॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Tuesday, 6 December 2022 V.010 - Jada Bharata is drafted as one of the palanquin bearers of King Rahugana. Bharata's apparent incompetence in that menial duty makes the king angry. From Bharata's reply to his censure, Rahugana realises Bharata is a Brahmajnani Avadhuta and apologises.
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In this story, we read how Jada Bharata, despite his apparent dullness and incompetence, reveals his true wisdom as a Brahmajnani Avadhuta.
Once, the king of the Sindhu and Sauvira regions, Rahugana, was travelling on the bank of the Ikshymati river. It was time for the change of the palanquin carriers, and the replacement group were one short. So the officials went looking around for a suitable male. Happy to discover a "dull-witted", able-bodied, and handsome Jada Bharata, they drafted him to carry the palanquin. As was his wont, Jada Bharata took up his position quietly, and the caravan moved.
Bharata walked slowly, careful not to crush insects and such by his tread. This made the palanquin wobble due to a lack of coordination with the other professional bearers.
Rahugana was upset and ordered, "why is the palanquin wobbly? Carry it properly!"
The fearful bearers responded, "Your Majesty, it is not our fault. This man here walks too slowly and out of step."
Rahugana realised that simply due to the fault of one person, the palanquin was not being carried properly. An able king, he was angry at this inefficiency. Speaking from kingly arrogance, he said to Bharata, not being able to recognise him as a Brahmin, "What, old man, you seem tired from the long carrying of this palanquin! Do walk properly."
When the problem continued as they moved, he was evidently piqued.
"You rascal, what are you doing? Are you dead despite the life within your body? Do you not know that I am your master? You are disregarding me and are not carrying out my order. For this disobedience, I shall now punish you just as Lord Yama punishes sinful people. The punishment will teach you how to do your job."
Poor king! He was very much entrenched in the worldly existence of the three Gunas, predominantly Rajas, and had no clue as to who Bharata, the supreme devotee of Bhagavan, was.
Bharata smiled and spoke.
ब्राह्मण उवाच
त्वयोदितं व्यक्तमविप्रलब्धं भर्तु: स मे स्याद्यदि वीर भार: । गन्तुर्यदि स्यादधिगम्यमध्वा पीवेति राशौ न विदां प्रवाद: ॥
स्थौल्यं कार्श्यं व्याधय आधयश्च क्षुत्तृड् भयं कलिरिच्छा जरा च । निद्रा रतिर्मन्युरहंमद: शुचो देहेन जातस्य हि मे न सन्ति ॥
जीवन्मृतत्वं नियमेन राजन्आद्यन्तवद्यद्विकृतस्य दृष्टम् । स्वस्वाम्यभावो ध्रुव ईड्य यत्र तर्ह्युच्यतेऽसौ विधिकृत्ययोग: ॥
विशेषबुद्धेर्विवरं मनाक्च पश्याम यन्न व्यवहारतोऽन्यत् । क ईश्वरस्तत्र किमीशितव्यं तथापि राजन् करवाम किं ते ॥
T: Bharata said, "Oh heroic king! Your chastisement is valid as you think I am not carrying the palanquin properly. But the one who knows will see that indeed there is no bearer, no path, no physical prowess and no load for the true being who is the soul. The soul has no stoutness, no thinness, no disease, no mental distress, no hunger, no thirst, no old age, no sleep, no love, no hate, no ego, no arrogance, and no cleanliness like there is for one who is merely the body. Birth and death, oh, king, are seen by one in delusion. So also is this master and slave relationship. Whatever is happening is the mere play of Destiny in terms of associations of Karma!"
"Everyone is being compelled by Karma to act in creation, full of Gunas. Indeed, at the core of reality, no one is a master, and no one is a servant. Nonetheless, if you think that you are the master and that I am the servant, I shall accept this. Please order me. What can I do for you?"
"My dear king, you have said, “You rascal, you dull, crazy fellow! I am going to chastise you, and then you will come to your senses.” In this regard, let me say that although I live like a dull, deaf and dumb man, I am actually a self-realized person. What will you gain by punishing me? If your calculation is true and I am a madman, then your punishment will be like beating a dead horse. There will be no effect. When a madman is punished, he is not cured of his madness."
Jada Bharata was composed in his reply as he was not affected by the material delusion of the world of the body. Out of his natural humility, he never considered himself a great devotee, and he submitted to the experiences in this life resulting from his past Karma. By labouring under the palanquin, he considered that his Karma was being experienced and got rid of. So he continued to bear the palanquin as before.
Bharata's words were a hard-to-ignore wake-up call for King Rahugana who was quite learned and one who revered the scriptures. His philosophic instinct was aroused by Bharata. He realised the profound truth behind the statement, "who indeed is the king and who is the servant in the final analysis?" He immediately descended from his palanquin and fell flat on the ground with his head at the lotus feet of Jada Bharata while asking for forgiveness for his insulting words against the great Brahmin. He then prayed as follows.
"Oh, Sir! You appear to be moving in this world with your real personality very much covered and unknown to others. Who are you? Are you a learned Brahmin, and a saintly person? I see that you are wearing a sacred thread. Are you one of those exalted, liberated saints such as Dattatreya and other highly advanced, learned scholars? May I ask whose disciple you are? Where do you live? Why have you come to this place? Is your mission in coming here to do good for us? Please let me know who you are."
"Dear Sir, I am not afraid of Indra's thunderbolt, Shiva's trident or Yama, the Lord of Death. I fear no fire, sun, moon, or wind. Not even the weapons of Kubera. But I am afraid of offending a true Brahmin!"
"Sir, I now think you are a realised master, established in the Supreme Truth. And yet you wander about like a dullard! Your words show deep Yogic wisdom. But we can neither fully understand your words nor reconcile this to your appearance. Pray, please clarify!"
"I consider that you have come to give spiritual knowledge, and you are a direct representative of Kapila Deva, the incarnation of Bhagavan. I am therefore asking you, oh spiritual master, what is the most secure refuge in this world? I feel your disguise as a dullard is only to test people on how advanced they are, spiritually. I am very attached to family life and worldly activities, and I am blind to spiritual knowledge. Nonetheless, I am now present before you and am seeking enlightenment from you. How can I advance in spiritual life?"
"Sir, does the soul not feel fatigue from bodily labour? How can the master-servant relationship in this world not touch the soul? As such, even though material activities are impermanent, they cannot be said to be untrue. Bodily pains and pleasures affect one's senses, mind and hence the soul also. The soul cannot be completely detached from this bodily experience."
"When a person takes the position of a king, his duty is to rule the citizens and punish those who are disobedient to the laws. By punishing them, he teaches the citizens to obey the laws of the state. Again, you have said that punishing a person who is deaf and dumb is totally wasteful like chewing the dry chaff or grinding what is already a pulp. But the duty of a king is to punish disobedience and incompetence. By his Swadharma, he is serving Bhagavan, right? That Dharma purifies his sins."
"Dear sir, excuse my insolence and insulting words. Please give me wisdom and also be compassionate to avert the effects of my transgression towards you."
न विक्रिया विश्वसुहृत्सखस्य साम्येन वीताभिमतेस्तवापि । महद्विमानात् स्वकृताद्धि मादृङ्नङ्क्ष्यत्यदूरादपि शूलपाणि: ॥
T: "Being close to the Bhagavan, Ishwara, kindly be towards me as compassionate as He always is towards all. I know that even though I may be like Lord Shiva in power, I shall be blighted if you are offended by my actions."
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
