Padma’s Summaries of Srimad Bhagavatam
Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.7.1-14 Date 8/20/09
The Activities of King Bharata
Maharaja Bharata, a very good and experienced ruler of the earth, was
also a pure devotee. Doing many sacrifices such as Pasu yagya , Soma yagya
and more, Bharata offered the results to the Lord. He understood that the
sacrifices performed for the demigods were in truth for Vishnu. Each and
every demigod represented a limb of the Lord. Indra is Vishnu’s arm, Agni,
His eyes and so on. He was allowed to have one thousand times ten thousand
years of enjoyment, and when that time had passed, he divided his land and
wealth among all living entities. Then he moved out of his palace and went
to the forest where he performed service to the Lord.
Maharaja Bharata was such a wonderful king that the world
was named Bharata desh.
Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.8.1-31 Date 8/25/09
Bharata Maharaja Goes to the Forest
One day while doing his morning duties, Bharata saw a
thirsty doe drink water from the nearby river. But the doe, being
frightened by the roar of a nearby lion, leaped across the river, and
accidentally dropped her baby deer with which she was pregnant, into the
river. Bharata, feeling compassion for the baby deer, and, knowing it was
motherless, picked it up into his arms and took it home. But, because of
taking care of the deer, Bharata neglected his duties and the only thing he
thought about was the welfare of the deer. Because of this, when he died, he
became a deer in his next life. However, due to his past good deeds, he
still remembered the Lord. Thus he thought about his acts in his past life
and regretted them.
Bharata was very special indeed to be able to still remember
the Lord in his deer body.
Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.9.1-20 Date 9/1/09
Jada Bharata
After parting from his deer body, Bharata took birth in a
very pious brahmana family and was named Jada Bharata. But, he acted as if
he were dumb and deaf when his father tried to teach him about the Vedas.
One day, while some dacoits were searching for an animal-man, (someone who
was basically an animal in a man’s body) to sacrifice to Kali, they ran into
Jada Bharata, who was guarding the fields from wolves and wild pigs.
Thinking him to be a “animal-man”, they took him to their temple where they
bathed him, smeared him with oils and fed him sumptuously. Then, taking him
to the front of the altar, they prepared to kill him. But Kali became angry
at the dacoits for trying to kill a pure devote, so she appeared from her
deity form and killed them all.
The dacoits were trying to kill a pure devotee just because
of their greed. Because of such an offence, they were killed by their
worshipful deity herself.
Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.10.1-16 and 5.12.14-16 Date 9/3/09
Jada Bharata Meets King Rahugana
King Rahugana needed one more carrier for his palanquin. His
men just so happened to find Jada Bharata and thinking him to be a dumb and
deaf man, they forced him to carry the palanquin. But, Jada Bharata was
making the palanquin wobble and shake when he walked and he couldn’t keep up
with the other palanquin carriers because he was always looking at the
ground and stepping cautiously to avoid stepping on ants. When the king felt
the palanquin start to shake and wobble, he yelled at his carriers who
informed him it was Jada Bharata’s fault. So then he called Bharata names
and chastised him with heavy words. Unperturbed, Jada Bharata explained to
the king the temporary nature of our bodies and designations.
The king was bewildered by the material nature, and so he
accused Jada Bharata of something he shouldn’t have chastised him for.;
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