← Treasure Trove of Sri Bhagavan’s Grace

Jada Bharata's Teaching

“…..He was so much attached to it …..”

Bharata, a pious King, renounced his kingdom and was doing penance in the forest. One day his penance was disturbed by the roar of a lion chasing a pregnant deer.

He then saw a deer jump across the nearby river, escaping from the lion, but it fell dead because of the impact. However, the baby deer slipped alive from its womb and fell into the water. Bharata took it out and reared it all his life. He was so much attached to it that in his next birth he was born as a deer.

However, because of the intense penance in his previous birth, he did not waste time, but spent most of it in the company and proximity of Sages and Saints in their Ashrams.

While giving up the deer's body, he prayed for Liberation in his next birth. He was born again in a pious Brahmin family.

In this birth also, he was blessed to remember his previous births, and the follies he had committed. Now, he remained uninterested in any movement, physically and mentally. Disappointed with his inertia, his parents named him Jada Bharata (inert Bharata). But actually, he was all the time immersing himself in the Presence of the Truth (I AM) within. His body was, however, well built and sturdy.

One day, while he was seated on a rock, King Rahugana, a proud person, was passing by in a palanquin carried by four servants. Since the King was in a hurry, the palanquin bearers sought the help of the stocky Jada Bharata to carry the palanquin faster.

“…..the King warned him of severe punishment…..”

Jada Bharata obliged, but jumped now and then to avoid hurting the ants on the road. This annoyed the King, who warned him of severe punishment if he did not stop his dancing.

Jada Bharata looked long and silently at the King. For the first time after his birth, without raising his voice, without any rancour, Jada Bharata spoke, thus:

"You are angry with me because you think that I am not carrying your palanquin properly. You spoke with sarcasm when you said that I have been carrying the burden too long and that I am tired. Your meaning is that I am not one bit tired by this burden. In a way, your words are true.

"But your desire to hurt me with your sarcasm is, I am afraid, pointless. It does not hurt me. Shall I tell you why? You are under the impression that this body of mine is real and that the burden it has been carrying all the while is also real.

"If this is true, then your words should certainly have hurt me. But then, how can you be sure that these two are real? I cannot prove that this body of mine is real, nor can I prove that the burden it has been carrying is also real. Under the circumstances, how can it be possible to hurt a person or a thing which is non-existent? The real ‘I’ in ME has absolutely no connection with this so-called body of mine; and insults to this body or injustices heaped on this body do not affect ME in the least.

"You said that I have been carrying the burden alone for a long distance and that I am tired. You meant to insult me, I know, but I do not choose to be insulted. The reason is this: If it is true there is a distance to be covered; if there is a purpose to be achieved by covering that distance; and if these two factors have anything to do with ME, then and only then, should I be affected by your remarks. But then, I am not sure of the existence of either of these things or my connection with them. And, so I am not affected by your words.

"You said that I am not big but emaciated. The words are meaningless considering that ‘I’ am formless and the qualifications 'big' and 'small,' 'lean' and 'fat' do not apply to it. These words are for describing the body, the Home of the Atman and not the Atman itself. Fatness or leanness, diseases of the mind and the body, hunger, thirst, fear, quarrelsomeness, desire, old age, sleep, lust, avarice, pain — all these affect one who thinks that he has a body and not me who knows the Truth about myself (as 'I AM'). This body is short-lived, limited, while the 'I AM' is endless, eternal.

"You called me a walking corpse. So are you and so is every man and animal on the earth. O King, the processes of birth and death do not confine themselves to me alone. All things which are undergoing change are liable to birth and death. Every moment there is birth and there is death. If, by any chance, wealth and the owning of wealth are permanent, then this command of yours and this threat of yours that you will punish me will all be possible. But it is not so.

"The difference between a King and a servant arises because of the sense of duality and I cannot find any other reason for it. There is no such thing as a superior person and there is no one inferior to him. But you do not seem to realize it.

"Tell me what I should do now. I have realized the Truth. I do appear to be a stupid man; a deaf man without any feelings; a fool. But really, the things of the World do not affect me, not in the least. How then is your punishment going to affect me since I know that I am far away from all these? It will be like kneading flour which has already been kneaded. It will have no effect on my behaviour."

Jada Bharata bent down to place the palanquin once again on his shoulders. Drained of all pride and arrogance by the sacred words of Bharata, King Rahugana fell at his feet and spoke in a voice choked with tears born of shame.

He said: "My pride has been destroyed by you. Forgive me for my impertinence and please grant me a boon. Please be gracious enough to tell me who you are. I am the ruler of Sindhu and Sauvira and they call me Rahugana. I was on my way to the great Sage, Kapila, to sit at his feet and learn Brahma Vidhya (Science of Truth) from him. But you seem to be Kapila himself who has come to me on his own accord to save me. To what good actions in my previous births do I owe this great good fortune that has befallen me? Please initiate me into the Science of Truth."

Jada Bharata was filled with pity for the King, who seemed to be really eager to learn. He said: "I will try to help you and you will find the path to Salvation. Listen to me very carefully while I explain it all to you."

Jada Bharata began his discourse on the steps to be taken to attain the Highest State in life.

"It is the ‘mind’ of man which causes him either to fall into the morass called samsara or to find freedom from it. It is the mind which should be subdued. When the ‘mind’ is tainted with the three gunas — sattva, rajas and tamas, its path is set in the World of objects. It will have to keep on performing actions — good and bad; and, the cycle of births and deaths will be endless.

"It will acquire desires and, according to the desires, its progress will be towards the higher or towards the lower, as the case may be. Pleasure and pain will affect the life of man and there will be no end to it. So long as the ‘mind’ is attached to the things of the world it can never glow on its own accord.

"Take the example of a little lamp. It has a wick and the wick is fed by a quantity of ghee. When it burns, the flame will be colored because of the quality of the ghee which is feeding it and the smoke and light emanating from it, will all have the quality of the ghee. If, however, the ghee is all exhausted the wick will then burn on its own accord with a color and glow which is natural; and, it will, eventually be converted to ‘nothingness’.

"Even so, the ‘mind’. So long as it is fed by the gunas, it will become colored by them and act accordingly. When the gunas leave the ‘mind’, it will soon reach a stage when it will have no existence. Just as the wind pervades the entire space, the Lord pervades the entire Universe.

When the ‘mind’ is subdued and jiva sheds all attachment, conquers the six enemies and illuminates itself with the Lamp of Wisdom, then the Jiva will be freed. But till then he will have to go through the pain of being born again and again into this World.

"O King! Learn to renounce everything. Be compassionate towards all living beings. Sever the bonds of attachment to everything. With a mind pure and free, you will soon reach the other shores of this immense ocean called samsara and I assure you, you will not come back, again."

Rahugana prostrated before Bharata and said: "My Lord, being born as a man is the greatest of blessings granted to the Jiva by the Lord. I am not jealous of the Gods at all, since it is not given to everyone, not even the Gods, to have the good fortune of coming across Great Souls like you. I have had that unique privilege.

"By your company for just a muhurta (a few minutes) all my ignorance has been driven away. I am rid of my pride and ego. You have taught me that there is only one duty for man and that is to ‘surrender to the Lord’. I bow before you, again and again. There is no other way in which I can express my gratefulness to you."

Sri Bhagavan looking with interest some photos shown to Him by Guy Hague