योगारम्भणतो विभ्रंशितः स योगतापसो भगवदाराधनलक्षणाच्च
कथमितरथा जात्यन्तर एणकुणक आसङ्गः साक्षान्निःश्रेयसप्रतिपक्षतया
प्राक्परित्यक्तदुस्त्यजहृदयाभिजातस्य तस्यैवमन्तरायविहत योगारम्भणस्य
राजर्षेर्भरतस्य तावन्मृगार्भकपोषणपालनप्रीणनलालनानुषङ्गेणाविगणयत
आत्मानमहिरिवाखुबिलं दुरतिक्रमः कालः करालरभस आपद्यत ॥२६॥
evam aghaá¹amÄna-manorathÄkula-há¹›dayo má¹›ga-dÄrakÄbhÄsena svÄrabdha-karmaá¹‡Ä yogÄrambhaṇato vibhramÅ›itaḥ sa yoga-tÄpaso bhagavad-ÄrÄdhana-laká¹£aṇÄc ca katham itarathÄ jÄty-antara eṇa-kuṇaka Äsaá¹…gaḥ sÄká¹£Än niḥśreyasa-pratipaká¹£atayÄ prÄk-parityakta-dustyaja-há¹›dayÄbhijÄtasya tasyaivam antarÄya-vihata-yogÄrambhaṇasya rÄjará¹£er bharatasya tÄvan má¹›gÄrbhaka-poá¹£aṇa-pÄlana-prīṇana-lÄlanÄnuá¹£aá¹…geṇÄvigaṇayata ÄtmÄnam ahir ivÄkhu-bilaá¹ duratikramaḥ kÄlaḥ karÄla-rabhasa Äpadyata
evam - in that way; aghaá¹amÄna - impossible to be achieved; manaḥ-ratha - by desires, which are like mental chariots; Äkula - aggrieved; há¹›dayaḥ - whose heart; má¹›ga-dÄraka-ÄbhÄsena - resembling the son of a deer; sva-Ärabdha-karmaá¹‡Ä - by the bad results of his unseen fruitive actions; yoga-Ärambhaṇataḥ - from the activities of yoga performances; vibhramÅ›itaḥ - fallen down; saḥ - he (MahÄrÄja Bharata); yoga-tÄpasaḥ - executing the activities of mystic yoga and austerities; bhagavat-ÄrÄdhana-laká¹£aṇÄt - from the activities of devotional service rendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ca - and; katham - how; itarathÄ - else; jÄti-antare - belonging to a different species of life; eṇa-kuṇake - to the body of a deer calf; Äsaá¹…gaḥ - so much affectionate attachment; sÄká¹£Ät - directly; niḥśreyasa - to achieve the ultimate goal of life; pratipaká¹£atayÄ - with the quality of being an obstacle; prÄk - who previously; parityakta - given up; dustyaja - although very difficult to give up; há¹›daya-abhijÄtasya - his sons, born of his own heart; tasya - of him; evam - thus; antarÄya - by that obstacle; vihata - obstructed; yoga-Ärambhaṇasya - whose path of executing the mystic yoga practices; rÄja-ṛṣeḥ - of the great saintly King; bharatasya - of MahÄrÄja Bharata; tÄvat - in that way; má¹›ga-arbhaka - the son of a deer; poá¹£aṇa - i n maintaining; pÄlana - in protecting; prīṇana - in making happy; lÄlana - in fondling; anuá¹£aá¹…geṇa - by constant absorption; avigaṇayataḥ - neglecting; ÄtmÄnam - his own soul; ahiḥ iva - like a serpent; Äkhu-bilam - the hole of a mouse; duratikramaḥ - unsurpassable; kÄlaḥ - ultimate death; karÄla - terrible; rabhasaḥ - having speed; Äpadyata - arrived.
Åšukadeva GosvÄmÄ« continued: My dear King, in this way Bharata MahÄrÄja was overwhelmed by an uncontrollable desire which was manifest in the form of the deer. Due to the fruitive results of his past deeds, he fell down from mystic yoga, austerity and worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If it were not due to his past fruitive activity, how could he have been attracted to the deer after giving up the association of his own son and family, considering them stumbling blocks on the path of spiritual life? How could he show such uncontrollable affection for a deer? This was definitely due to his past karma. The King was so engrossed in petting and maintaining the deer that he fell down from his spiritual activities. In due course of time, insurmountable death, which is compared to a venomous snake that enters the hole created by a mouse, situated itself before him.
As will be seen in later verses, Bharata MahÄrÄja, at the time of death, would be forced to accept the body of a deer due to his attraction for the deer. In this regard, a question may be raised. How can a devotee be affected by his past misconduct and vicious activities? In Brahma-saá¹hitÄ (5.54) it is said, karmÄṇi nirdahati kintu ca bhakti-bhÄjÄm: “For those engaged in devotional service, bhakti-bhajana, the results of past deeds are indemnified.†According to this, Bharata MahÄrÄja could not be punished for his past misdeeds. The conclusion must be that MahÄrÄja Bharata purposefully became over-addicted to the deer and neglected his spiritual advancement. To immediately rectify his mistake, for a short time he was awarded the body of a deer. This was just to increase his desire for mature devotional service. Although Bharata MahÄrÄja was awarded the body of an animal, he did not forget what had previously happened due to his purposeful mistake. He was very anxious to get out of his deer body, and this indicates that his affection for devotional service was intensified, so much so that he was quickly to attain perfection in a brÄhmaṇa body in the next life. It is with this conviction that we declare in our Back to Godhead magazine that devotees like the gosvÄmÄ«s living in Vá¹›ndÄvana who purposely commit some sinful activity are born in the bodies of dogs, monkeys and tortoises in that holy land. Thus they take on these lower life forms for a short while, and after they give up those animal bodies they are again promoted to the spiritual world. Such punishment is only for a short period, and it is not due to past karma. It may appear to be due to past karma, but it is offered to rectify the devotee and bring him to pure devotional service.
