The Supreme Character of Jaḍa Bharata
VERSE 5.9.1-2
śrī-śuka uvāca
atha kasyacid dvija-varasyāṅgiraḥ-pravarasya śama-dama-tapaḥ-svādhyāyādhyayana-tyāga-santoṣa-titikṣā-praśraya-vidyānasūyātma-jñānānanda-yuktasyātma-sadṛśa-śruta-śīlācāra-rūpaudārya-guṇā nava sodaryā aṅgajā babhūvur mithunaṁ ca yavīyasyāṁ bhāryāyām yas tu tatra pumāṁs taṁ parama-bhāgavataṁ rājarṣi-pravaraṁ bharatam utsṛṣṭa-mṛga-śarīraṁ carama-śarīreṇa vipratvaṁ gatam āhuḥ.
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued to speak; atha — thereafter; kasyacit — of some; dvija-varasya — brāhmaṇa; aṅgiraḥ-pravarasya — who came in the dynasty of the great saint Aṅgirā; śama — control of the mind; dama — control of the senses; tapaḥ — practice of austerities and penances; svādhyāya — recitation of the Vedic literatures; adhyayana — studying; tyāga — renunciation; santoṣa — satisfaction; titikṣā — tolerance; praśraya — very gentle; vidyā — knowledge; anasūya — without envy; ātma-jñāna-ānanda — satisfied in self-realization; yuktasya — who was qualified with; ātma-sadṛśa — and exactly like himself; śruta — in education; śīla — in character; ācāra — in behavior; rūpa — in beauty; audārya — in magnanimity; guṇāḥ — possessing all these qualities; nava sa-udaryāḥ — nine brothers born of the same womb; aṅga-jāḥ — sons; babhūvuḥ — were born; mithunam — a twin brother and sister; ca — and; yavīyasyām — in the youngest; bhāryāyām — wife; yaḥ — who; tu — but; tatra — there; pumān — the male child; tam — him; parama-bhāgavatam — the most exalted devotee; rāja-ṛṣi — of saintly kings; pravaram — most honored; bharatam — Bharata Mahārāja; utsṛṣṭa — having given up; mṛga-śarīram — the body of a deer; carama-śarīreṇa — with the last body; vipratvam — being a brāhmaṇa; gatam — obtained; āhuḥ — they said.
TRANSLATION
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, after giving up the body of a deer, Bharata Mahārāja took birth in a very pure brāhmaṇa family. There was a brāhmaṇa who belonged to the dynasty of Aṅgirā. He was fully qualified with brahminical qualifications. He could control his mind and senses, and he had studied the Vedic literatures and other subsidiary literatures. He was expert in giving charity, and he was always satisfied, tolerant, very gentle, learned and nonenvious. He was self-realized and engaged in the devotional service of the Lord. He remained always in a trance. He had nine equally qualified sons by his first wife, and by his second wife he begot twins — a brother and a sister, of which the male child was said to be the topmost devotee and foremost of saintly kings — Bharata Mahārāja. This, then, is the story of the birth he took after giving up the body of a deer.
VERSE 5.9.3
tatrāpi svajana-saṅgāc ca bhṛśam udvijamāno bhagavataḥ karma-bandha-vidhvaṁsana-śravaṇa-smaraṇa-guṇa-vivaraṇa-caraṇāravinda-yugalaṁ manasā vidadhad ātmanaḥ pratighātam āśaṅkamāno bhagavad-anugraheṇānusmṛta-sva-pūrva-janmāvalir ātmānam unmatta-jaḍāndha-badhira-svarūpeṇa darśayām āsa lokasya.
SYNONYMS
tatra api — in that brāhmaṇa birth also; sva-jana-saṅgāt — from association with relatives and friends; ca — and; bhṛśam — greatly; udvijamānaḥ — being always afraid that he would fall down again; bhagavataḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; karma-bandha — the bondage of the reactions of fruitive activities; vidhvaṁsana — which vanquishes; śravaṇa — hearing; smaraṇa — remembering; guṇa-vivaraṇa — hearing descriptions of the qualities of the Lord; caraṇa-aravinda — lotus feet; yugalam — the two; manasā — with the mind; vidadhat — always thinking of; ātmanaḥ — of his soul; pratighātam — obstruction on the path of devotional service; āśaṅkamānaḥ — always fearing; bhagavat-anugraheṇa — by the special mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; anusmṛta — remembered; sva-pūrva — his own previous; janma-āvaliḥ — string of births; ātmānam — himself; unmatta — mad; jaḍa — dull; andha — blind; badhira — and deaf; svarūpeṇa — with these features; darśayām āsa — he exhibited; lokasya — to people in general.
TRANSLATION
Due to his being especially gifted with the Lord’s mercy, Bharata Mahārāja could remember the incidents of his past life. Although he received the body of a brāhmaṇa, he was still very much afraid of his relatives and friends who were not devotees. He was always very cautious of such association because he feared that he would again fall down. Consequently he manifested himself before the public eye as a madman — dull, blind and deaf — so that others would not try to talk to him. In this way he saved himself from bad association. Within he was always thinking of the lotus feet of the Lord and chanting the Lord’s glories, which save one from the bondage of fruitive action. In this way he saved himself from the onslaught of nondevotee associates.
VERSE 5.9.4
tasyāpi ha vā ātmajasya vipraḥ putra-snehānubaddha-manā āsamāvartanāt saṁskārān yathopadeśaṁ vidadhāna upanītasya ca punaḥ śaucācamanādīn karma-niyamān anabhipretān api samaśikṣayad anuśiṣṭena hi bhāvyaṁ pituḥ putreṇeti.
SYNONYMS
tasya — of him; api ha vā — certainly; ātma-jasya — of his son; vipraḥ — the brāhmaṇa father of Jaḍa Bharata (mad, crazy Bharata); putra-sneha-anubaddha-manāḥ — who was obliged by affection for his son; ā-sama-āvartanāt — until the end of the brahmacarya-āśrama; saṁskārān — the purificatory processes; yathā-upadeśam — as prescribed in the śāstras; vidadhānaḥ — performing; upanītasya — of one who has a sacred thread; ca — also; punaḥ — again; śauca-ācamana-ādīn — practice of cleanliness, washing of the mouth, legs and hands, etc; karma-niyamān — the regulative principles of fruitive activities; anabhipretān api — although not wanted by Jaḍa Bharata; samaśikṣayat — taught; anuśiṣṭena — taught to follow the regulative principles; hi — indeed; bhāvyam — should be; pituḥ — from the father; putreṇa — the son; iti — thus.
TRANSLATION
The brāhmaṇa father’s mind was always filled with affection for his son, Jaḍa Bharata [Bharata Mahārāja]. Therefore he was always attached to Jaḍa Bharata. Because Jaḍa Bharata was unfit to enter the gṛhastha-āśrama, he simply executed the purificatory process up to the end of the brahmacarya-āśrama. Although Jaḍa Bharata was unwilling to accept his father’s instructions, the brāhmaṇa nonetheless instructed him in how to keep clean and how to wash, thinking that the son should be taught by the father.
VERSE 5.9.5
sa cāpi tad u ha pitṛ-sannidhāv evāsadhrīcīnam iva sma karoti chandāṁsy adhyāpayiṣyan saha vyāhṛtibhiḥ sapraṇava-śiras tripadīṁ sāvitrīṁ graiṣma-vāsantikān māsān adhīyānam apy asamaveta-rūpaṁ grāhayām āsa.
SYNONYMS
saḥ — he (Jaḍa Bharata); ca — also; api — indeed; tat u ha — that which was instructed by his father; pitṛ-sannidhau — in the presence of his father; eva — even; asadhrīcīnam iva — not correct, as if he could not understand anything; sma karoti — used to perform; chandāṁsi adhyāpayiṣyan — desiring to teach him Vedic mantras during the months beginning with Śrāvaṇa or during the period of Cāturmāsya; saha — along with; vyāhṛtibhiḥ — the utterance of the names of the heavenly planets (bhūḥ, bhuvaḥ, svaḥ); sa-praṇava-śiraḥ — headed by oṁkāra; tri-padīm — three-footed; sāvitrīm — the Gāyatrī mantra; graiṣma-vāsantikān — for four months, beginning with Caitra, on the fifteenth of May; māsān — the months; adhīyānam api — although fully studying; asamaveta-rūpam — in an incomplete form; grāhayām āsa — he made him learn.
TRANSLATION
Jaḍa Bharata behaved before his father like a fool, despite his father’s adequately instructing him in Vedic knowledge. He behaved in that way so that his father would know that he was unfit for instruction and would abandon the attempt to instruct him further. He would behave in a completely opposite way. Although instructed to wash his hands after evacuating, he would wash them before. Nonetheless, his father wanted to give him Vedic instructions during the spring and summer. He tried to teach him the Gāyatrī mantra along with oṁkāra and vyāhṛti, but after four months his father still was not successful in instructing him.
VERSE 5.9.6
evaṁ sva-tanuja ātmany anurāgāveśita-cittaḥ śaucādhyayana-vrata-niyama-gurv-anala-śuśrūṣaṇādy-aupakurvāṇaka-karmāṇy anabhiyuktāny api samanuśiṣṭena bhāvyam ity asad-āgrahaḥ putram anuśāsya svayaṁ tāvad anadhigata-manorathaḥ kālenāpramattena svayaṁ gṛha eva pramatta upasaṁhṛtaḥ.
SYNONYMS
evam — thus; sva — own; tanu-je — in his son, Jaḍa Bharata; ātmani — whom he considered to be himself; anurāga-āveśita-cittaḥ — the brāhmaṇa who was absorbed in love for his son; śauca — cleanliness; adhyayana — study of Vedic literature; vrata — accepting all the vows; niyama — regulative principles; guru — of the spiritual master; anala — of the fire; śuśrūṣaṇa-ādi — the service, etc; aupakurvāṇaka — of the brahmacarya-āśrama; karmāṇi — all the activities; anabhiyuktāni api — although not liked by his son; samanuśiṣṭena — fully instructed; bhāvyam — should be; iti — thus; asat-āgrahaḥ — having unsuitable obstinacy; putram — his son; anuśāsya — instructing; svayam — himself; tāvat — in that way; anadhigata-manorathaḥ — not having fulfilled his desires; kālena — by the influence of time; apramattena — which is not forgetful; svayam — he himself; gṛhe — to his home; eva — certainly; pramattaḥ — being madly attached; upasaṁhṛtaḥ — died.
TRANSLATION
The brāhmaṇa father of Jaḍa Bharata considered his son his heart and soul, and therefore he was very much attached to him. He thought it wise to educate his son properly, and being absorbed in this unsuccessful endeavor, he tried to teach his son the rules and regulations of brahmacarya — including the execution of the Vedic vows, cleanliness, study of the Vedas, the regulative methods, service to the spiritual master and the method of offering a fire sacrifice. He tried his best to teach his son in this way, but all his endeavors failed. In his heart he hoped that his son would be a learned scholar, but all his attempts were unsuccessful. Like everyone, this brāhmaṇa was attached to his home, and he had forgotten that someday he would die. Death, however, was not forgetful. At the proper time, death appeared and took him away.
VERSE 5.9.7
atha yavīyasī dvija-satī sva-garbha-jātaṁ mithunaṁ sapatnyā upanyasya svayam anusaṁsthayā patilokam agāt.
SYNONYMS
atha — thereafter; yavīyasī — the youngest; dvija-satī — wife of the brāhmaṇa; sva-garbha-jātam — born of her womb; mithunam — the twins; sapatnyai — unto the co-wife; upanyasya — entrusting; svayam — personally; anusaṁsthayā — by following her husband; pati-lokam — the planet named Patiloka; agāt — went to.
TRANSLATION
Thereafter, the brāhmaṇa’s younger wife, after entrusting her twin children — the boy and girl — to the elder wife, departed for Patiloka, voluntarily dying with her husband.
VERSE 5.9.8
pitary uparate bhrātara enam atat-prabhāva-vidas trayyāṁ vidyāyām eva paryavasita-matayo na para-vidyāyāṁ jaḍa-matir iti bhrātur anuśāsana-nirbandhān nyavṛtsanta.
SYNONYMS
pitari uparate — after the death of the father; bhrātaraḥ — the stepbrothers; enam — unto this Bharata (Jaḍa Bharata); a-tat-prabhāva-vidaḥ — without understanding his exalted position; trayyām — of the three Vedas; vidyāyām — in the matter of material ritualistic knowledge; eva — indeed; paryavasita — settled; matayaḥ — whose minds; na — not; para-vidyāyām — in the transcendental knowledge of spiritual life (devotional service); jaḍa-matiḥ — most dull intelligence; iti — thus; bhrātuḥ — their brother (Jaḍa Bharata); anuśāsana-nirbandhāt — from the endeavor to teach; nyavṛtsanta — stopped.
TRANSLATION
After the father died, the nine stepbrothers of Jaḍa Bharata, who considered Jaḍa Bharata dull and brainless, abandoned the father’s attempt to give Jaḍa Bharata a complete education. The stepbrothers of Jaḍa Bharata were learned in the three Vedas — the Ṛg Veda, Sāma Veda and Yajur Veda — which very much encourage fruitive activity. The nine brothers were not at all spiritually enlightened in devotional service to the Lord. Consequently they could not understand the highly exalted position of Jaḍa Bharata.
VERSE 5.9.9-10
sa ca prākṛtair dvipada-paśubhir unmatta-jaḍa-badhira-mūkety abhibhāṣyamāṇo yadā tad-anurūpāṇi prabhāṣate karmāṇi ca kāryamāṇaḥ parecchayā karoti viṣṭito vetanato vā yācñayā yadṛcchayā vopasāditam alpaṁ bahu mṛṣṭaṁ kadannaṁ vābhyavaharati paraṁ nendriya-prīti-nimittam. nitya-nivṛtta-nimitta-sva-siddha-viśuddhānubhavānanda-svātma-lābhādhigamaḥ sukha-duḥkhayor dvandva-nimittayor asambhāvita-dehābhimānaḥ. śītoṣṇa-vāta-varṣeṣu vṛṣa ivānāvṛtāṅgaḥ pīnaḥ saṁhananāṅgaḥ sthaṇḍila-saṁveśanānunmardanāmajjana-rajasā mahāmaṇir ivānabhivyakta-brahma-varcasaḥ kupaṭāvṛta-kaṭir upavītenoru-maṣiṇā dvijātir iti brahma-bandhur iti saṁjñayātaj-jñajanāvamato vicacāra.
SYNONYMS
saḥ ca — he also; prākṛtaiḥ — by common persons who have no access to spiritual knowledge; dvi-pada-paśubhiḥ — who are nothing but animals with two legs; unmatta — mad; jaḍa — dull; badhira — deaf; mūka — dumb; iti — thus; abhibhāṣyamāṇaḥ — being addressed; yadā — when; tat-anurūpāṇi — words suitable to reply to theirs; prabhāṣate — he used to speak; karmāṇi — activities; ca — also; kāryamāṇaḥ — being caused to execute; para-icchayā — by the order of others; karoti — he used to act; viṣṭitaḥ — by force; vetanataḥ — or by some wages; vā — either; yācñayā — by begging; yadṛcchayā — by its own accord; vā — or; upasāditam — gotten; alpam — a very small quantity; bahu — a large quantity; mṛṣṭam — very palatable; kat-annam — stale, tasteless foods; vā — or; abhyavaharati — he used to eat; param — only; na — not; indriya-prīti-nimittam — for the satisfaction of the senses; nitya — eternally; nivṛtta — stopped; nimitta — fruitive activity; sva-siddha — by self-accomplished; viśuddha — transcendental; anubhava-ānanda — blissful perception; sva-ātma-lābha-adhigamaḥ — who has achieved knowledge of the self; sukha-duḥkhayoḥ — in happiness and distress; dvandva-nimittayoḥ — in the causes of duality; asambhāvita-deha-abhimānaḥ — not identified with the body; śīta — in the winter; uṣṇa — in the summer; vāta — in the wind; varṣeṣu — in the rainfall; vṛṣaḥ — a bull; iva — like; anāvṛta-aṅgaḥ — uncovered body; pīnaḥ — very strong; saṁhanana-aṅgaḥ — whose limbs were firm; sthaṇḍila-saṁveśana — from lying down on the ground; anunmardana — without any massage; amajjana — without bathing; rajasā — by dirt; mahā-maṇiḥ — highly valuable gem; iva — like; anabhivyakta — unmanifested; brahma-varcasaḥ — spiritual splendor; ku-paṭa-āvṛta — covered by a dirty cloth; kaṭiḥ — whose loins; upavītena — with a sacred thread; uru-maṣiṇā — which was highly blackish due to dirt; dvi-jātiḥ — born in a brāhmaṇa family; iti — thus (saying out of contempt); brahma-bandhuḥ — a friend of a brāhmaṇa; iti — thus; saṁjñayā — by such names; a-tat-jña-jana — by persons not knowing his real position; avamataḥ — being disrespected; vicacāra — he wandered.
TRANSLATION
Degraded men are actually no better than animals. The only difference is that animals have four legs and such men have only two. These two-legged, animalistic men used to call Jaḍa Bharata mad, dull, deaf and dumb. They mistreated him, and Jaḍa Bharata behaved for them like a madman who was deaf, blind or dull. He did not protest or try to convince them that he was not so. If others wanted him to do something, he acted according to their desires. Whatever food he could acquire by begging or by wages, and whatever came of its own accord — be it a small quantity, palatable, stale or tasteless — he would accept and eat. He never ate anything for sense gratification because he was already liberated from the bodily conception, which induces one to accept palatable or unpalatable food. He was full in the transcendental consciousness of devotional service, and therefore he was unaffected by the dualities arising from the bodily conception. Actually his body was as strong as a bull’s, and his limbs were very muscular. He didn’t care for winter or summer, wind or rain, and he never covered his body at any time. He lay on the ground, and never smeared oil on his body or took a bath. Because his body was dirty, his spiritual effulgence and knowledge were covered, just as the splendor of a valuable gem is covered by dirt. He only wore a dirty loincloth and his sacred thread, which was blackish. Understanding that he was born in a brāhmaṇa family, people would call him a brahma-bandhu and other names. Being thus insulted and neglected by materialistic people, he wandered here and there.
VERSE 5.9.11
yadā tu parata āhāraṁ karma-vetanata īhamānaḥ sva-bhrātṛbhir api kedāra-karmaṇi nirūpitas tad api karoti kintu na samaṁ viṣamaṁ nyūnam adhikam iti veda kaṇa-piṇyāka-phalī-karaṇa-kulmāṣa-sthālīpurīṣādīny apy amṛtavad abhyavaharati.
SYNONYMS
yadā — when; tu — but; parataḥ — from others; āhāram — food; karma-vetanataḥ — in exchange for wages from working; īhamānaḥ — looking for; sva-bhrātṛbhiḥ api — even by his own stepbrothers; kedāra-karmaṇi — in working in the field and adjusting the agricultural work; nirūpitaḥ — engaged; tat api — at that time also; karoti — he used to do; kintu — but; na — not; samam — level; viṣamam — uneven; nyūnam — deficient; adhikam — more raised; iti — thus; veda — he knew; kaṇa — broken rice; piṇyāka — oil cakes; phalī-karaṇa — the chaff of rice; kulmāṣa — worm-eaten grains; sthālī-purīṣa-ādīni — burned rice stuck to the pot and so on; api — even; amṛta-vat — like nectar; abhyavaharati — used to eat.
TRANSLATION
Jaḍa Bharata used to work only for food. His stepbrothers took advantage of this and engaged him in agricultural field work in exchange for some food, but actually he did not know how to work very well in the field. He did not know where to spread dirt or where to make the ground level or uneven. His brothers used to give him broken rice, oil cakes, the chaff of rice, worm-eaten grains and burned grains that had stuck to the pot, but he gladly accepted all this as if it were nectar. He did not hold any grudges and ate all this very gladly.
VERSE 5.9.12
atha kadācit kaścid vṛṣala-patir bhadra-kālyai puruṣa-paśum ālabhatāpatya-kāmaḥ.
SYNONYMS
atha — thereafter; kadācit — at some time; kaścit — some; vṛṣala-patiḥ — the leader of śūdras engaged in plundering the property of others; bhadra-kālyai — unto the goddess known as Bhadra Kālī; puruṣa-paśum — an animal in the shape of a man; ālabhata — started to sacrifice; apatya-kāmaḥ — desiring a son.
TRANSLATION
At this time, being desirous of obtaining a son, a leader of dacoits who came from a śūdra family wanted to worship the goddess Bhadra Kālī by offering her in sacrifice a dull man, who is considered no better than an animal.
VERSE 5.9.13
tasya ha daiva-muktasya paśoḥ padavīṁ tad-anucarāḥ paridhāvanto niśi niśītha-samaye tamasāvṛtāyām anadhigata-paśava ākasmikena vidhinā kedārān vīrāsanena mṛga-varāhādibhyaḥ saṁrakṣamāṇam aṅgiraḥ-pravara-sutam apaśyan.
SYNONYMS
tasya — of the leader of the dacoits; ha — certainly; daiva-muktasya — by chance having escaped; paśoḥ — of the human animal; padavīm — the path; tat-anucarāḥ — his followers or assistants; paridhāvantaḥ — searching here and there to find; niśi — at night; niśītha-samaye — at midnight; tamasā āvṛtāyām — being covered by darkness; anadhigata-paśavaḥ — not catching the man-animal; ākasmikena vidhinā — by the unexpected law of providence; kedārān — the fields; vīra-āsanena — by a seat on a raised place; mṛga-varāha-ādibhyaḥ — from the deer, wild pigs and so on; saṁrakṣamāṇam — protecting; aṅgiraḥ-pravara-sutam — the son of the brāhmaṇa descending from the Āṅgirā family; apaśyan — they found.
TRANSLATION
The leader of the dacoits captured a man-animal for sacrifice, but he escaped, and the leader ordered his followers to find him. They ran in different directions but could not find him. Wandering here and there in the middle of the night, covered by dense darkness, they came to a paddy field where they saw the exalted son of the Āṅgirā family [Jaḍa Bharata], who was sitting in an elevated place guarding the field against the attacks of deer and wild pigs.
VERSE 5.9.14
atha ta enam anavadya-lakṣaṇam avamṛśya bhartṛ-karma-niṣpattiṁ manyamānā baddhvā raśanayā caṇḍikā-gṛham upaninyur mudā vikasita-vadanāḥ.
SYNONYMS
atha — thereafter; te — they (the servants of the leader of the dacoits); enam — this (Jaḍa Bharata); anavadya-lakṣaṇam — as bearing the characteristics of a dull animal because of a fat body like a bull’s and because of being deaf and dumb; avamṛśya — recognizing; bhartṛ-karma-niṣpattim — the accomplishment of their master’s work; manyamānāḥ — understanding; baddhvā — binding tightly; raśanayā — with ropes; caṇḍikā-gṛham — to the temple of Goddess Kālī; upaninyuḥ — brought; mudā — with great happiness; vikasita-vadanāḥ — with bright faces.
TRANSLATION
The followers and servants of the dacoit chief considered Jaḍa Bharata to possess qualities quite suitable for a man-animal, and they decided that he was a perfect choice for sacrifice. Their faces bright with happiness, they bound him with ropes and brought him to the temple of the goddess Kālī.
VERSE 5.9.15
atha paṇayas taṁ sva-vidhinābhiṣicyāhatena vāsasācchādya bhūṣaṇālepa-srak-tilakādibhir upaskṛtaṁ bhuktavantaṁ dhūpa-dīpa-mālya-lāja-kisalayāṅkura-phalopahāropetayā vaiśasa-saṁsthayā mahatā gīta-stuti-mṛdaṅga-paṇava-ghoṣeṇa ca puruṣa-paśuṁ bhadra-kālyāḥ purata upaveśayām āsuḥ.
SYNONYMS
atha — thereafter; paṇayaḥ — all the followers of the dacoit; tam — him (Jaḍa Bharata); sva-vidhinā — according to their own ritualistic principles; abhiṣicya — bathing; ahatena — with new; vāsasā — garments; ācchādya — covering; bhūṣaṇa — ornaments; ālepa — smearing the body with sandalwood pulp; srak — a flower garland; tilaka-ādibhiḥ — with markings on the body and so on; upaskṛtam — completely decorated; bhuktavantam — having eaten; dhūpa — with incense; dīpa — lamps; mālya — garlands; lāja — parched grain; kisalaya-aṅkura — twigs and sprouts; phala — fruits; upahāra — other paraphernalia; upetayā — fully equipped; vaiśasa-saṁsthayā — with complete arrangements for sacrifice; mahatā — great; gīta-stuti — of songs and prayers; mṛdaṅga — of the drums; paṇava — of the bugles; ghoṣeṇa — by vibration; ca — also; puruṣa-paśum — the man-animal; bhadra-kālyāḥ — of the goddess Kālī; purataḥ — just in front; upaveśayām āsuḥ — made him sit down.
TRANSLATION
After this, all the thieves, according to their imaginative ritual for killing animalistic men, bathed Jaḍa Bharata, dressed him in new clothes, decorated him with ornaments befitting an animal, smeared his body with scented oils and decorated him with tilaka, sandalwood pulp and garlands. They fed him sumptuously and then brought him before the goddess Kālī, offering her incense, lamps, garlands, parched grain, newly grown twigs, sprouts, fruits and flowers. In this way they worshiped the deity before killing the man-animal, and they vibrated songs and prayers and played drums and bugles. Jaḍa Bharata was then made to sit down before the deity.
VERSE 5.9.16
atha vṛṣala-rāja-paṇiḥ puruṣa-paśor asṛg-āsavena devīṁ bhadra-kālīṁ yakṣyamāṇas tad-abhimantritam asim ati-karāla-niśitam upādade.
SYNONYMS
atha — thereafter; vṛṣala-rāja-paṇiḥ — the so-called priest of the leader of the dacoits (one of the thieves); puruṣa-paśoḥ — of the animalistic man for being sacrificed (Bharata Mahārāja); asṛk-āsavena — with the liquor of blood; devīm — to the deity; bhadra-kālīm — the goddess Kālī; yakṣyamāṇaḥ — desiring to offer; tat-abhimantritam — consecrated by the mantra of Bhadra Kālī; asim — the sword; ati-karāla — very fearful; niśitam — finely sharpened; upādade — he took up.
TRANSLATION
At this time, one of the thieves, acting as the chief priest, was ready to offer the blood of Jaḍa Bharata, whom they imagined to be an animal-man, to the goddess Kālī to drink as a liquor. He therefore took up a very fearsome sword, which was very sharp and, consecrating it by the mantra of Bhadra Kālī, raised it to kill Jaḍa Bharata.
VERSE 5.9.17
iti teṣāṁ vṛṣalānāṁ rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtīnāṁ dhana-mada-raja-utsikta-manasāṁ bhagavat-kalā-vīra-kulaṁ kadarthī-kṛtyotpathena svairaṁ viharatāṁ hiṁsā-vihārāṇāṁ karmāti-dāruṇaṁ yad brahma-bhūtasya sākṣād brahmarṣi-sutasya nirvairasya sarva-bhūta-suhṛdaḥ sūnāyām apy ananumatam ālambhanaṁ tad upalabhya brahma-tejasāti-durviṣaheṇa dandahyamānena vapuṣā sahasoccacāṭa saiva devī bhadra-kālī.
SYNONYMS
iti — thus; teṣām — of them; vṛṣalānām — the śūdras, by whom all religious principles are destroyed; rajaḥ — in passion; tamaḥ — in ignorance; prakṛtīnām — having natures; dhana-mada — in the form of infatuation by material wealth; rajaḥ — by passion; utsikta — puffed up; manasām — whose minds; bhagavat-kalā — an expansion of the plenary expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vīra-kulam — the group of elevated personalities (the brāhmaṇas); kat-arthī-kṛtya — disrespecting; utpathena — by a wrong path; svairam — independently; viharatām — who are proceeding; hiṁsā-vihārāṇām — whose business is to commit violence against others; karma — the activity; ati-dāruṇam — very fearful; yat — that which; brahma-bhūtasya — of a self-realized person born in a brāhmaṇa family; sākṣāt — directly; brahma-ṛṣi-sutasya — of the son born of a brāhmaṇa exalted in spiritual consciousness; nirvairasya — who had no enemies; sarva-bhūta-suhṛdaḥ — a well-wisher to all others; sūnāyām — at the last moment; api — even though; ananumatam — not being sanctioned by law; ālambhanam — against the desire of the Lord; tat — that; upalabhya — perceiving; brahma-tejasā — with the effulgence of spiritual bliss; ati-durviṣaheṇa — being too bright and unbearable; dandahyamānena — burning; vapuṣā — with a physical body; sahasā — suddenly; uccacāṭa — fractured (the deity); sā — she; eva — indeed; devī — the goddess; bhadra-kālī — Bhadra Kālī.
TRANSLATION
All the rogues and thieves who had made arrangements for the worship of Goddess Kālī were low minded and bound to the modes of passion and ignorance. They were overpowered by the desire to become very rich; therefore they had the audacity to disobey the injunctions of the Vedas, so much so that they were prepared to kill Jaḍa Bharata, a self-realized soul born in a brāhmaṇa family. Due to their envy, these dacoits brought him before the goddess Kālī for sacrifice. Such people are always addicted to envious activities, and therefore they dared to try to kill Jaḍa Bharata. Jaḍa Bharata was the best friend of all living entities. He was no one’s enemy, and he was always absorbed in meditation on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He was born of a good brāhmaṇa father, and killing him was forbidden, even though he might have been an enemy or aggressive person. In any case, there was no reason to kill Jaḍa Bharata, and the goddess Kālī could not bear this. She could immediately understand that these sinful dacoits were about to kill a great devotee of the Lord. Suddenly the deity’s body burst asunder, and the goddess Kālī personally emerged from it in a body burning with an intense and intolerable effulgence.
VERSE 5.9.18
bhṛśam amarṣa-roṣāveśa-rabhasa-vilasita-bhru-kuṭi-viṭapa-kuṭila-daṁṣṭrāruṇekṣaṇāṭopāti-bhayānaka-vadanā hantu-kāmevedaṁ mahāṭṭa-hāsam ati-saṁrambheṇa vimuñcantī tata utpatya pāpīyasāṁ duṣṭānāṁ tenaivāsinā vivṛkṇa-śīrṣṇāṁ galāt sravantam asṛg-āsavam atyuṣṇaṁ saha gaṇena nipīyāti-pāna-mada-vihvaloccaistarāṁ sva-pārṣadaiḥ saha jagau nanarta ca vijahāra ca śiraḥ-kanduka-līlayā.
SYNONYMS
bhṛśam — very highly; amarṣa — in intolerance of the offenses; roṣa — in anger; āveśa — of her absorption; rabhasa-vilasita — expanded by the force; bhru-kuṭi — of her eyebrows; viṭapa — the branches; kuṭila — curved; daṁṣṭra — teeth; aruṇa-īkṣaṇa — of reddish eyes; āṭopa — by the agitation; ati — very much; bhayānaka — fearful; vadanā — having a face; hantu-kāmā — desirous to destroy; iva — as if; idam — this universe; mahā-aṭṭa-hāsam — a greatly fearful laugh; ati — great; saṁrambheṇa — because of anger; vimuñcantī — releasing; tataḥ — from that altar; utpatya — coming forth; pāpīyasām — of all the sinful; duṣṭānām — great offenders; tena eva asinā — by that same chopper; vivṛkṇa — separated; śīrṣṇām — whose heads; galāt — from the neck; sravantam — oozing out; asṛk-āsavam — the blood, compared to an intoxicating beverage; ati-uṣṇam — very hot; saha — with; gaṇena — her associates; nipīya — drinking; ati-pāna — from drinking so much; mada — by intoxication; vihvalā — overwhelmed; uccaiḥ-tarām — very loudly; sva-pārṣadaiḥ — her own associates; saha — with; jagau — sang; nanarta — danced; ca — also; vijahāra — played; ca — also; śiraḥ-kanduka — using the heads as balls; līlayā — by sports.
TRANSLATION
Intolerant of the offenses committed, the infuriated Goddess Kālī flashed her eyes and displayed her fierce, curved teeth. Her reddish eyes glowed, and she displayed her fearsome features. She assumed a frightening body, as if she were prepared to destroy the entire creation. Leaping violently from the altar, she immediately decapitated all the rogues and thieves with the very sword with which they had intended to kill Jaḍa Bharata. She then began to drink the hot blood that flowed from the necks of the beheaded rogues and thieves, as if this blood were liquor. Indeed, she drank this intoxicant with her associates, who were witches and female demons. Becoming intoxicated with this blood, they all began to sing very loudly and dance as though prepared to annihilate the entire universe. At the same time, they began to play with the heads of the rogues and thieves, tossing them about as if they were balls.
VERSE 5.9.19
evam eva khalu mahad-abhicārāti-kramaḥ kārtsnyenātmane phalati.
SYNONYMS
evam eva — in this way; khalu — indeed; mahat — to great personalities; abhicāra — in the form of envy; ati-kramaḥ — the limit of offense; kārtsnyena — always; ātmane — unto oneself; phalati — gives the result.
TRANSLATION
When an envious person commits an offense before a great personality, he is always punished in the way mentioned above.
VERSE 5.9.20
na vā etad viṣṇudatta mahad-adbhutaṁ yad asambhramaḥ sva-śiraś-chedana āpatite ’pi vimukta-dehādy-ātma-bhāva-sudṛḍha-hṛdaya-granthīnāṁ sarva-sattva-suhṛd-ātmanāṁ nirvairāṇāṁ sākṣād bhagavatānimiṣāri-varāyudhenāpramattena tais tair bhāvaiḥ parirakṣyamāṇānāṁ tat-pāda-mūlam akutaścid-bhayam upasṛtānāṁ bhāgavata-paramahaṁsānām.
SYNONYMS
na — not; vā — or; etat — this; viṣṇu-datta — O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, who was protected by Lord Viṣṇu; mahat — a great; adbhutam — wonder; yat — which; asambhramaḥ — lack of perplexity; sva-śiraḥ-chedane — when the chopping off of the head; āpatite — was about to happen; api — even though; vimukta — completely liberated from; deha-ādi-ātma-bhāva — the false bodily concept of life; su-dṛḍha — very strong and tight; hṛdaya-granthīnām — of those whose knots within the heart; sarva-sattva-suhṛt-ātmanām — of persons who in their hearts always wish well to all living entities; nirvairāṇām — who do not find anyone as their enemy; sākṣāt — directly; bhagavatā — by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; animiṣa — invincible time; ari-vara — and the best of weapons, the Sudarśana cakra; āyudhena — by Him who possesses the weapons; apramattena — not agitated at any time; taiḥ taiḥ — by those respective; bhāvaiḥ — moods of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; parirakṣyamāṇānām — of persons who are protected; tat-pāda-mūlam — at the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; akutaścit — from nowhere; bhayam — fear; upasṛtānām — of those who have taken complete shelter; bhāgavata — of devotees of the Lord; parama-haṁsānām — of the most liberated persons.
TRANSLATION
Śukadeva Gosvāmī then said to Mahārāja Parīkṣit: O Viṣṇudatta, those who already know that the soul is separate from the body, who are liberated from the invincible knot in the heart, who are always engaged in welfare activities for all living entities and who never contemplate harming anyone are always protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who carries His disc [the Sudarśana cakra] and acts as supreme time to kill the demons and protect His devotees. The devotees always take shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord. Therefore at all times, even if threatened by decapitation, they remain unagitated. For them, this is not at all wonderful.