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sri-sukah uvaca—Sukadeva Gosvami continued to speak; atha—thus; sindhu-sauvira-pateh—of the ruler of the states known as Sindhu and Sauvira; rahu-ganasya—the King known as Rahugana; vrajatah—while going (to the asrama of Kapila); iksu-matyah tate—on the bank of the river known as Iksumati; tat-kula-patina—by the leader of the palanquin carriers; sibika-vaha—to become a carrier of the palanquin; purusa-anvesana-samaye—at the time of searching for a man; daivena—by chance; upasaditah—led near; sah—that; dvija-varah—Jada Bharata, the son of a brahmana; upalabdhah—obtained; esah—this man; piva—very strong and stout; yuva—young; samhanana-angah—having very firm limbs; go-khara-vat—like a cow or an ass; dhuram—a load; vodhum—to carry; alam—able; iti—thus thinking; purva-visti-grhitaih—others who were formerly forced to do the task; saha—with; grhitah—being taken; prasabham—by force; a-tat-arhah—although not fit for carrying the palanquin; uvaha—carried; sibikam—the palanquin; sah—he; maha-anubhavah—a great soul.

Sukadeva Gosvami continued: My dear King, after this, King Rahugana, ruler of the states known as Sindhu and Sauvira, was going to Kapilasrama. When the King’s chief palanquin carriers reached the banks of the River Iksumati, 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.

SB5.10.2

TEXT 2

yada hi dvija-varasyesu-matravalokanugater na samahita purusa-gatis tada visama-gatam sva-sibikam rahugana upadharya purusan adhivahata aha he vodharah sadhv atikramata kim iti visamam uhyate yanam iti.

SYNONYMS

yada—when; hi—certainly; dvija-varasya—of Jada Bharata; isu-matra—the measurement of an arrow (three feet) ahead; avaloka-anugateh—from moving only after glancing; na samahita—not united; purusa-gatih—the movement of the carriers; tada—at that time; visama-gatam—becoming uneven; sva-sibikam—his own palanquin; rahuganah—King Rahugana; upadharya—understanding; purusan—unto the men; adhivahatah—who were carrying the palanquin; aha—said; he—oh; vodharah—carriers of the palanquin; sadhu atikramata—please walk evenly so that there will not be bouncing; kim iti—for what reason; visamam—uneven; uhyate—is being carried; yanam—the palanquin; iti—thus.

TRANSLATION

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 Rahugana immediately asked the carriers, “Why are you carrying this palanquin unevenly? Better carry it properly.”

PURPORT

Although Jada Bharata was forced to carry the palanquin, he did not give up his sympathetic feelings toward the poor ants passing on the road. A devotee of the Lord does not forget his devotional service and other favorable activities, even when he is in a most distressful condition. Jada Bharata was a qualified brahmana, highly elevated in spiritual knowledge, yet he was forced to carry the palanquin. He did not mind this, but while walking on the road, he could not forget his duty to avoid killing even an ant. A Vaisnava is never envious or unnecessarily violent. There were many ants on the path, but Jada Bharata took care by looking ahead three feet. When the ants were no longer in his way, he would place his foot on the ground. A Vaisnava is always very kind at heart to all living entities. In His sankhya-yoga, Lord Kapiladeva explains: suhrdah sarva-dehinam. Living entities assume different bodily forms. Those who are not Vaisnavas consider only human society worthy of their sympathy, but Krsna claims to be the supreme father of all life forms. Consequently the Vaisnava takes care not to annihilate untimely or unnecessarily any life form. All living entities have to fulfill a certain duration for being encaged in a particular type of material body. They have to finish the duration allotted a particular body before being promoted or evolved to another body. Killing an animal or any other living being simply places an impediment in the way of his completing his term of imprisonment in a certain body. One should therefore not kill bodies for one’s sense gratification, for this will implicate one in sinful activity.

SB5.10.3

TEXT 3

atha ta isvara-vacah sopalambham upakarnyopaya-turiyac chankita-manasas tam vijnapayam babhuvuh.

atha—thus; te—they (the carriers of the palanquin); isvara-vacah—the words of the master, King Rahugana; sa-upalambham—with reproach; upakarnya—hearing; upaya—the means; turiyat—from the fourth one; sankita-manasah—whose minds were afraid; tam—him (the King); vijnapayam babhuvuh—informed.

When the palanquin carriers heard the threatening words of Maharaja Rahugana, they became very afraid of his punishment and began to speak to him as follows.

According to political science, a king sometimes tries to pacify his subordinates, sometimes chastises them, sometimes derides them and sometimes rewards them. In this way the king rules his subordinates. The bearers of the palanquin could understand that the King was angry and that he would chastise them.

SB5.10.4

TEXT 4

na vayam nara-deva pramatta bhavan-niyamanupathah sadhv eva vahamah. ayam adhunaiva niyukto ’pi na drutam vrajati nanena saha vodhum u ha vayam parayama iti.

na—not; vayam—we; nara-deva—O lord among human beings (the king is supposed to be the representative of deva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead); pramattah—neglectful in our duties; bhavat-niyama-anupathah—who are always obedient to your order; sadhu—properly; eva—certainly; vahamah—we are carrying; ayam—this man; adhuna—just recently; eva—indeed; niyuktah—being engaged to work with us; api—although; na—not; drutam—very quickly; vrajati—works; na—not; anena—him; saha—with; vodhum—to carry; u ha—oh; vayam—we; parayamah—are able; iti—thus.

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.

The other palanquin carriers were sudras, whereas Jada Bharata was not only a high-caste brahmana but also a great devotee. Sudras do not sympathize with other living beings, but a Vaisnava cannot act like a sudra. Whenever a sudra and a brahmana Vaisnava are combined, there will certainly be imbalance in the execution of duties. The sudras were walking with the palanquin without at all caring for the ants on the ground, but Jada Bharata could not act like a sudra, and therefore difficulty arose.

SB5.10.5

TEXT 5

samsargiko dosa eva nunam ekasyapi sarvesam samsargikanam bhavitum arhatiti niscitya nisamya krpana-vaco raja rahugana upasita-vrddho ’pi nisargena balat krta isad-utthita-manyur avispasta-brahma-tejasam jata-vedasam iva rajasavrta-matir aha.

samsargikah—resulting from intimate association; dosah—a fault; eva—indeed; nunam—certainly; ekasya—of one; api—although; sarvesam—of all other; samsargikanam—persons associated with him; bhavitum—to become; arhati—is able; iti—thus; niscitya—ascertaining; nisamya—by hearing; krpana-vacah—the words of the poor servants, who were very afraid of being punished; raja—the King; rahuganah—Rahugana; upasita-vrddhah—having served and heard from many elderly sages; api—in spite of; nisargena—by his personal nature, which was that of a ksatriya; balat—by force; krtah—done; isat—slightly; utthita—awakened; manyuh—whose anger; avispasta—not being distinctly visible; brahma-tejasam—his (Jada Bharata’s) spiritual effulgence; jata-vedasam—a fire covered by ashes in Vedic ritualistic ceremonies; iva—like; rajasa avrta—covered by the mode of passion; matih—whose mind; aha—said.

King Rahugana 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 Rahugana’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.

The distinction between rajo-guna and sattva-guna is explained in this verse. Although the King was very upright and advanced in political science and governmental management, he was nonetheless in the mode of passion, and therefore, due to a slight agitation, he became angry. Jada Bharata, despite all kinds of injustice endured because of his deaf and dumb display, remained silent by the strength of his spiritual advancement. Nonetheless his brahma-tejah, his Brahman effulgence, was indistinctly visible in his person.

SB5.10.6

TEXT 6

aho kastam bhratar vyaktam uru-parisranto dirgham adhvanam eka eva uhivan suciram nati-piva na samhananango jarasa copadruto bhavan sakhe no evapara ete sanghattina iti bahu-vipralabdho ’py avidyaya racita-dravya-guna-karmasaya-sva-carama-kalevare ’vastuni samsthana-visese ’ham mamety anadhyaropita-mithya-pratyayo brahma-bhutas tusnim sibikam purvavad uvaha.

aho—alas; kastam—how troublesome it is; bhratah—my dear brother; vyaktam—clearly; uru—very much; parisrantah—fatigued; dirgham—a long; adhvanam—path; ekah—alone; eva—certainly; uhivan—you have carried; su-ciram—for a long time; na—not; ati-piva—very strong and stout; na—nor; samhanana-angah—having a firm, tolerant body; jarasa—by old age; ca—also; upadrutah—disturbed; bhavan—yourself; sakhe—my friend; no eva—not certainly; apare—the other; ete—all these; sanghattinah—co-workers; iti—thus; bahu—very much; vipralabdhah—sarcastically criticized; api—although; avidyaya—by nescience; racita—manufactured; dravya-guna-karma-asaya—in a combination of material elements, material qualities, and the results of past activities and desires; sva-carama-kalevare—in the body, which is moved by the subtle elements (mind, intelligence and ego); avastuni—in such physical things; samsthana-visese—having a particular disposition; aham mama—I and mine; iti—in this way; anadhyaropita—not interposed; mithya—false; pratyayah—belief; brahma-bhutah—who was self-realized, standing on the Brahman platform; tusnim—being silent; sibikam—the palanquin; purva-vat—as before; uvaha—carried.

King Rahugana 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 brahmasmi]. He was therefore unaffected by this sarcastic criticism from the King. Without saying anything, he continued carrying the palanquin as before.

atha punah sva-sibikayam visama-gatayam prakupita uvaca rahuganah kim idam are tvam jivan-mrto mam kadarthi-krtya bhartr-sasanam aticarasi pramattasya ca te karomi cikitsam danda-panir iva janataya yatha prakrtim svam bhajisyasa iti.

Jada Bharata was completely liberated. He did not even care when the dacoits attempted to kill his body; he knew that he certainly was not the body. Even if the body were killed, he would not have cared, for he was thoroughly convinced of the proposition found in Bhagavad-gita (2.20): na hanyate hanyamane sarire. He knew that he could not be killed even if his body were killed. Although he did not protest, the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His agent could not tolerate the injustice of the dacoits; therefore he was saved by the mercy of Krsna, and the dacoits were killed. In this case, while carrying the palanquin, he also knew that he was not the body. This body was very strong and stout, in sound condition and quite competent to carry the palanquin. Due to his being freed from the bodily conception, the sarcastic words of the King did not at all affect him. The body is created according to one’s karma, and material nature supplies the ingredients for the development of a certain type of body. The soul the body covers is different from the bodily construction; therefore anything favorable or mischievous done to the body does not affect the spirit soul. The Vedic injunction is asango hy ayam purusah: the spirit soul is always unaffected by material arrangements.

SB5.10.7

TEXT 7

atha—thereafter; punah—again; sva-sibikayam—in his own palanquin; visama-gatayam—being unevenly carried because of Jada Bharata’s not walking properly; prakupitah—becoming very angry; uvaca—said; rahuganah—King Rahugana; kim idam—what is this nonsense; are—O fool; tvam—you; jivat—living; mrtah—dead; mam—me; kat-arthi-krtya—neglecting; bhartr-sasanam—chastisement by the master; aticarasi—you are overstepping; pramattasya—who are almost crazy; ca—also; te—your; karomi—I shall do; cikitsam—proper treatment; danda-panih iva—like Yamaraja; janatayah—of the people in general; yatha—so that; prakrtim—natural position; svam—your own; bhajisyase—you will take to; iti—thus.

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 Yamaraja, 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.

SB5.10.8

TEXT 8

evam bahv abaddham api bhasamanam nara-devabhimanam rajasa tamasanuviddhena madena tiraskrtasesa-bhagavat-priya-niketam pandita-maninam sa bhagavan brahmano brahma-bhuta-sarva-bhuta-suhrd-atma yogesvara-caryayam nati-vyutpanna-matim smayamana iva vigata-smaya idam aha.

SYNONYMS

evam—in this way; bahu—much; abaddham—nonsensical; api—although; bhasamanam—talking; nara-deva-abhimanam—King Rahugana, who thought himself the ruler; rajasa—by the material mode of passion; tamasa—as well as by the mode of ignorance; anuviddhena—being increased; madena—by madness; tiraskrta—who rebuked; asesa—innumerable; bhagavat-priya-niketam—devotees of the Lord; pandita-maninam—considering himself a very learned scholar; sah—that; bhagavan—spiritually most powerful (Jada Bharata); brahmanah—a fully qualified brahmana; brahma-bhuta—fully self-realized; sarva-bhuta-suhrt-atma—who was thus the friend of all living entities; yoga-isvara—of the most advanced mystic yogis; caryayam—in the behavior; na ati-vyutpanna-matim—unto King Rahugana, who was not actually experienced; smayamanah—slightly smiling; iva—like; vigata-smayah—who was relieved from all material pride; idam—this; aha—spoke.

TRANSLATION

Thinking himself a king, King Rahugana 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.

PURPORT

The distinction between a person in the bodily conception and a person beyond the bodily conception is presented in this verse. In the bodily conception, King Rahugana considered himself a king and chastised Jada Bharata in so many unwanted ways. Being self-realized, Jada Bharata, who was fully situated on the transcendental platform, did not at all become angry; instead, he smiled and began to deliver his teachings to King Rahugana. A highly advanced Vaisnava devotee is a friend to all living entities, and consequently he is a friend to his enemies also. In fact, he does not consider anyone to be his enemy. Suhrdah sarva-dehinam. Sometimes a Vaisnava becomes superficially angry at a nondevotee, but this is good for the nondevotee. We have several examples of this in Vedic literature. Once Narada became angry with the two sons of Kuvera, Nalakuvara and Manigriva, and he chastised them by turning them into trees. The result was that later they were liberated by Lord Sri Krsna. The devotee is situated on the absolute platform, and when he is angry or pleased, there is no difference, for in either case he bestows his benediction.

SB5.10.9

TEXT 9

brahmana uvaca

tvayoditam vyaktam avipralabdham

bhartuh sa me syad yadi vira bharah

gantur yadi syad adhigamyam adhva

piveti rasau na vidam pravadah

brahmanah uvaca—the learned brahmana (Jada Bharata) spoke; tvaya—by you; uditam—explained; vyaktam—very clearly; avipralabdham—without contradictions; bhartuh—of the bearer, the body; sah—that; me—mine; syat—it would have been; yadi—if; vira—O great hero (Maharaja Rahugana); bharah—a load; gantuh—of the mover, also the body; yadi—if; syat—it had been; adhigamyam—the object to be obtained; adhva—the path; piva—very stout and strong; iti—thus; rasau—in the body; na—not; vidam—of the self-realized persons; pravadah—subject matter for discussion.

The great brahmana 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.

In Bhagavad-gita it is stated that one who is advanced in spiritual knowledge is not disturbed by the pains and pleasures of the material body. The material body is completely separate from the spirit soul, and the pains and pleasures of the body are superfluous. The practice of austerity and penance is meant for understanding the distinction between the body and the soul and how the soul can be unaffected by the pleasures and pains of the body. Jada Bharata was actually situated on the platform of self-realization. He was completely aloof from the bodily conception; therefore he immediately took this position and convinced the King that whatever contradictory things the King had said about his body did not actually apply to him as a spirit soul.

SB5.10.10

TEXT 10

sthaulyam karsyam vyadhaya adhayas ca

ksut trd bhayam kalir iccha jara ca

nidra ratir manyur aham madah suco

dehena jatasya hi me na santi

sthaulyam—being very stout and strong; karsyam—being skinny and weak; vyadhayah—the pains of the body, such as disease; adhayah—the pains of the mind; ca—and; ksut trt bhayam—hunger, thirst and fear; kalih—quarrels between two persons; iccha—desires; jara—old age; ca—and; nidra—sleep; ratih—attachment for sense gratification; manyuh—anger; aham—false identification (in the bodily concept of life); madah—illusion; sucah—lamentation; dehena—with this body; jatasya—of one who has taken birth; hi—certainly; me—of me; na—not; santi—exist.

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.

jivan-mrtatvam niyamena rajan

Srila Narottama dasa Thakura has sung: deha-smrti nahi yara, samsara-bandhana kahan tara. One who is spiritually advanced has no connection with the body or with the bodily actions and reactions. When one comes to understand that he is not the body and therefore is neither fat nor skinny, one attains the topmost form of spiritual realization. When one is not spiritually realized, the bodily conception entangles one in the material world. At the present moment all human society is laboring under the bodily conception; therefore in the sastras people in this age are referred to as dvipada-pasu, two-legged animals. No one can be happy in a civilization conducted by such animals. Our Krsna consciousness movement is trying to raise fallen human society to the status of spiritual understanding. It is not possible for everyone to become immediately self-realized like Jada Bharata. However, as stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.18): nasta-prayesv abhadresu nityam bhagavata-sevaya. By spreading the Bhagavata principles, we can raise human society to the platform of perfection. When one is not affected by the bodily conceptions, one can advance to the Lord’s devotional service.

nasta-prayesv abhadresu
nityam bhagavata-sevaya
bhagavaty uttamasloke
bhaktir bhavati naisthiki

[SB 1.2.18]

The more we advance our freedom from the bodily conception, the more we are fixed in devotional service, and the more we are happy and peaceful. In this regard, Srila Madhvacarya says that those who are too materially affected continue the bodily conception. Such persons are concerned with different bodily symptoms, whereas one freed from bodily conceptions lives without the body even in the material condition.

SB5.10.11

TEXT 11

adyantavad yad vikrtasya drstam

sva-svamya-bhavo dhruva idya yatra

tarhy ucyate ’sau vidhikrtya-yogah

jivat-mrtatvam—the quality of being dead while living; niyamena—by the laws of nature; rajan—O King; adi-anta-vat—everything material has a beginning and an end; yat—because; vikrtasya—of things that are transformed, such as the body; drstam—is seen; sva-svamya-bhavah—the condition of servanthood and mastership; dhruvah—unchangeable; idya—O you who are worshiped; yatra—wherein; tarhi—then; ucyate—it is said; asau—that; vidhi-krtya-yogah—fitness of order and duty.

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.

The bodily conception is the basic principle of suffering in material existence. In Kali-yuga especially, people are so uneducated that they cannot even understand that the body is changing at every moment and that the ultimate change is called death. In this life one may be a king, and in the next life one may be a dog, according to karma. The spirit soul is in a deep slumber caused by the force of material nature. He is put in one type of condition and again changed into another type. Without self-realization and knowledge, conditional life continues, and one falsely claims himself a king, a servant, a cat or a dog. These are simply different transformations brought about by the supreme arrangement. One should not be misled by such temporary bodily conceptions. Actually no one is master within the material world, for everyone is under the control of material nature, which is under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is the ultimate master. As explained in Caitanya-caritamrta, ekale isvara krsna, ara saba bhrtya: the only master is Krsna, and everyone else is His servant. Forgetfulness of our relationship with the Supreme Lord brings about our suffering in the material world.

SB5.10.12

TEXT 12

visesa-buddher vivaram manak ca

pasyama yan na vyavaharato ’nyat

ka isvaras tatra kim isitavyam

tathapi rajan karavama kim te

visesa-buddheh—of the conception of the distinction between master and servant; vivaram—the scope; manak—a little; ca—also; pasyamah—I see; yat—which; na—not; vyavaharatah—than the temporary usage or convention; anyat—other; kah—who; isvarah—the master; tatra—in this; kim—who; isitavyam—is to be controlled; tathapi—nevertheless; rajan—O King (if you still think that you are master and I am servant); karavama—I may do; kim—what; te—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?