Gandaki river

Bharata and the Deer

A Vedic Tale from the Shrimad Bhagavatam

Bharata was the eldest son of the glorious emperor Rishabhadeva and a great devotee of the Lord. His father having retired to the woods, Bharata was appointed as the ruler of the extensive kingdom. Always treading the path of virtue, he duly protected the people, cherishing them like his own children and worshipped the Lord through the performance of great sacrifices, according to Vedic standards. Having given his heart to the Lord, he would always offer Him the fruit of all sacrifices, of all charities, of all magnanimous actions he performed. Thereby, his mind was thoroughly purified, and loving devotion grew daily in his heart. Such was his magnanimity of soul, that this land came to be called after him ― Bharata.

Having ruled thus for a long time, and having exhausted his merit, and since he was responsible for the royal fortune, the royal sage divided his empire among his sons, then retired to the forest. Renouncing all relations and royal luxuries, he lived with matted hair, and wore clothes made from deerskin and tree bark.

Living alone in a hermitage next to the Gandaki river, he gave himself up to austerities and loving adoration of the Lord. He spent his time singing His name, meditating on his delightful form and offering Him flowers and roots, bulbs, the tender leaves of the Tulsi plant, and other wild products of the forest. His mind became thus freed from all cravings for objects appealing to the senses, which brought him tranquillity; his heart gradually softened in intense love for Shri Hari.

One day, having finished his daily routine, and reposing peacefully on the river bank, he witnessed an unwelcome sight. A female deer, pregnant, came to drink at the river, but suddenly a terribly loud, hoarse roar from a lion close by struck terror into the hearts of all beings.

The female deer, timid by nature, instantly jumped to the other shore, dislodging by this excessive effort the baby held in her womb.

Exhausted by the sudden leap, the premature delivery and the heart-rending fear of the lion, the deer gave up her life-breath while the baby deer was swept away down the river.

Witnessing all this, Bharata was overcome with compassion, and rescuing the young deer, carried it to his hermitage. Taking it as his new responsibility, Bharata started to nourish and protect it, to caress and play with it. In this way, as time went by, he gradually came to neglect his duties, until eventually he would spend all day thinking about the young animal, and caring for it, so much so that he abandoned the worship of the Lord.

Thinking of it as motherless, devoid of kith and kin and having him as its only relative and protection, Bharata got himself tied up in the bonds of love. He would spend all day with it and would feel great agony at its absence. Troubled in his heart by imaginary worries, like “Oh, where may it be now? Has it left me, a wretched soul that I am?”, or “Alas, may my young deer not have been attacked by a wild animal (like a lion etc.), or any heartless hunter, and may it soon find its way back to me, who am suffering so much from this separation.”

In this way, Bharata’s mind deviated altogether from the worship of the Lord and from other auspicious practices leading to union with Him, by his own evil destiny, appearing in the form of a young deer. Otherwise, how could such a strong attachment for a young animal arise in him, who had renounced his own beloved sons, so difficult to part with, as a distinct obstacle to the path of the final beatitude?

While the noble Bharata was engrossed in fondling and nourishing the deer, and his mind had deviated from and had forsaken his spiritual practices, there came for him, the moment appointed for all beings. Keeping even in that last moment the thought and image of the deer in his mind, Bharata left his body and attained to the body of a deer. His memory being intact though, by virtue of his spiritual practices, and realizing the reason for his being born as a deer, Bharata repented bitterly:

“Having renounced all relations and all royal property and having retired to the forest, always worshipping the Lord, the one Truth, beyond the reach of the senses and mind, the eternal unchanging Self of all, my mind was stolen away by the young of a deer. Oh, alas, is there any greater fool than me?“

Terribly afraid of any attachment, he left the other deer and slowly wended his way back to that very hermitage, where he had lived in his previous life, next to the holy river Gandaki. There, waiting for death, he passed his time peacefully, subsisting on dry leaves and blades of grass, until le finally cast off his animal form, half immersed in the river.

ॐ ॐ ॐ

What Went Wrong ?

A tale, showing that escaping from active life does not necessarily help to bring the desired results, for we cannot escape from our personality; wherever we go, we take our strengths and weaknesses with us.

Maharajji Sacha Baba spoke several times to his disciples about the importance of regular sadhana – in particular choosing any form of God and chanting His name (japa). A minimum of one hour a day is recommended, but for those seeking enlightenment in this very life, three hours would be the minimum.

“I insist that you dedicate one hour daily to worshipping any Bhagawan (any form of God) you may choose. Whether you feel like it or not, you just sit and do it. What can go wrong? For the rest of the day you can do your worldly work. Only one hour. By giving that time, it will become a habit, the mind will turn to Paramatman (God). It is a form of Love.” [Enlightenment Day message, 2010]

“During this Kali Yuga, Om Namo Shivaya [also pronounced “Om Nama Shivaya”] is the most powerful and fruitful mantra. So in the present period of time, the easiest way to attain spiritual as well as material goals is to pray to Shiva for just one hour every day.” [Sacha Baba Maharajji, Shivaratri festival, February 2009]

The chanting of divine names like “Om Namah Shivaya” are profound tools for harmonizing the body, mind, and consciousness with the Divine.

Among its many benefits:

It brings inner peace & mental clarity as it reduces negative thoughts, anxiety, and stress while enhancing concentration and mental focus.

It purifies the subconscious mind, destroys karmic impressions, and deepens spiritual consciousness, thus bringing about spiritual transformation.

But, when one is aiming to attain enlightenment in this same life, it is necessary to receive the mantra from a Guru, as Maharajji informs us:

“However, the japa’s essence does not start to work in a spiritual seeker as long as he has not been initiated by a Guru – one who has awakened the mantra in himself.”

“So before we can start with japa, we need the perfect Guru, who can awaken our soul through the medium of a mantra. Only a perfect Guru can do that. Otherwise that mantra will be fruitless. After cleansing ourselves from the impressions of past karmas, it takes us to the source from which we have fallen.” ~ Shri Hans Raj Maharajji – Sacha Baba and Japa.

Om Shri Maha Prabhu Ki Jay !