SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM: CANTO 5

Chapter 12: The Conversation Between Mahârâja Rahûgana and Jada Bharata

(1) Rahûgana said: 'My respectful obeisances unto you as someone emanated from the embodiment [of Rishabhadeva, see 5.4] of the Original Cause, as someone who by his true self despises all the separateness; my respects for you who as a forsaker of the world, in the form of a friend of the twice-born, has hidden his realization of the eternal. (2) You are alike the antidote for someone feverishly distressed by disease, you are alike cool water for someone scorched by the sun, for someone like me, whose vision in this gross body has been bitten by the serpent of pride, are you the elixir of nectar. (3) Now, please explain to me, who's burning of curiosity, it again in simple words, so that I may clearly understand the yoga of selfrealization; personal matters not clear in that I will submit to you later. (4) That which you've said, o Master of Yoga, concerning that what clearly can be distinguished as a result of fruitive action [the 'fatigue', see 5.10: 21], is in truth inherent to one's performing; it is factually not enough at all for an inquiry into the ultimate reality - your goodness explaining has bewildered my mind in this.'

(5-6) The brahmin said: 'This person, one thinks of as moving around on the earth and who himself is a transformation of that earth, o earthly one - for what reason would your Lordship, with these feet and above them these ankles, calves, knees, thighs, waist, neck, shoulders and upon those shoulders the wooden palanquin upon which the one sits who is thus known as the King of Sauvîra, impose this haughty insistence of 'I, the King of Sindhu' and thus be a captive of falsehood? (7) How lamentable are all these poor and suffering people who you by force seized without showing any mercy; boasting 'I am the protector' you make a bad presence in the society of the learned, simply being rude! (8) Because no doubt differently embodied as moving or unmoving entities, we know of annihilation, appearance and the regular of nature, as we simply move in different names; let us, from the stance of factually dealing with it, make sure what causes the material activities. (9) From that point of view is by the words for races and nations our existence falsely described; what one in one's mind imagines of the dissolution, aggregate and particulars of all that is composed of atomic particles, covers but a lesser intelligence of that existence. (10) Thus being meager, fat, tiny or big, existing as individual entities, inanimate matter or whatever natural phenomenon else might be of concern, is all impermanence in the name of a certain disposition, time and activity, an impermanence which you should understand to be inherent to the operation of nature's duality. (11) The known in its pure existence constitutes the ultimate goal as the Oneness without an inside or an outside, as the Absolute Truth of the Supreme [Brahman], the inner peace that in a higher sense is known as Bhagavân, the Supreme Lord, who by the scholars is called Vâsudeva [the Soul of God within, Vishnu, or Lord Krishna as the son of Vasudeva].

(12) Dear King Rahûgana, by penance, by deity worship or by rounding up one's material activities; by one's household life, by celibacy and study or by keeping oneself in austerity to the water or the fire, is this not revealed - it is not realized without smearing the dust of the lotus feet of the great all over one's body! (13) There where one presents the qualities of the One praised in the scriptures, are worldly concerns put to an end; day after day seriously attending to the ones who are after liberation, is the meditation simply and pure turned to Vâsudeva. (14) In a previous birth I was known as a king named Bharata who found liberation through personal insight and association in worship of the Supreme Lord; thus always performing, I became a deer because I, intimately associated with one, had neglected my duties. (15) Despite of being a deer, o great hero, did the memory of my activities of worship unto Krishna [the Lord as the One known by His dark skin] not leave me; for that reason do I out of fear keep myself far from associating with ordinary folk and do I move about unseen. (16) Therefrom can every person, by means of the sword of knowledge detaching and associating with good company, even in this world, cut with the illusion; by listening and singing to the stories of the activities about the Lord is the lost consciousness regained and attains one the ultimate end of the superior abode.'

Rahûgana said: 'My respectful obeisances unto you as someone emanated from the embodiment [of Rishabhadeva, see 5.4] of the Original Cause, as someone who by his true self despises all the separateness; my respects for you who as a forsaker of the world, in the form of a friend of the twice-born, has hidden his realization of the eternal.

King Rahûgana said: O most exalted personality, you are not different from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By the influence of your true self, all kinds of contradiction in the s'âstras have been removed. In the dress of a friend of a brâhmana, you are hiding your transcendental blissful position. I offer my respectful obeisances unto you. (Vedabase)

Text 2

You are alike the antidote for someone feverishly distressed by disease, you are alike cool water for someone scorched by the sun, for someone like me, whose vision in this gross body has been bitten by the serpent of pride, are you the elixir of nectar.

O best of the brâhmanas, my body is filled with dirty things, and my vision has been bitten by the serpent of pride. Due to my material conceptions, I am diseased. Your nectarean instructions are the proper medicine for one suffering from such a fever, and they are cooling waters for one scorched by the heat. (Vedabase)

Text 3

Now, please explain to me, who's burning of curiosity, it again in simple words, so that I may clearly understand the yoga of selfrealization; personal matters not clear in that I will submit to you later.

Whatever doubts I have about a particular subject matter I shall ask you about later. For the time being, these mysterious yoga instructions you have given me for self-realization appear very difficult to understand. Please repeat them in a simple way so that I can understand them. My mind is very inquisitive, and I want to understand this clearly. (Vedabase)

Text 4

That which you've said, o Master of Yoga, concerning that what clearly can be distinguished as a result of fruitive action [the 'fatigue', see 5.10: 21], is in truth inherent to one's performing; it is factually not enough at all for an inquiry into the ultimate reality - your goodness explaining has bewildered my mind in this.'

O master of yogic power, you said that fatigue resulting from moving the body here and there is appreciated by direct perception, but actually there is no fatigue. It simply exists as a matter of formality. By such inquiries and answers, no one can come to the conclusion of the Absolute Truth. Because of your presentation of this statement, my mind is a little disturbed. (Vedabase)

Text 5-6:

The brahmin said: 'This person, one thinks of as moving around on the earth and who himself is a transformation of that earth, o earthly one - for what reason would your Lordship, with these feet and above them these ankles, calves, knees, thighs, waist, neck, shoulders and upon those shoulders the wooden palanquin upon which the one sits who is thus known as the King of Sauvîra, impose this haughty insistence of 'I, the King of Sindhu' and thus be a captive of falsehood?

The self-realized brâhmana Jada Bharata said: Among the various material combinations and permutations, there are various forms and earthly transformations. For some reason, these move on the surface of the earth and are called palanquin carriers. Those material transformations which do not move are gross material objects like stones. In any case, the material body is made of earth and stone in the form of feet, ankles, calves, knees, thighs, torso, throat and head. Upon the shoulders is the wooden palanquin, and within the palanquin is the so-called King of Sauvîra. The body of the King is simply another transformation of earth, but within that body Your Lordship is situated and falsely thinking that you are the King of the state of Sauvîra. (Vedabase)

Text 7

How lamentable are all these poor and suffering people who you by force seized without showing any mercy; boasting 'I am the protector' you make a bad presence in the society of the learned, simply being rude!

It is a fact, however, that these innocent people carrying your palanquin without payment are certainly suffering due to this injustice. Their condition is very lamentable because you have forcibly engaged them in carrying your palanquin. This proves that you are cruel and unkind, yet due to false prestige you were thinking that you were protecting the citizens. This is ludicrous. You were such a fool that you could not have been adored as a great man in an assembly of persons advanced in knowledge. (Vedabase)

Text 8

Because no doubt differently embodied as moving or unmoving entities, we know of annihilation, appearance and the regular of nature, as we simply move in different names; let us, from the stance of factually dealing with it, make sure what causes the material activities.

All of us on the surface of the globe are living entities in different forms. Some of us are moving and some not moving. All of us come into existence, remain for some time and are annihilated when the body is again mingled with the earth. We are all simply different transformations of the earth. Different bodies and capacities are simply transformations of the earth that exist in name only, for everything grows out of the earth and when everything is annihilated it again mingles with the earth. In other words, we are but dust, and we shall but be dust. Everyone can consider this point. (Vedabase)

Text 9

From that point of view is by the words for races and nations our existence falsely described; what one in one's mind imagines of the dissolution, aggregate and particulars of all that is composed of atomic particles, covers but a lesser intelligence of that existence.

One may say that varieties arise from the planet earth itself. However, although the universe may temporarily appear to be the truth, it ultimately has no real existence. The earth was originally created by a combination of atomic particles, but these particles are impermanent. Actually the atom is not the cause of the universe, although some philosophers think so. It is not a fact that the varieties found in this material world simply result from atomic juxtaposition or combination. (Vedabase)

Text 10

Thus being meager, fat, tiny or big, existing as individual entities, inanimate matter or whatever natural phenomenon else might be of concern, is all impermanence in the name of a certain disposition, time and activity, an impermanence which you should understand to be inherent to the operation of nature's duality.

Since this universe has no real ultimate existence, the things within it--shortness, differences, grossness, skinniness, smallness, bigness, result, cause, living symptoms, and materials--are all imagined. They are all pots made of the same substance, earth, but they are named differently. The differences are characterized by the substance, nature, predisposition, time and activity. You should know that all these are simply mechanical manifestations created by material nature. (Vedabase)

Text 11

The known in its pure existence constitutes the ultimate goal as the Oneness without an inside or an outside, as the Absolute Truth of the Supreme [Brahman], the inner peace that in a higher sense is known as Bhagavân, the Supreme Lord, who by the scholars is called Vâsudeva [literally: the Sweet Lord, the beneficent God, or Lord Krishna as the son of Vasudeva].

What, then, is the ultimate truth? The answer is that nondual knowledge is the ultimate truth. It is devoid of the contamination of material qualities. It gives us liberation. It is the one without a second, all-pervading and beyond imagination. The first realization of that knowledge is Brahman. Then Paramâtmâ, the Supersoul, is realized by the yogîs who try to see Him without grievance. This is the second stage of realization. Finally, full realization of the same supreme knowledge is realized in the Supreme Person. All learned scholars describe the Supreme Person as Vâsudeva, the cause of Brahman, Paramâtmâ and others. (Vedabase)

Text 12

Dear King Rahûgana, by penance, by deity worship or by rounding up one's material activities; by one's household life, by celibacy and study or by keeping oneself in austerity to the water or the fire, is this not revealed - it is not realized without smearing the dust of the lotus feet of the great all over one's body!

My dear King Rahûgana, unless one has the opportunity to smear his entire body with the dust of the lotus feet of great devotees, one cannot realize the Absolute Truth. One cannot realize the Absolute Truth simply by observing celibacy [brahmacarya], strictly following the rules and regulations of householder life, leaving home as a vânaprastha, accepting sannyâsa, or undergoing severe penances in winter by keeping oneself submerged in water or surrounding oneself in summer by fire and the scorching heat of the sun. There are many other processes to understand the Absolute Truth, but the Absolute Truth is only revealed to one who has attained the mercy of a great devotee. (Vedabase)

Text 13

There where one presents the qualities of the One praised in the scriptures, are worldly concerns put to an end; day after day seriously attending to the ones who are after liberation, is the meditation simply and pure turned to Vâsudeva.

Who are the pure devotees mentioned here? In an assembly of pure devotees, there is no question of discussing material subjects like politics and sociology. In an assembly of pure devotees, there is discussion only of the qualities, forms and pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is praised and worshiped with full attention. In the association of pure devotees, by constantly hearing such topics respectfully, even a person who wants to merge into the existence of the Absolute Truth abandons this idea and gradually becomes attached to the service of Vâsudeva. (Vedabase)

Text 14

In a previous birth I was known as a king named Bharata who found liberation through personal insight and association in worship of the Supreme Lord; thus always performing, I became a deer because I, intimately associated with one, had neglected my duties.

In a previous birth I was known as Mahârâja Bharata. I attained perfection by becoming completely detached from material activities through direct experience, and through indirect experience I received understanding from the Vedas. I was fully engaged in the service of the Lord, but due to my misfortune, I became very affectionate to a small deer, so much so that I neglected my spiritual duties. Due to my deep affection for the deer, in my next life I had to accept the body of a deer. (Vedabase)

Text 15

Despite of being a deer, o great hero, did the memory of my activities of worship unto Krishna not leave me; for that reason do I out of fear keep myself far from associating with ordinary folk and do I move about unseen.

My dear heroic King, due to my past sincere service to the Lord, I could remember everything of my past life even while in the body of a deer. Because I am aware of the falldown in my past life, I always keep myself separate from the association of ordinary men. Being afraid of their bad, materialistic association, I wander alone unnoticed by others. (Vedabase)