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nimlocati—sets; ha—alas; bhagavan—the Supreme Personality of Godhead, represented as the sun; sakala-jagat—of all the universe; ksema-udayah—who increases the auspiciousness; trayi-atma—who consists of the three Vedas; adya api—until now; mama—my; na—not; mrga-vadhu-nyasah—this baby deer entrusted to me by its mother; agacchati—has come back.

Alas, when the sun rises, all auspicious things begin. Unfortunately, they have not begun for me. The sun-god is the Vedas personified, but I am bereft of all Vedic principles. That sun-god is now setting, yet the poor animal who trusted in me since its mother died has not returned.

api svid akrta-sukrtam agatya mam sukhayisyati harina-raja-kumaro vividha-rucira-darsaniya-nija-mrga-daraka-vinodair asantosam svanam apanudan.

In the Brahma-samhita (5.52), the sun is described as the eye of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

yac-caksur esa savita sakala-grahanam
raja samasta-sura-murtir asesa-tejah
yasyajnaya bhramati sambhrta-kala-cakro
govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

As the sun arises, one should chant the Vedic mantra beginning with the Gayatri. The sun is the symbolic representation of the eyes of the Supreme Lord. Maharaja Bharata lamented that although the sun was going to set, due to the poor animal’s absence, he could not find anything auspicious. Bharata Maharaja considered himself most unfortunate, for due to the animal’s absence, there was nothing auspicious for him in the presence of the sun.

SB5.8.20

TEXT 20

api svit—whether it will; akrta-sukrtam—who has never executed any pious activities; agatya—coming back; mam—to me; sukhayisyati—give pleasure; harina-raja-kumarah—the deer, who was just like a prince because of my taking care of it exactly like a son; vividha—various; rucira—very pleasing; darsaniya—to be seen; nija—own; mrga-daraka—befitting the calf of the deer; vinodaih—by pleasing activities; asantosam—the unhappiness; svanam—of his own kind; apanudan—driving away.

That deer is exactly like a prince. When will it return? When will it again display its personal activities, which are so pleasing? When will it again pacify a wounded heart like mine? I certainly must have no pious assets, otherwise the deer would have returned by now.

Out of strong affection, the King accepted the small deer as if it were a prince. This is called moha. Due to his anxiety over the deer’s absence, the King addressed the animal as though it were his son. Out of affection, anyone can be addressed as anything.

SB5.8.21

TEXT 21

ksvelikayam mam mrsa-samadhinamilita-drsam prema-samrambhena cakita-cakita agatya prsad-aparusa-visanagrena luthati.

ksvelikayam—while playing; mam—unto me; mrsa—feigning; samadhina—by a meditational trance; amilita-drsam—with closed eyes; prema-samrambhena—because of anger due to love; cakita-cakitah—with fear; agatya—coming; prsat—like drops of water; aparusa—very soft; visana—of the horns; agrena—by the point; luthati—touches my body.

Alas, the small deer, while playing with me and seeing me feigning meditation with closed eyes, would circumambulate me due to anger arising from love, and it would fearfully touch me with the points of its soft horns, which felt like drops of water.

Now King Bharata considers his meditation false. While engaged in meditation, he was actually thinking of his deer, and he would feel great pleasure when the animal pricked him with the points of its horns. Feigning meditation, the King would actually think of the animal. and this was but a sign of his downfall.

SB5.8.22

TEXT 22

asadita-havisi barhisi dusite mayopalabdho bhita-bhitah sapady uparata-rasa rsi-kumaravad avahita-karana-kalapa aste.

asadita—placed; havisi—all the ingredients to be offered in the sacrifice; barhisi—on the kusa grass; dusite—when polluted; maya upalabdhah—being scolded by me; bhita-bhitah—in great fear; sapadi—immediately; uparata-rasah—stopped its playing; rsi-kumaravat—exactly like the son or disciple of a saintly person; avahita—completely restrained; karana-kalapah—all the senses; aste—sits.

When I placed all the sacrificial ingredients on the kusa grass, the deer, when playing, would touch the grass with its teeth and thus pollute it. When I chastised the deer by pushing it away, it would immediately become fearful and sit down motionless, exactly like the son of a saintly person. Thus it would stop its play.

Bharata Maharaja was constantly thinking of the activities of the deer, forgetting that such meditation and diversion of attention was killing his progress in spiritual achievement.

SB5.8.23

TEXT 23

kim va are acaritam tapas tapasvinyanaya yad iyam avanih savinaya-krsna-sara-tanaya-tanutara-subhaga-sivatamakhara-khura-pada-panktibhir dravina-vidhuraturasya krpanasya mama dravina-padavim sucayanty atmanam ca sarvatah krta-kautukam dvijanam svargapavarga-kamanam deva-yajanam karoti.

kim va—what; are—oh; acaritam—practiced; tapah—penance; tapasvinya—by the most fortunate; anaya—this planet earth; yat—since; iyam—this; avanih—earth; sa-vinaya—very mild and well-behaved; krsna-sara-tanaya—of the calf of the black deer; tanutara—small; subhaga—beautiful; siva-tama—most auspicious; akhara—soft; khura—of the hooves; pada-panktibhih—by the series of the marks; dravina-vidhura-aturasya—who is very aggrieved because of loss of wealth; krpanasya—a most unhappy creature; mama—for me; dravina-padavim—the way to achieve that wealth; sucayanti—indicating; atmanam—her own personal body; ca—and; sarvatah—on all sides; krta-kautukam—ornamented; dvijanam—of the brahmanas; svarga-apavarga-kamanam—who are desirous of achieving heavenly planets or liberation; deva-yajanam—a place of sacrifice to the demigods; karoti—it makes.

After speaking like a madman in this way, Maharaja Bharata got up and went outside. Seeing the footprints of the deer on the ground, he praised the footprints out of love, saying: O unfortunate Bharata, your austerities and penances are very insignificant compared to the penance and austerity undergone by this earth planet. Due to the earth’s severe penances, the footprints of this deer, which are small, beautiful, most auspicious and soft, are imprinted on the surface of this fortunate planet. This series of footprints show a person like me, who am bereaved due to loss of the deer, how the animal has passed through the forest and how I can regain my lost wealth. By these footprints, this land has become a proper place for brahmanas who desire heavenly planets or liberation to execute sacrifices to the demigods.

It is said that when a person becomes overly involved in loving affairs, he forgets himself as well as others, and he forgets how to act and how to speak. It is said that once when a man’s son was blind since birth, the father, out of staunch affection for the child, named him Padmalocana, or “lotus-eyed.” This is the situation arising from blind love. Bharata Maharaja gradually fell into this condition due to his material love for the deer. It is said in the smrti-sastra:

yasmin dese mrgah krsnas
tasmin dharmann ivodhata

“That tract of land wherein the footprints of a black deer can be seen is to be understood as a suitable place to execute religious rituals.”

SB5.8.24

TEXT 24

api svid asau bhagavan udu-patir enam mrga-pati-bhayan mrta-mataram mrga-balakam svasrama-paribhrastam anukampaya krpana-jana-vatsalah paripati.

api svit—can it be; asau—that; bhagavan—most powerful; udu-patih—the moon; enam—this; mrga-pati-bhayat—because of fear of the lion; mrta-mataram—who lost its mother; mrga-balakam—the son of a deer; sva-asrama-paribhrastam—who strayed from its asrama; anukampaya—out of compassion; krpana-jana-vatsalah—(the moon) who is very kind to the unhappy men; paripati—now is protecting it.

Maharaja Bharata continued to speak like a madman. Seeing above his head the dark marks on the rising moon, which resembled a deer, he said: Can it be that the moon, who is so kind to an unhappy man, might also be kind upon my deer, knowing that it has strayed from home and has become motherless? This moon has given the deer shelter near itself just to protect it from the fearful attacks of a lion.

SB5.8.25

TEXT 25

kim vatmaja-vislesa-jvara-dava-dahana-sikhabhir upatapyamana-hrdaya-sthala-nalinikam mam upasrta-mrgi-tanayam sisira-santanuraga-gunita-nija-vadana-salilamrtamaya-gabhastibhih svadhayatiti ca.

SYNONYMS

kim va—or it may be; atma-ja—from the son; vislesa—because of separation; jvara—the heat; dava-dahana—of the forest fire; sikhabhih—by the flames; upatapyamana—being burned; hrdaya—the heart; sthala-nalinikam—compared to a red lotus flower; mam—unto me; upasrta-mrgi-tanayam—to whom the son of the deer was so submissive; sisira-santa—which is so peaceful and cool; anuraga—out of love; gunita—flowing; nija-vadana-salila—the water from its mouth; amrta-maya—as good as nectar; gabhastibhih—by the rays of the moon; svadhayati—is giving me pleasure; iti—thus; ca—and.

TRANSLATION

After perceiving the moonshine, Maharaja Bharata continued speaking like a crazy person. He said: The deer’s son was so submissive and dear to me that due to its separation I am feeling separation from my own son. Due to the burning fever of this separation, I am suffering as if inflamed by a forest fire. My heart, which is like the lily of the land, is now burning. Seeing me so distressed, the moon is certainly splashing its shining nectar upon me—just as a friend throws water on another friend who has a high fever. In this way, the moon is bringing me happiness.

PURPORT

According to Ayur-vedic treatment, it is said that if one has a high fever, someone should splash him with water after gargling this water. In this way the fever subsides. Although Bharata Maharaja was very aggrieved due to the separation of his so-called son, the deer, he thought that the moon was splashing gargled water on him from its mouth and that this water would subdue his high fever, which was raging due to separation from the deer.

SB5.8.26

TEXT 26

evam aghatamana-manorathakula-hrdayo mrga-darakabhasena svarabdha-karmana yogarambhanato vibhramsitah sa yoga-tapaso bhagavad-aradhana-laksanac ca katham itaratha jaty-antara ena-kunaka asangah saksan nihsreyasa-pratipaksataya prak-parityakta-dustyaja-hrdayabhijatasya tasyaivam antaraya-vihata-yogarambhanasya rajarser bharatasya tavan mrgarbhaka-posana-palana-prinana-lalananusangenaviganayata atmanam ahir ivakhu-bilam duratikramah kalah karala-rabhasa apadyata.

evam—in that way; aghatamana—impossible to be achieved; manah-ratha—by desires, which are like mental chariots; akula—aggrieved; hrdayah—whose heart; mrga-daraka-abhasena—resembling the son of a deer; sva-arabdha-karmana—by the bad results of his unseen fruitive actions; yoga-arambhanatah—from the activities of yoga performances; vibhramsitah—fallen down; sah—he (Maharaja Bharata); yoga-tapasah—executing the activities of mystic yoga and austerities; bhagavat-aradhana-laksanat—from the activities of devotional service rendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ca—and; katham—how; itaratha—else; jati-antare—belonging to a different species of life; ena-kunake—to the body of a deer calf; asangah—so much affectionate attachment; saksat—directly; nihsreyasa—to achieve the ultimate goal of life; pratipaksataya—with the quality of being an obstacle; prak—who previously; parityakta—given up; dustyaja—although very difficult to give up; hrdaya-abhijatasya—his sons, born of his own heart; tasya—of him; evam—thus; antaraya—by that obstacle; vihata—obstructed; yoga-arambhanasya—whose path of executing the mystic yoga practices; raja-rseh—of the great saintly King; bharatasya—of Maharaja Bharata; tavat—in that way; mrga-arbhaka—the son of a deer; posana—i n maintaining; palana—in protecting; prinana—in making happy; lalana—in fondling; anusangena—by constant absorption; aviganayatah—neglecting; atmanam—his own soul; ahih iva—like a serpent; akhu-bilam—the hole of a mouse; duratikramah—unsurpassable; kalah—ultimate death; karala—terrible; rabhasah—having speed; apadyata—arrived.

Sukadeva Gosvami continued: My dear King, in this way Bharata Maharaja was overwhelmed by an uncontrollable desire which was manifest in the form of the deer. Due to the fruitive results of his past deeds, he fell down from mystic yoga, austerity and worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If it were not due to his past fruitive activity, how could he have been attracted to the deer after giving up the association of his own son and family, considering them stumbling blocks on the path of spiritual life? How could he show such uncontrollable affection for a deer? This was definitely due to his past karma. The King was so engrossed in petting and maintaining the deer that he fell down from his spiritual activities. In due course of time, insurmountable death, which is compared to a venomous snake that enters the hole created by a mouse, situated itself before him.

tadanim api parsva-vartinam atmajam ivanusocantam abhiviksamano mrga evabhinivesita-mana visrjya lokam imam saha mrgena kalevaram mrtam anu na mrta-janmanusmrtir itaravan mrga-sariram avapa.

As will be seen in later verses, Bharata Maharaja, at the time of death, would be forced to accept the body of a deer due to his attraction for the deer. In this regard, a question may be raised. How can a devotee be affected by his past misconduct and vicious activities? In Brahma-samhita (5.54) it is said, karmani nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhajam: “For those engaged in devotional service, bhakti-bhajana, the results of past deeds are indemnified.” According to this, Bharata Maharaja could not be punished for his past misdeeds. The conclusion must be that Maharaja Bharata purposefully became over-addicted to the deer and neglected his spiritual advancement. To immediately rectify his mistake, for a short time he was awarded the body of a deer. This was just to increase his desire for mature devotional service. Although Bharata Maharaja was awarded the body of an animal, he did not forget what had previously happened due to his purposeful mistake. He was very anxious to get out of his deer body, and this indicates that his affection for devotional service was intensified, so much so that he was quickly to attain perfection in a brahmana body in the next life. It is with this conviction that we declare in our Back to Godhead magazine that devotees like the gosvamis living in Vrndavana who purposely commit some sinful activity are born in the bodies of dogs, monkeys and tortoises in that holy land. Thus they take on these lower life forms for a short while. and after they give up those animal bodies, they are again promoted to the spiritual world. Such punishment is only for a short period, and it is not due to past karma. It may appear to be due to past karma, but it is offered to rectify the devotee and bring him to pure devotional service.

SB5.8.27

TEXT 27

tadanim—at that time; api—indeed; parsva-vartinam—by the side of his deathbed; atma-jam—his own son; iva—like; anusocantam—lamenting; abhiviksamanah—seeing; mrge—in the deer; eva—certainly; abhinivesita-manah—his mind was absorbed; visrjya—giving up; lokam—world; imam—this; saha—with; mrgena—the deer; kalevaram—his body; mrtam—died; anu—thereafter; na—not; mrta—destroyed; janma-anusmrtih—remembrance of the incident before his death; itara-vat—like others; mrga-sariram—the body of a deer; avapa—got.

At the time of death, the King saw that the deer was sitting by his side, exactly like his own son, and was lamenting his death. Actually the mind of the King was absorbed in the body of the deer, and consequently—like those bereft of Krsna consciousness—he left the world, the deer, and his material body and acquired the body of a deer. However, there was one advantage. Although he lost his human body and received the body of a deer, he did not forget the incidents of his past life.

There was a difference between Bharata Maharaja’s acquiring a deer body and others’ acquiring different bodies according to their mental condition at the time of death. After death, others forget everything that has happened in their past lives, but Bharata Maharaja did not forget. According to Bhagavad-gita:

yam yam vapi smaran bhavam
tyajaty ante kalevaram
tam tam evaiti kaunteya
sada tad-bhava-bhavitah

“Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.” (Bg. 8.6)

After quitting his body, a person gets another body according to his mental condition at the time of death. At death, a person always think; of that subject matter in which he has been engrossed during his life. According to this law, because Bharata Maharaja was always thinking of the deer and forgetting his worship of the Supreme Lord, he acquired the body of a deer. However, due to his having been elevated to the topmost platform of devotional service, he did not forget the incidents of his past life. This special benediction saved him from further deterioration. Due to his past activities in devotional service, he became determined to finish his devotional service even in the body of a deer. It is therefore said in this verse, mrtam, although he had died, anu, afterwards, na mrta janmanusmrtir itaravat, he did not forget the incidents of his past life as others forget them. As stated in Brahma-samhita: karmani nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhajam (Brahma-samhita 5.54). It is proved herein that due to the grace of the Supreme Lord, a devotee is never vanquished. Due to his willful neglect of devotional service, a devotee may be punished for a short time, but he again revives his devotional service and returns home. back to Godhead.

SB5.8.28

TEXT 28

tatrapi ha va atmano mrgatva-karanam bhagavad-aradhana-samihanubhavenanusmrtya bhrsam anutapyamana aha.

tatra api—in that birth; ha va—indeed; atmanah—of himself; mrgatva-karanam—the cause of accepting the body of a deer; bhagavat-aradhana-samiha—of past activities in devotional service; anubhavena—by consequence; anusmrtya—remembering; bhrsam—always; anutapya-manah—repenting; aha—said.

Although in the body of a deer, Bharata Maharaja, due to his rigid devotional service in his past life, could understand the cause of his birth in that body. Considering his past and present life, he constantly repented his activities, speaking in the following way.