from envy. We desire to become like these great personalities, like if we were in the same platform as them. Rather, we should try to understand their teachings and follow their instructions. Instead of using intoxicants, we can follow the instructions of Lord Śiva in the Rudra Gītā and worship Kṛṣṇa, and similarly, instead of walking around in a loincloth without taking showers, we should try to understand the instructions of Jaḍa Bharata, renouncing the concept of this material world as a place for enjoyment.
When we accept that personalities like Jaḍa Bharata are in a completely different platform (just like Garuḍa compared to a fly), that is inaccessible to us, we can develop the right quality of humility, that allows us to submissively hear and follow their teachings.
As Prabhupāda mentions: “The path of devotional service is undoubtedly very difficult to follow, but it becomes very easy if the candidate actually wants to follow the path of the mahājana.”
“While in the prime of life, the great Mahārāja Bharata gave up everything because he was fond of serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Uttamaśloka. He gave up his beautiful wife, nice children, great friends and an enormous empire. Although these things were very difficult to give up, Mahārāja Bharata was so exalted that he gave them up just as one gives up stool after evacuating. Such was the greatness of His Majesty.” (SB 5.14.43)
Material attachments are the thing that prevents us from seriously taking up the process of devotional service. In general, the scriptures recommend a life of simplicity, since the more we have, the more attached we tend to be, and the hard it becomes to leave this world. By this definition, Bharata Maharaja should have been the most attached, since he was the King of the whole world. He had it all: respect from others, fame, personal strength and beauty, riches, a beautiful wife and everything else one may desire. However, surprisingly, he revealed himself the most detached, as revealed by the words jahau yuvaiva malavad: even as a young man, he gave up his exalted position and all his opulences just as one gives up stool after evacuating.
How is it possible that a person who had such opulences could leave everything so easily? The text itself answers: “the great Mahārāja Bharata gave up everything because he was fond of serving the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Uttamaśloka.”
Prabhupāda expands this idea in his purport: “The name of God is Kṛṣṇa, because He is so attractive that the pure devotee can give up everything within this material world on His behalf. Mahārāja Bharata was an ideal king, instructor and emperor of the world. He possessed all the opulences of the material world, but Kṛṣṇa is so attractive that He attracted Mahārāja Bharata from all his material possessions.”
The secret for renouncing the world is not mere repression or artificial renunciation. This may help in the beginning, but it is not an effective strategy in the long run. The secret is to have a higher taste. Material opulences may look attractive when we have nothing else, but as soon as we become attracted to Kṛṣṇa, who becomes accessible through the chanting of His holy name, they start looking pale. The secret for the renunciation of Bharata Maharaja was his great attraction to Kṛṣṇa. We may not be so devoted as he, but on the other hand we also don’t have to renounce such great opulences. If we can develop at least a little bit of attraction by sincerely chanting the holy names, we may lose the attraction to whatever material scraps we are trying to hold.
Śrila Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura gives an interesting analogy: Trying to retain stool in our bowels give pain and discomfort, just like trying to hold to material possessions and a materialistic lifestyle, but when we finally evacuate, it gives us relief. Once we defecate, the waste looks very obnoxious, and we immediately want to give it up.
However, his story is not just about a triumphant charge: it also shows us another side: the spiritual path is filled with struggles. Just as we have our challenges, that may hinder our progress for some time, Bharata Maharaja also had his setback, becoming deeply attracted to a deer and taking his next birth as an animal. This gives us an example of Kṛṣṇa’s protection: even in an animal body, the Lord didn’t allow him to forget, and accompanied him the whole time from inside the heart. Even though apparently alone, the deer Bharata was always with the Lord. This shows us how Kṛṣṇa accompany us and continues to give instructions even in the most difficult situations.
In his next life, he took birth in a brāhmana family and was perfectly Kṛṣṇa conscious from the beginning. This shows how he was able to advance even in an animal body, and this advancement stayed with him in His next life. Illustrates yet another point made by Prabhupāda in his purport:
“A little inattention will retard our devotional service for the time being. Yet any service rendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is never lost: svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt (Bg. 2.40). A little devotional service rendered sincerely is a permanent asset.”
He then continues:
“Somehow or other, if one is attracted to Kṛṣṇa, whatever he does in devotional service is a permanent asset. Even if one falls down due to immaturity or bad association, his devotional assets are never lost. There are many examples of this — Ajāmila, Mahārāja Bharata, and many others. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is giving everyone a chance to engage in devotional service for at least some time. A little service will give one an impetus to advance and thus make one’s life successful.”
All of us have the opportunity of concluding our advancement in this very life, but even if the challenges are too great, we can count in the protection of the Lord and be convinced that whatever we can achieve in this life will follow us to our next births as a permanent asset. We can thus follow the path with confidence, there is nothing to fear. Once the seed of bhakti is planted inside the heart, the result is already sure; it is just a matter of time until it fructifies.
“Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, the activities of Bharata Mahārāja are wonderful. He gave up everything difficult for others to give up. He gave up his kingdom, his wife and his family. His opulence was so great that even the demigods envied it, yet he gave it up. It was quite befitting a great personality like him to be a great devotee. He could renounce everything because he was so attracted to the beauty, opulence, reputation, knowledge, strength and renunciation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is so attractive that one can give up all desirable things for His sake. Indeed, even liberation is considered insignificant for those whose minds are attracted to the loving service of the Lord.” (SB 5.14.44)
Material things are impermanent, and therefore they have very limited value. However, we are seduced by this temporary situation and become distracted from the real goal of life. The example of Bharata Maharaja shows how we can become truly successful by becoming absorbed in Krsna Consciousness. By the force of this attraction, we can abandon the attachment to material possessions, surpass the obstacles on the path and teach the spiritual science to others. Bharata Maharaja did all three in his saga.
“Even though in the body of a deer, Mahārāja Bharata did not forget the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore when he was giving up the body of a deer, he loudly uttered the following prayer: “The Supreme Personality of Godhead is sacrifice personified. He gives the results of ritualistic activity. He is the protector of religious systems, the personification of mystic yoga, the source of all knowledge, the controller of the entire creation, and the Supersoul in every living entity. He is beautiful and attractive. I am quitting this body offering obeisances unto Him and hoping that I may perpetually engage in His transcendental loving service.” Uttering this, Mahārāja Bharata left his body.” (SB 5.14.45)
This verse is cited by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī in the Bhakti Sandarbha (139) as support for svayaṁ-prakāśa, or the self-revealing nature of bhakti. As a deer, Bharata didn’t go to the gurukula to study the scriptures, or even learn how to speak. How could he speak perfect Sanskrit? Similarly, the elephant Gajendra could say similar prayers while offering a lotus flower with his trunk. This proves that bhakti, which is a potency of the Lord, emerges on her own, without an external cause, when a devotee surrenders to the Lord.
Another point that could be raised: It is said that when one remembers Kṛṣṇa at death, one attains liberation. As described here, the deer Bharata left his body absorbed in remembrance of Kṛṣṇa. Why is that, then he took another birth as a brāhmana?
This illustrates the point Prabhupāda makes on text 44 and in other purports: liberation is not about a geographical location, but about being fixed in the thought of Kṛṣṇa. As he explains: “A devotee doesn’t care whether he is going to be reborn or not. He is simply satisfied with the Lord’s service in any condition. That is real mukti.”
In his birth as a brāhmana, Bharata Maharaja was liberated from birth. He lived without being affected by material contamination, not identifying himself with his material body. He then described this state of consciousness to Rahūgaṇa, so we can also understand it. Some of the pure devotees of the Lord live in the spiritual world, while others walk amongst us. Ultimately, there is no difference between them.
As in previous passages, Śukadeva Goswami concludes the description with a blessing. Whatever we desire, be it material or spiritual can be attained by submissively hearing and chanting the glories of Bharata Maharaja:
“Devotees interested in hearing and chanting [śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam] regularly discuss the pure characteristics of Bharata Mahārāja and praise his activities. If one submissively hears and chants about the all-auspicious Mahārāja Bharata, one’s life span and material opulences certainly increase. One can become very famous and easily attain promotion to the heavenly planets, or attain liberation by merging into the existence of the Lord. Whatever one desires can be attained simply by hearing, chanting and glorifying the activities of Mahārāja Bharata. In this way, one can fulfill all his material and spiritual desires. One does not have to ask anyone else for these things, for simply by studying the life of Mahārāja Bharata, one can attain all desirable things.” (SB 5.14.46)
Prabhupāda gives a summary of the whole chapter in his purport:
“The forest of material existence is summarized in this Fourteenth Chapter. The word bhavāṭavī refers to the path of material existence. The merchant is the living entity who comes to the forest of material existence to try to make money for sense gratification. The six plunderers are the senses — eyes, ears, nose, tongue, touch and mind. The bad leader is diverted intelligence. Intelligence is meant for Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but due to material existence we divert all our intelligence to achieve material facilities. Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but due to our perverted mind and senses, we plunder the property of the Lord and engage in satisfying our senses. The jackals and tigers in the forest are our family members, and the herbs and creepers are our material desires. The mountain cave is our happy home, and the mosquitoes and serpents are our enemies. The rats, beasts and vultures are different types of thieves who take away our possessions, and the gandharva-pura is the phantasmagoria of the body and home. The will-o’-the-wisp is our attraction for gold and its color, and material residence and wealth are the ingredients for our material enjoyment. The whirlwind is our attraction for our wife, and the dust storm is our blinding passion experienced during sex. The demigods control the different directions, and the cricket is the harsh words spoken by our enemy during our absence. The owl is the person who directly insults us, and the impious trees are impious men. The waterless river represents atheists who give us trouble in this world and the next. The meat-eating demons are the government officials, and the pricking thorns are the impediments of material life. The little taste experienced in sex is our desire to enjoy another’s wife, and the flies are the guardians of women, like the husband, father-in-law, mother-in-law and so forth. The creeper itself is women in general. The lion is the wheel of time, and the herons, crows and vultures are so-called demigods, pseudo svāmīs, yogīs and incarnations. All of these are too insignificant to give one relief. The swans are the perfect brāhmaṇas, and the monkeys are the extravagant śūdras engaged in eating, sleeping, mating and defending. The trees of the monkeys are our households, and the elephant is ultimate death. Thus all the constituents of material existence are described in this chapter.”
The descendants of Bharata Maharaja
Bharata Maharaja was a descendant of Priyavrata, so his descendants are all part of his exalted genealogical tree. The sequence is Priyavrata, Agnidhra, Nābhi, Ṛṣabhadeva, Bharata, Sumati, Devatājit, Devadyumna, Parameṣṭhī, Pratīha, Pratihartā, Bhūmā, Udgītha, Prastāva, Vibhu, Pṛthuṣeṇa, Nakta, Gaya, Citraratha, Samrāṭ, Marīci, Bindu, Madhu, Vīravrata, Manthu, Bhauvana, Tvaṣṭā, Viraja, Śatajit.
All of these kings appear to have lived in the first Manvantara, before the installation of Svārociṣa as the second Manu. We are currently in the reign of Vaivasvata Manu, the 7th in the sequence. The reign of these seven Manus spanned over a course of two billion years. It would be practically impossible to give a continuous genealogical tree of all earthly kings spanning such a long period, nor would such a long genealogical tree be very relevant. Instead, Śukadeva Goswami focuses on a few especially important dynasties: The descendents of Priyavrata and Uttānapāda in the first Manvantara, and the solar and lunar dynasties in the current Manvantara, which lead to the appearance of Lord Rāma and Kṛṣṇa Himself. There are some descriptions of events that happened in the other Manvantaras (such as the churning of the Ocean of Milk), but they are not tied to a continuous sequence of dynasties.
In text one, Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī mentions that “The son of Mahārāja Bharata known as Sumati followed the path of Ṛṣabhadeva, but in the Age of Kali some unscrupulous people will imagine him to be Lord Buddha himself.” In his purport, Prabhupāda connects this with the Jains, who include both Ṛṣabhadeva and Sumati, as well as Lord Buddha, in their concocted sequence of teachers they believe are the origin of their doctrine.
One could ask how it is possible, since both Ṛṣabhadeva and Sumati lived in the first Manvantara, and the Jains originated recently, during the current Kali-yuga. How can they be connected? The point is that the activities of Sumati following the austerities of Ṛṣabhadeva are recorded in the sastras. The preceptors of the Jain philosophy had access to these texts and could thus get in contact with their stories and use them to create an imaginary philosophy, mixing some facts mentioned in the scriptures with information from other sources and bridging the gaps with their own imagination.
Most unbonafide philosophies and schools of thought appear like this, with someone having contact with the scriptures and concocting something out of it. One may then claim to be a descendant, disciple, or follower of historical personalities who lived millions of years ago, even without any real contact with them. All the 13 apasampradāyas mentioned by Bhaktivinoda Thākura in his writings claim to be connected with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and represent the true spirit of His teachings, even though none of them has a real connection. Similarly, there are many false prophets in Christianity claiming to be Jesus returned. This is just the nature of people in the age we live.
Later in the line appeared Pratīha, a great devotee of Lord Viṣnu, who is described as anusasmāra, someone who perfectly understood and always remembered the Supreme Lord. He became a great exponent of the principles of self-realization, a saintly king who instructed many. As Prabhupāda explains in his purport to text 5.15.4, to be effective as a spiritual teacher, one has to first realize the Supreme Personality of Godhead. After realizing Him, one can become a guru and propound Vaiṣnava philosophy all over the world, following the example of Maharaja Pratīha.
The lineage of Maharaja Pratīha leads to the appearance of King Gaya, the best of saintly kings, who is the main focus of the chapter. Gaya was a plenary expansion of Lord Viṣṇu, and situated in the transcendental platform of viśuddha-sattva (pure goodness) and fully conversant with transcendental knowledge. On his purport to text 5.15.8, Prabhupāda puts him on the same level as King Pṛthu and Yudhiṣṭhira.
His qualities are described starting from text 5.15.7. Here is a summary:
a) As an ideal king, Gaya protected and maintained the citizens, collecting taxes and giving them back in the form of gifts and other benefits. As Prabhupāda explains, if the king or government official levies taxes on the citizens, without properly protecting them and engaging them in religious principles, they are forced to accept part of their sins. In other passages, it is described that a ruler becomes personally responsible for one-fifth of all the sinful reactions of the citizens. We can thus imagine the situation of materialistic leaders in Kali-yuga, who just exact taxes without properly protecting or engaging the citizens in dharma. Maharaja Gaya gave the perfect example for all political leaders who don’t desire to go to hell.
b) It is also described that he would organize regular meetings, where he addressed the citizens, pacifying them with sweet words and giving them moral instructions. Because Gaya was such a saintly king, he was very popular with the citizens, who would be eager to hear him and follow his teachings. This is similar to what is also described in the pastime of Pṛthu Maharaja, and is an important qualification for any type of ruler. When a ruler is simultaneously respected and loved by the citizens, they will be willing to rigidly follow all his instructions. In the case of Gaya, it is mentioned that by hearing and following the instructions of the King, the citizens were jubilant and peaceful.
c) He performed his duties as a householder perfectly and played the role of a strict devotee, always ready to give respect to other devotees and be engaged in devotional service.
d) Even though he was perfect in all aspects, he was not proud and was not anxious about ruling the kingdom. He was fixed in full in Brahman realization, free from bodily conception and always jubilant.
e) He performed all kinds of Vedic rituals, in the form of gigantic sacrifices, and maintained religious principles. Apart from that, he was an expert in studying the Vedic literature and possessed all kinds of opulences.
f) Because of the qualities of King Gaya, the celestial daughters of Dakṣa, such as Śraddhā, Maitrī, and Dayā, became satisfied with him, and came to Earth to bathe him with sanctified water and give him benedictions.
g) During his rule, the Earth, as a cow, delivered milk profusely. This means that, just as King Pṛthu, Gaya was able to extract all types of resources from the earth and satisfy all the desires of the citizens, even though he personally had no desire to satisfy.
h) He was able to subdue all other kings, who would be forced to fight on religious principles, and, even though defeated, would be very satisfied in being subdued by such a powerful and pious king. They would thus happily offer him tribute and all kinds of gifts. Similarly, the brāhmanas were so satisfied with his charitable disposition that they would willingly contribute a sixth of their pious activities for the king’s benefit. This happens automatically when a king properly performs his duties (just as a king assumes the sinful reactions of the citizens when he doesn’t), but in the case of King Gaya, the brāhmanas were especially eager to do so.
i) In his sacrifices, he would offer a great quantity of soma juice to Lord Viṣṇu, and then satisfy the demigods with the prasāda. Both Lord Viṣṇu and the demigods appeared to accept his offerings and offer him benedictions.
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