अथ त एनमनवद्यलक्षणमवमृश्य भर्तृकर्मनिष्पत्तिं मन्यमाना बद्ध्वा रशनया
चण्डिकागृहमुपनिन्युर्मुदा विकसितवदनाः ॥१४॥

atha ta enam anavadya-laká¹£aṇam avamṛśya bhartá¹›-karma-niá¹£pattiá¹ manyamÄnÄ baddhvÄ raÅ›anayÄ caṇá¸ikÄ-gá¹›ham upaninyur mudÄ vikasita-vadanÄḥ

 atha - thereafter; te - they (the servants of the leader of the dacoits); enam - this (Jaá¸a Bharata); anavadya-laká¹£aṇam - 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; bhartá¹›-karma-niá¹£pattim - the accomplishment of their master's work; manyamÄnÄḥ - understanding; baddhvÄ - binding tightly; raÅ›anayÄ - with ropes; caṇá¸ikÄ-gá¹›ham - to the temple of goddess KÄlÄ«; upaninyuḥ - brought; mudÄ - with great happiness; vikasita-vadanÄḥ - with bright faces.


Text

The followers and servants of the dacoit chief considered Jaá¸a 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 KÄlÄ«.

Purport

In some parts of India, animalistic men are still sacrificed before the goddess KÄlÄ«. However, such a sacrifice is only performed by śūdras and dacoits. Their business is to plunder the wealthy, and to become successful they offer an animalistic man before the goddess KÄlÄ«. It should be noted that they never sacrifice an intelligent man before the goddess. In the body of a brÄhmaṇa, Bharata MahÄrÄja appeared deaf and dumb, yet he was the most intelligent man in the world. Nonetheless, being completely surrendered unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he remained in that condition and did not protest being brought before the deity for slaughter. As we have learned from the previous verses, he was very strong and could have very easily avoided being bound with ropes, but he did not do anything. He simply depended on the Supreme Personality of Godhead for his protection. ÅšrÄ«la Bhaktivinoda ṬhÄkura describes surrender unto the Supreme Lord in this way:

mÄrabi rÄkhabi — yo icchÄ tohÄrÄ
 nitya-dÄsa-prati tuyÄ adhikÄrÄ

“My Lord, I am now surrendered unto You. I am Your eternal servant, and if You like You can kill me, or, if You like, You can protect me. In any case, I am fully surrendered unto You.â€