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.;