Srimad Bhagavatam. Canto 5: The Creative Impetus

Chapter 8: A Description of the Character of Bharata Maharaja. Text 31

तस्मिन्नपि कालं प्रतीक्षमाणः सङ्गाच्च भृशमुद्विग्न आत्मसहचरः शुष्कपर्ण
तृणवीरुधा वर्तमानो मृगत्वनिमित्तावसानमेव गणयन्मृगशरीरं
तीर्थोदकक्लिन्नमुत्ससर्ज ॥३१॥

tasminn api kÄlaá¹ pratÄ«ká¹£amÄṇaḥ saá¹…gÄc ca bhṛśam udvigna Ätma-sahacaraḥ Å›uá¹£ka-parṇa-tṛṇa-vÄ«rudhÄ vartamÄno má¹›gatva-nimittÄvasÄnam eva gaṇayan má¹›ga-Å›arÄ«raá¹ tÄ«rthodaka-klinnam ut-sasarja

 tasmin api - in that ÄÅ›rama (Pulaha-ÄÅ›rama); kÄlam - the end of the duration of life in the deer body; pratÄ«ká¹£amÄṇaḥ - always waiting for; saá¹…gÄt - from association; ca - and; bhṛśam - constantly; udvignaḥ - full of anxiety; Ätma-sahacaraḥ - having the Supersoul as the only constant companion (no one should think of being alone); Å›uá¹£ka-parṇa-tṛṇa-vÄ«rudhÄ - by eating only the dry leaves and herbs; vartamÄnaḥ - existing; má¹›gatva-nimitta - of the cause of a deer's body; avasÄnam - the end; eva - only; gaṇayan - considering; má¹›ga-Å›arÄ«ram - the body of a deer; tÄ«rtha-udaka-klinnam - bathing in the water of that holy place; utsasarja - gave up.


Text

Remaining in that ÄÅ›rama, the great King Bharata MahÄrÄja was now very careful not to fall victim to bad association. Without disclosing his past to anyone, he remained in that ÄÅ›rama and ate dry leaves only. He was not exactly alone, for he had the association of the Supersoul. In this way he waited for death in the body of a deer. Bathing in that holy place, he finally gave up that body.

Purport

Holy places like Vá¹›ndÄvana, Hardwar, PrayÄga and JagannÄtha PurÄ« are especially meant for the execution of devotional service. Vá¹›ndÄvana specifically is the most exalted and preferred holy place for Vaiṣṇava devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa who are aspiring to return back to Godhead, the Vaikuṇṭha planets. There are many devotees in Vá¹›ndÄvana who regularly bathe in the YamunÄ, and this cleanses all the contamination of the material world. By constantly chanting and hearing the holy names and pastimes of the Supreme Lord, one certainly becomes purified and becomes a fit candidate for liberation. However, if one purposefully falls victim to sense gratification, he has to be punished, at least for one lifetime, like Bharata MahÄrÄja.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fifth Canto, Eighth Chapter, of the ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam, entitled “A Description of the Character of Bharata MahÄrÄja.â€