Srimad Bhagavatam

Canto 5: The Creative Impetus
Chapter 7: The Activities of King Bharata

Text 0: Chapter Summary
Text* 1: Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« continued speaking to MahÄrÄja ParÄ«ká¹£it: My dear King, Bharata MahÄrÄja was a topmost devotee. Following the orders of his father, who had already decided to install him on the throne, he began to rule the earth accordingly. When Bharata MahÄrÄja ruled the entire globe, he followed the orders of his father and married PañcajanÄ«, the daughter of ViÅ›varÅ«pa.
Text* 2: Just as the false ego creates the subtle sense objects, MahÄrÄja Bharata created five sons in the womb of PañcajanÄ«, his wife. These sons were named Sumati, RÄṣṭrabhá¹›ta, SudarÅ›ana, Ä€varaṇa and DhÅ«mraketu.
Text 3: Formerly this planet was known as AjanÄbha-vará¹£a, but since MahÄrÄja Bharata’s reign it has become known as BhÄrata-vará¹£a.
Text 4: MahÄrÄja Bharata was a very learned and experienced king on this earth. He perfectly ruled the citizens, being himself engaged in his own respective duties. MahÄrÄja Bharata was as affectionate to the citizens as his father and grandfather had been. Keeping them engaged in their occupational duties, he ruled the earth.
Text 5: With great faith King Bharata performed various kinds of sacrifice. He performed the sacrifices known as agni-hotra, darÅ›a, pÅ«rṇamÄsa, cÄturmÄsya, paÅ›u-yajña [wherein a horse is sacrificed] and soma-yajña [wherein a kind of beverage is offered]. Sometimes these sacrifices were performed completely and sometimes partially. In any case, in all the sacrifices the regulations of cÄturhotra were strictly followed. In this way Bharata MahÄrÄja worshiped the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Text 6: After performing the preliminaries of various sacrifices, MahÄrÄja Bharata offered the results in the name of religion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, VÄsudeva. In other words, he performed all the yajñas for the satisfaction of Lord VÄsudeva, Kṛṣṇa. MahÄrÄja Bharata thought that since the demigods were different parts of VÄsudeva’s body, He controls those who are explained in the Vedic mantras. By thinking in this way, MahÄrÄja Bharata was freed from all material contamination, such as attachment, lust and greed. When the priests were about to offer the sacrificial ingredients into the fire, MahÄrÄja Bharata expertly understood how the offering made to different demigods was simply an offering to the different limbs of the Lord. For instance, Indra is the arm of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and SÅ«rya [the sun] is His eye. Thus MahÄrÄja Bharata considered that the oblations offered to different demigods were actually offered unto the different limbs of Lord VÄsudeva.
Text 7: In this way, being purified by ritualistic sacrifices, the heart of MahÄrÄja Bharata was completely uncontaminated. His devotional service unto VÄsudeva, Lord Kṛṣṇa, increased day after day. Lord Kṛṣṇa, the son of Vasudeva, is the original Personality of Godhead manifest as the Supersoul [ParamÄtmÄ] as well as the impersonal Brahman. YogÄ«s meditate upon the localized ParamÄtmÄ situated in the heart, jñÄnÄ«s worship the impersonal Brahman as the Supreme Absolute Truth, and devotees worship VÄsudeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose transcendental body is described in the Å›Ästras. His body is decorated with the ÅšrÄ«vatsa, the Kaustubha jewel and a flower garland, and His hands hold a conchshell, disc, club and lotus flower. Devotees like NÄrada always think of Him within their hearts.
Text 8: Destiny fixed the time for MahÄrÄja Bharata’s enjoyment of material opulence at one thousand times ten thousand years. When that period was finished, he retired from family life and divided the wealth he had received from his forefathers among his sons. He left his paternal home, the reservoir of all opulence, and started for PulahÄÅ›rama, which is situated in Hardwar. The Å›ÄlagrÄma-Å›ilÄs are obtainable there.
Text 9: At Pulaha-ÄÅ›rama, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, out of His transcendental affection for His devotee, becomes visible to His devotee, satisfying His devotee’s desires.
Text 10: In Pulaha-ÄÅ›rama is the Gaṇá¸akÄ« River, which is the best of all rivers. The Å›ÄlagrÄma-Å›ilÄ, the marble pebbles, purify all those places. On each and every marble pebble, up and down, circles like navels are visible.
Text 11: In the gardens of Pulaha-ÄÅ›rama, MahÄrÄja Bharata lived alone and collected a variety of flowers, twigs and tulasÄ« leaves. He also collected the water of the Gaṇá¸akÄ« River, as well as various roots, fruits and bulbs. With these he offered food to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, VÄsudeva, and, worshiping Him, he remained satisfied. In this way his heart was completely uncontaminated, and he did not have the least desire for material enjoyment. All material desires vanished. In this steady position, he felt full satisfaction and was situated in devotional service.
Text 12: That most exalted devotee, MahÄrÄja Bharata, in this way engaged constantly in the devotional service of the Lord. Naturally his love for VÄsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, increased more and more and melted his heart. Consequently he gradually lost all attachment for regulative duties. The hairs of his body stood on end, and all the ecstatic bodily symptoms were manifest. Tears flowed from his eyes, so much so that he could not see anything. Thus he constantly meditated on the reddish lotus feet of the Lord. At that time, his heart, which was like a lake, was filled with the water of ecstatic love. When his mind was immersed in that lake, he even forgot the regulative service to the Lord.
Text 13: MahÄrÄja Bharata appeared very beautiful. He had a wealth of curly hair on his head, which was wet from bathing three times daily. He dressed in a deerskin. He worshiped Lord NÄrÄyaṇa, whose body was composed of golden effulgence and who resided within the sun. MahÄrÄja Bharata worshiped Lord NÄrÄyaṇa by chanting the hymns given in the Ṛg Veda, and he recited the following verse as the sun rose.
Text 14: “The Supreme Personality of Godhead is situated in pure goodness. He illuminates the entire universe and bestows all benedictions upon His devotees. The Lord has created this universe from His own spiritual potency. According to His desire, the Lord entered this universe as the Supersoul, and by virtue of His different potencies He is maintaining all living entities desiring material enjoyment. Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the Lord, who is the giver of intelligence.â€