Srimad Bhagavatam. Canto 5: The Creative Impetus

Chapter 8: A Description of the Character of Bharata Maharaja. Text 30

इत्येवं निगूढनिर्वेदो विसृज्य मृगीं मातरं पुनर्भगव
त्क्षेत्रमुपशमशीलमुनिगणदयितं शालग्रामं पुलस्त्यपुलहाश्रमं कालञ्जरात्प्रत्या
जगाम ॥३०॥

ity evaá¹ nigÅ«á¸ha-nirvedo visá¹›jya má¹›gÄ«á¹ mÄtaraá¹ punar bhagavat-ká¹£etram upaÅ›ama-śīla-muni-gaṇa-dayitaá¹ Å›ÄlagrÄmaá¹ pulastya-pulahÄÅ›ramaá¹ kÄlañjarÄt pratyÄjagÄma

 iti - thus; evam - in this way; nigÅ«á¸ha - hidden; nirvedaḥ - completely unattached to material activities; visá¹›jya - giving up; má¹›gÄ«m - the deer; mÄtaram - its mother; punaḥ - again; bhagavat-ká¹£etram - the place where the Supreme Lord is worshiped; upaÅ›ama-śīla - completely detached from all material attachments; muni-gaṇa-dayitam - which is dear to the great saintly residents; Å›ÄlagrÄmam - the village known as ÅšÄlagrÄma; pulastya-pulaha-ÄÅ›ramam - to the ÄÅ›rama conducted by such great sages as Pulastya and Pulaha; kÄlañjarÄt - from the KÄlañjara Mountain, where he had taken his birth in the womb of a deer; pratyÄjagÄma - he came back.


Text

Although Bharata MahÄrÄja received the body of a deer, by constant repentance he became completely detached from all material things. He did not disclose these things to anyone, but he left his mother deer in a place known as KÄlañjara Mountain, where he was born. He again went to the forest of ÅšÄlagrÄma and to the ÄÅ›rama of Pulastya and Pulaha.

Purport

It is significant that MahÄrÄja Bharata, by the grace of VÄsudeva, remembered his past life. He did not waste a moment; he returned to Pulaha-ÄÅ›rama to the village known as ÅšÄlagrÄma. Association is very meaningful; therefore ISKCON tries to perfect one who enters the society. The members of this society should always remember that the society is not like a free hotel. All the members should be very careful to execute their spiritual duties so that whoever comes will automatically become a devotee and will be able to return back to Godhead in this very life. Although Bharata MahÄrÄja acquired the body of a deer, he again left his hearth and home, in this case the Mountain KÄlañjara. No one should be captivated by his birthplace and family; one should take shelter of the association of devotees and cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness.