SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM: CANTO 5

(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'So it became that Rahûgana ['he who outshines the sun'], the ruler of Sindhu and Sauvîra, while he was on his way, on the bank of the river Ikshumatî needed another palanquin carrier and had sent out their chief to look for a suitable person. His search led by chance to the twice-born son Jada Bharata who, being such a stout young man who with his firm limbs was as strong as an ass, he chose deeming him capable of carrying the load. Although he was not fit for the job, carried he, the great soul, the palanquin, being forced to it as was the wont.

(2) When doing this was the twice-born son, constantly looking three feet ahead [not to step on ants], all the time out of pace with the others and was thus the palanquin shaking. Rahûgana, realizing this then said to the men carrying: 'Oh carriers, please walk in pace! For what reason is this palanquin carried so uneven?'

(3) They, hearing their master speak with reproach, informed him apprehensively that that was due to the fourth carrier: (4) 'Oh, it is not, o god of man, that we, always obedient to your orders, are in neglect. We certainly do the best we can, but it is this new man that recently has been contracted to work with us with whom we aren't able to do our work of carrying: he is rather slow!'

(5) Although from the intimations certain that the problem had risen because of a fault of one of them, did king Rahûgana, hearing the fearful words of the servants, in spite of his political experience, from his kshatriya nature slightly give in to the violence of anger. To him whose spiritual effulgence, as a vedic fire covered by ashes, could not be clearly distinguished, he said in a mind full of passion: (6) 'What a trouble it is alas my brother! All alone on such a long journey you certainly must have gotten very tired. Nor is your cooperative, firm body very strong; you must be troubled by old age yourself my friend! For sure are these other coworkers of no avail to you'.

Thus he sarcastically criticized him severely, but no false belief of 'I' and 'mine' interposed with him carrying on in silence the palanquin as before; as someone on the spiritual platform was he of that particular disposition in physical matters as having a specific self-spirited body that is produced from a mix of the qualities and workload of ignorant matter. (7) Thereupon again being shaken of the uneven carrying of his palanquin said Rahûgana getting very angry: 'O fool, what nonsense is this! You, living corpse, ignore me overriding my reproach! Are you out of your mind? Like Yamarâja with the common man, I will teach you a lesson so that you'll know what your position is out here!'

(8) Though having poured over him such a load of nonsense by the out of passion and ignorance rebuking one who thought he could rule as a god of man, a dearmost votary of the Lord and a learned scholar, did that selfrealized brahmin who was the friend of all living beings with the poise of a master of yoga, slightly smile like being relieved of a burden and spoke he to the not so wise ruler as follows. (9) The brahmin said: 'What you so clearly stated, o great hero, is of no contradiction if I could say mine to that body and to that carrier of the load; if it would be that what one is supposed to obtain in being strong and stout to the path, then I must tell you that that, to the person of selfrealization residing within the body, is no subject matter of discussion. (10) Being strong and stout, skinny or weak, in physical or mental pain, of hunger, thirsty, of fear, of quarrel, desire, old age and of sensual motivation; to be of anger, falsehood, illusion and lamentation are with this body things of the one born, but for what I am they are certainly not the reality. (11) To be a living soul bound to death [to be a 'living corpse'] is something settled by nature o King, everything has a beginning and an end; but, respected one, if one sees the unchangeable within the things of transformation - of which we see servants and masters - then one speaks of doing the right thing in yoga. (12) Discriminating to the person is a narrow vision and, apart from the convention, I do not see what other use it would have; who is that master and who is the one to be controlled? Nevertheless, o King, what may I do for you? (13) Of me being myself, o King, you gathered that I was a disheveled, mad ignoramus; of what use would it then be to receive punishment from you; how can one correct a crazy, stupid person - it is like grinding flour!'

(14) S'rî S'uka said: 'Consequently responding to all the words that had fallen, arrested the great sage so calm and peaceful his case - to the cause of matters strange to the soul he accepted that things happened as a consequence of what he had enjoyed before, and so again, to put the acquired karma to an end, carried he as he did the king his palanquin. (15) O best of the Pându-dynasty, he, the ruler of Sindhu and Sauvîra, was factually also of great faith concerning the matters of control in relation to the Absolute Truth; thus being qualified hearing what the twice-born one said of that which eradicates the falsehood in the heart and which is approved by all of yoga and its culture, he hastily got down and fell head-on flat on the ground at the lotus feet to be excused for his offense. Thus giving up his false claim of being the king to be respected he said: (16) 'Who of all the twice-born are you, moving around in this world under cover? I see you wear a sacred thread. Of which forsaker of the world are you the disciple? From where and for what purpose have you come here? Are you, as one of pure goodness, here for our benefit or maybe not? (17) I am not afraid of Indra's thunderbolt nor do I fear S'iva's trident or punishment from Yamarâja, nor do I fear the heat of the sun's rays, the moon, the wind or the weapons of Kuvera; what I fear most is offending the brahmin class. (18) Could you therefore, as someone fully detached concealing the power of wisdom, as someone moving around abiding in the beyond, please speak to us, because none of us, o saint, is able to comprehend to any extend the words of yogic meaning you uttered. (19) I thereto indeed ask you, master of yoga, o best preceptor of the saintly scholars of the reality of the soul, about that which in this world is the best engagement, the most secure shelter, o direct incarnation of the Lord of spiritual knowledge [see Kapila 3.25]. (20) As being Him indeed is your goodness traveling around on this globe, looking into the motives of the people here and that without showing your real identity; may I know how we, being bound to family affairs missing the intelligence, nevertheless can take to the goal of the masters of yoga? (21) One knows of fatigue acting a certain way to the soul indeed, like the way you move carrying the palanquin; I guess that, following in respect of the phenomenal, it is as much proof of something non-material, as having a container for water when there is no water at all. (22) Because of the heat under a cooking pot, becomes the milk put in it hot and because of the heated milk is the hard kernel of the rice in it cooked; so too is from being connected to the senses the experience there of fatigue and such by the soul complying with the matter. (23) The governor doing good to his subjects is, as a human ruler over the citizens, someone who indeed carries out orders; not grinding what is already ground, is one in one's own occupational duty of worship for the Infallible One, for whom performing one is released from all kinds of sin. (24) Therefore from your good self true in penance, unto me, this maddened and proud god of man, kindly show your causeless mercy as a friend, a friend of the distressed, so that I can find relief from the sin of being in contempt with a such great personality like you. (25) You, friend of the Friend of All, are, as someone removed from the bodily concept of life, not put off balance; but even though one is as powerful as Lord S'iva [S'ûlapâni], will a person like me, with my practice of being haughty with the great, certainly soon be destroyed.'

S'rî S'uka said: 'So it became that Rahûgana ['he who outshines the sun'], the ruler of Sindhu and Sauvîra, while he was on his way, on the bank of the river Ikshumatî needed another palanquin carrier and had sent out their chief to look for a suitable person. His search led by chance to the twice-born son Jada Bharata who, being such a stout young man who with his firm limbs was as strong as an ass, he chose deeming him capable of carrying the load. Although he was not fit for the job, carried he, the great soul, the palanquin, being forced to it as was the wont.

S'ukadeva Gosvâmî continued: My dear King, after this, King Rahûgana, ruler of the states known as Sindhu and Sauvîra, was going to Kapilâs'rama. When the King's chief palanquin carriers reached the banks of the River Ikshumatî, they needed another carrier. Therefore they began searching for someone, and by chance they came upon Jada Bharata. They considered the fact that Jada Bharata was very young and strong and had firm limbs. Like cows and asses, he was quite fit to carry loads. Thinking in this way, although the great soul Jada Bharata was unfit for such work, they nonetheless unhesitatingly forced him to carry the palanquin. (Vedabase)

Text 2

When doing this was the twice-born son, constantly looking three feet ahead [not to step on ants], all the time out of pace with the others and was thus the palanquin shaking. Rahûgana, realizing this then said to the men carrying: 'Oh carriers, please walk in pace! For what reason is this palanquin carried so uneven?'

The palanquin, however, was very erratically carried by Jada Bharata due to his sense of nonviolence. As he stepped forward, he checked before him every three feet to see whether he was about to step on ants. Consequently he could not keep pace with the other carriers. Due to this, the palanquin was shaking, and King Rahûgana immediately asked the carriers, "Why are you carrying this palanquin unevenly? Better carry it properly." (Vedabase)

Text 3

They, hearing their master speak with reproach, informed him apprehensively that that was due to the fourth carrier:

When the palanquin carriers heard the threatening words of Mahârâja Rahûgana, they became very afraid of his punishment and began to speak to him as follows. (Vedabase)

Text 4

'Oh, it is not, o god of man, that we, always obedient to your orders, are in neglect. We certainly do the best we can, but it is this new man that recently has been contracted to work with us with whom we aren't able to do our work of carrying: he is rather slow!'

O lord, please note that we are not at all negligent in discharging our duties. We have been faithfully carrying this palanquin according to your desire, but this man who has been recently engaged to work with us cannot walk very swiftly. Therefore we are not able to carry the palanquin with him. (Vedabase)

Text 5

Although from the intimations certain that the problem had risen because of a fault of one of them, did king Rahûgana, hearing the fearful words of the servants, in spite of his political experience, from his kshatriya nature slightly give in to the violence of anger. To him whose spiritual effulgence, as a vedic fire covered by ashes, could not be clearly distinguished, he said in a mind full of passion:

King Rahûgana could understand the speeches given by the carriers, who were afraid of being punished. He could also understand that simply due to the fault of one person, the palanquin was not being carried properly. Knowing this perfectly well and hearing their appeal, he became a little angry, although he was very advanced in political science and was very experienced. His anger arose due to his inborn nature as a king. Actually King Rahûgana's mind was covered by the mode of passion, and he therefore spoke as follows to Jada Bharata, whose Brahman effulgence was not clearly visible, being covered like a fire covered by ashes. (Vedabase)

Text 6

'What a trouble it is alas my brother! All alone on such a long journey you certainly must have gotten very tired. Nor is your cooperative, firm body very strong; you must be troubled by old age yourself my friend! For sure are these other coworkers of no avail to you'. Thus he sarcastically criticized him severely, but no false belief of 'I' and 'mine' interposed with him carrying on in silence the palanquin as before; as someone on the spiritual platform was he of that particular disposition in physical matters as having a specific self-spirited body that is produced from a mix of the qualities and workload of ignorant matter.

King Rahûgana told Jada Bharata: How troublesome this is, my dear brother. You certainly appear very fatigued because you have carried this palanquin alone without assistance for a long time and for a long distance. Besides that, due to your old age you have become greatly troubled. My dear friend, I see that you are not very firm, nor very strong and stout. Aren't your fellow carriers cooperating with you? In this way the King criticized Jada Bharata with sarcastic words, yet despite being criticized in this way, Jada Bharata had no bodily conception of the situation. He knew that he was not the body, for he had attained his spiritual identity. He was neither fat, lean nor thin, nor had he anything to do with a lump of matter, a combination of the five gross and three subtle elements. He had nothing to do with the material body and its two hands and legs. In other words, he had completely realized his spiritual identity [aham brahmâsmi]. He was therefore unaffected by this sarcastic criticism from the King. Without saying anything, he continued carrying the palanquin as before. (Vedabase)

Text 7

Thereupon again being shaken of the uneven carrying of his palanquin said Rahûgana getting very angry: 'O fool, what nonsense is this! You, living corpse, ignore me overriding my reproach! Are you out of your mind? Like Yamarâja with the common man, I will teach you a lesson so that you'll know what your position is out here!'

Thereafter, when the King saw that his palanquin was still being shaken by the carriers, he became very angry and said: You rascal, what are you doing? Are you dead despite the life within your body? Do you not know that I am your master? You are disregarding me and are not carrying out my order. For this disobedience I shall now punish you just as Yamarâja, the superintendent of death, punishes sinful people. I shall give you proper treatment so that you will come to your senses and do the correct thing. (Vedabase)

Text 8

Though having poured over him such a load of nonsense by the out of passion and ignorance rebuking one who thought he could rule as a god of man, a dearmost votary of the Lord and a learned scholar, did that selfrealized brahmin who was the friend of all living beings with the poise of a master of yoga, slightly smile like being relieved of a burden and spoke he to the not so wise ruler as follows.

Thinking himself a king, King Rahûgana was in the bodily conception and was influenced by material nature's modes of passion and ignorance. Due to madness, he chastised Jada Bharata with uncalled-for and contradictory words. Jada Bharata was a topmost devotee and the dear abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although considering himself very learned, the King did not know about the position of an advanced devotee situated in devotional service, nor did he know his characteristics. Jada Bharata was the residence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; he always carried the form of the Lord within his heart. He was the dear friend of all living beings, and he did not entertain any bodily conception. He therefore smiled and spoke the following words. (Vedabase)

Text 9

The brahmin said: 'What you so clearly stated, o great hero, is of no contradiction if I could say mine to that body and to that carrier of the load; if it would be that what one is supposed to obtain in being strong and stout to the path, then I must tell you that that, to the person of selfrealization residing within the body, is no subject matter of discussion.

The great brâhmana Jada Bharata said: My dear King and hero, whatever you have spoken sarcastically is certainly true. Actually these are not simply words of chastisement, for the body is the carrier. The load carried by the body does not belong to me, for I am the spirit soul. There is no contradiction in your statements because I am different from the body. I am not the carrier of the palanquin; the body is the carrier. Certainly, as you have hinted, I have not labored carrying the palanquin, for I am detached from the body. You have said that I am not stout and strong, and these words are befitting a person who does not know the distinction between the body and the soul. The body may be fat or thin, but no learned man would say such things of the spirit soul. As far as the spirit soul is concerned, I am neither fat nor skinny; therefore you are correct when you say that I am not very stout. Also, if the object of this journey and the path leading there were mine, there would be many troubles for me, but because they relate not to me but to my body, there is no trouble at all. (Vedabase)

Text 10

Being strong and stout, skinny or weak, in physical or mental pain, of hunger, thirsty, of fear, of quarrel, desire, old age and of sensual motivation; to be of anger, falsehood, illusion and lamentation are with this body things of the one born, but for what I am they are certainly not the reality.

Fatness, thinness, bodily and mental distress, thirst, hunger, fear, disagreement, desires for material happiness, old age, sleep, attachment for material possessions, anger, lamentation, illusion and identification of the body with the self are all transformations of the material covering of the spirit soul. A person absorbed in the material bodily conception is affected by these things, but I am free from all bodily conceptions. Consequently I am neither fat nor skinny nor anything else you have mentioned. (Vedabase)

Text 11

To be a living soul bound to death [to be a 'living corpse'] is something settled by nature o King, everything has a beginning and an end; but, respected one, if one sees the unchangeable within the things of transformation - of which we see servants and masters - then one speaks of doing the right thing in yoga.

My dear King, you have unnecessarily accused me of being dead though alive. In this regard, I can only say that this is the case everywhere because everything material has its beginning and end. As far as your thinking that you are the king and master and are thus trying to order me, this is also incorrect because these positions are temporary. Today you are a king and I am your servant, but tomorrow the position may be changed, and you may be my servant and I your master. These are temporary circumstances created by providence. (Vedabase)

Text 12

Discriminating to the person is a narrow vision and, apart from the convention, I do not see what other use it would have; who is that master and who is the one to be controlled? Nevertheless, o King what may I do for you?

My dear King, if you still think that you are the King and that I am your servant, you should order me, and I should follow your order. I can then say that this differentiation is temporary, and it expands only from usage or convention. I do not see any other cause. In that case, who is the master, and who is the servant? Everyone is being forced by the laws of material nature; therefore no one is master, and no one is servant. Nonetheless, if you think that you are the master and that I am the servant, I shall accept this. Please order me. What can I do for you? . (Vedabase)

Text 13

Of me being myself, o King, you gathered that I was a disheveled, mad ignoramus; of what use would it then be to receive punishment from you; how can one correct a crazy, stupid person - it is like grinding flour!'

My dear King, you have unnecessarily accused me of being dead though alive. In this regard, I can only say that this is the case everywhere because everything material has its beginning and end. As far as your thinking that you are the king and master and are thus trying to order me, this is also incorrect because these positions are temporary. Today you are a king and I am your servant, but tomorrow the position may be changed, and you may be my servant and I your master. These are temporary circumstances created by providence. (Vedabase)

Text 14

S'rî S'uka said: 'Consequently responding to all the words that had fallen, arrested the great sage so calm and peaceful his case - to the cause of matters strange to the soul he accepted that things happened as a consequence of what he had enjoyed before, and so again, to put the acquired karma to an end, carried he as he did the king his palanquin.

S'ukadeva Gosvâmî said: O Mahârâja Parîkshit, when King Rahûgana chastised the exalted devotee Jada Bharata with harsh words, that peaceful, saintly person tolerated it all and replied properly. Nescience is due to the bodily conception, and Jada Bharata was not affected by this false conception. Out of his natural humility, he never considered himself a great devotee, and he agreed to suffer the results of his past karma. Like an ordinary man, he thought that by carrying the palanquin, he was destroying the reactions of his past misdeeds. Thinking in this way, he began to carry the palanquin as before. (Vedabase)

Text 15

O best of the Pându-dynasty, he, the ruler of Sindhu and Sauvîra, was factually also of great faith concerning the matters of control in relation to the Absolute Truth; thus being qualified hearing what the twice-born one said of that which eradicates the falsehood in the heart and which is approved by all of yoga and its culture, he hastily got down and fell head-on flat on the ground at the lotus feet to be excused for his offense. Thus giving up his false claim of being the king to be respected he said:

S'ukadeva Gosvâmî continued: O best of the Pându dynasty [Mahârâja Parîkshit], the King of the Sindhu and Sauvîra states [Mahârâja Rahûgana] had great faith in discussions of the Absolute Truth. Being thus qualified, he heard from Jada Bharata that philosophical presentation which is approved by all scriptures on the mystic yoga process and which slackens the knot in the heart. His material conception of himself as a king was thus destroyed. He immediately descended from his palanquin and fell flat on the ground with his head at the lotus feet of Jada Bharata in such a way that he might be excused for his insulting words against the great brâhmana. He then prayed as follows. (Vedabase)