||Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran||

||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 57 – Ajamila Upakhyanam -1

King Pareekshith  “ Oh! Maharishi, you have taught me the Nivriththi Marg/method of renunciation, the practice of mind not to get attached with the material affairs.  You have described the different types of hell/Narakavarnnana.  Oh! Mahabhaga, How could I get relieved from the pain and miseries of hellish tortures?”

Shukha Bhramam replied “ Oh! Rajan, whoever commits sins by words, deeds, and mind, should undergo endless miseries and sorrows, who do not perform the atonement of the sins have to undergo constant sufferings and afflictions.  Therefore, we have to take preventative measures for all those afflictions before it completely destroys the mental and physical well-being, like prevention is better than cure.”  King Pareekshith disapproving the idea of atonement said “Oh! Mahabhaga, once the atonement were performed for the sins committed, and if the sins were repeated again and again like giving bath to an elephant, if so why would we have to perform the atonement for the sins in the first place?”  Shuka Brahma replied “Oh! Rajan, The performance of atonement for the sins would provide some kind of relief for the people who have not attained the knowledge of Bhramam.  People who believe in the performance of atonement for sins will gradually focus their attention towards the supreme Lord by meditation, practice of celibacy, disciplines, worship of Lord Vasudeva, recitation of sacred hymns, in this way you can burn your accumulated sins and ignorance, like the brilliance of Lord Surya removes the darkness, in other words, the bamboo trees crush each other and the fire originates from it, eventually it destroys the entire Bamboo wood.  The impurities of mind can be cleansed with the intense devotion and meditation upon Lord Vasudeva.  The body made up of five vital elements, the mind has originated from the supreme soul and it is preserved by the supreme soul, therefore it has to return to the supreme Lord.  There are various methods to practice devotion to Lord, such as selfless service to Lord and his devotees, control of senses, recitation of sacred names of Lord, surrendering to supreme Lord, in this way the worshiper would get relieved from accumulated sins.  The worshiper who contemplates upon supreme Lord Narayana would get relieved from extreme fears and anxieties of worldly existence.  Oh! Rajendra, The person who performs the atonement for the sins without the knowledge of supreme Lord would not achieve any fruitful results, moreover, none of his/expiations would eradicate the sins, like the vessel contained the intoxicating drinks would bear the smell of the same even though it is cleansed with the waters of Ganga.  The worshiper whose mind is full of firm devotion at the lotus feet of Lord Krishna and has thorough knowledge ‘self’ and glories of supreme Lord, will not face Lord Yama or emissaries of Lord Yama, not even in their dreams.  Oh! Rajan, listen to me carefully I shall narrate the story of a Brahmin Ajamila.”

||Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran||

||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 56 - Jada Bharatha’s conversation with the King Raghugana -4

Jadabharatha replied “ Oh! Rajan, listen to me carefully, the body is perishable, it is made of five essential elements, all your limbs and possessions and palanquin are created with these five elements, you are proud of yourself as King of Sindhu Sauveera.  You have disillusioned, appointed all these men to carry your Palanquin, thereby you have put them in physical strain, and it won’t be considered as a wise deed.  If your mind is attached to your body and status, then you are a dull person, you have not understood the Paramathma who resides as a soul in you.  Your body and mind are inactive without the soul.  Oh! Rajan, turn all your attention to know the ultimate truth,  learn the supreme knowledge of self, realize  the supreme Lord as wisdom and knowledge, its unblemished and pure, it is the ultimate truth which has no duality,  it is all-pervading Bhramam,  it is serene and has the nature of bliss, the intellectuals call it ‘Vasudeva’. Oh! King Raghugana, change your excessive pride from the body to the supreme soul resides in subtle form.   The practice of realization of the supreme soul does not require extreme penances, or fire sacrifices, or Pithrupoojanam, or performing the tasks in the family, or recitation of Vedic hymns, or worship of idols or worship of Lord Surya.  All that you need to understand the presence of the Supreme Lord as a soul in living beings, before performing all those above-said rituals which are part of the discipline, without this knowledge all those rituals performed will become unfruitful.  The knowledge of self /supreme Lord can be attained by the selfless service to liberated souls, saintly people, and preceptor,  listening to their teachings and sincerely follow them.  Oh, Rajan,  it is impossible to attain the supreme knowledge without their grace.  Oh! Rajan, if you turn your concentration and devotion to supreme Lord, it will eradicate all your miseries and grief,  practice your mind listening to the glorious myths of supreme Lord, it will get attached with the glories of supreme Lord Vasudeva.  I am teaching you all that I have experienced in my previous births.  I was Emperor Bharatha in one of my previous births, I have sacrificed the throne and family, practiced intense penance without the knowledge of supreme Lord, unfortunately, I have got attached to a deer in the wood, and therefore I have to born with the body of deer.  Later, with the grace of the supreme Lord and piousness earned in my previous births, I have attained the body of a human and born in the family of a Brahmin, I have re-collected all about my previous births and understood my foolishness.  Immediately after birth, I have taken a vow not to get attached to anything in the world, thus I have started traveling all alone.  Oh! Rajans, free your mind from worldly matters, concentrate your mind in listening to the glories of Lord Hari, contemplate upon him, and elevate your soul.  There is no other way to get relieved from miseries and sorrows of worldly existence.”

Jadabharatha narrates the legend of wood/Bhavadavi to Raghugana.  Jadabaratha concluded “ Oh! Rajan, I have narrated the supreme knowledge of Bhramam to you, all you have to do is sieve off all those darkness of ignorance with the sharp sword of wisdom.”

King Raghugana prostrates before Jadabharatha and said “Oh! Mahatma, I am fortunate with your compassionate grace. I have thoroughly understood where I have made a mistake.  I take this opportunity to serve your feet as the grace of the supreme Lord.  I shall repeatedly prostrate before you.  Oh! Avadhootha, who is wandering like a child, youthful and intellectual, free from all the worldly matters, Oh! Brahmin, who has supreme knowledge and knowledge about highest philosophies,  I shall repeatedly prostrate before you.”

||Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran||

||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 55 - Jada Bharatha’s conversation with the King Raghugana -3

Jadabharatha continues “Oh! Rajan, a person who is soaked in the worldly matters, lacking control of mind, focusing on the sensual pleasures and miseries of life could not turn aside from it and concentrate on the supreme Lord who resides as a soul in the human body.  The flexible mind turns away from the worldly matters at ease and concentrates on the Supreme Lord.  Oh! Rajan, the air has all-pervading nature and vital for the existence of living beings on Earth, in the same manner, Bhagavan Vasudeva/Kshethrajja resides as soul the living beings.  The person who has the knowledge of Athman, that body is perishable and the mind is the tool shaping an individual, it has the power to wander around worldly matters as well as to concentrate on the supreme Lord Bhagavan Vasudeva who is eternal.  The mind has the power to focus on the supreme Lord at ease, but it cannot stand up with the thoughts of other individuals for a long time, thus the difference of opinion arises in all relationships.  The mind that was originated from the soul has the ultimate destination, it has to return to the supreme Lord who resides as a soul like rivers and streams find its way to merge with the ocean.  The individual who understands this ultimate truth would live as a renounced soul.  As long as the mind wanders around seeking sensual pleasures, it will not realize the knowledge of self.  Oh! Rajan,  therefore focus your mind on the supreme Lord who resides as a soul in you, otherwise, you have to undergo the troubles of mental and physical ailments on your whole life, you will not get freed by miseries and sorrows of worldly existence.  Therefore, you should turn your feeble mind that is wandering all over seeking sensual pleasures into the glorious myths of Lord who is the supreme Preceptor, capable to elevate the soul from miseries and sorrows of worldly existence.  ”

King Raghugana replied “ Oh! Mahathma, Oh! Avadhootha, I shall reverentially prostrate before you,  I could understand your teaching about the highest of the truth, even though I have the slightest doubt to clear with you.  All your teachings are like medicines to a patient, it is comfortable for a person who is fighting in the icy cold.  Oh! Mahatma, you have narrated the strange aptitude of the mind to wedge with the eternal truth of Paramathma, and the capacity to stay away from it.  I could understand your teachings, but I am unable to visualize it.”

||Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran||

||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 54 - Jada Bharatha’s conversation with the King Raghugana -2

King Raghugana with folded hands said “ Oh! Mahatma/liberated soul, kindly introduce you.  You are not an ordinary soul, I have committed a grave sin, I have ordered to carry my palanquin on your shoulders. I am not scared of the Vajrayudha of Lord Indhra, I am not scared of the trident of Lord Shiva, I am not scared of the noose of Lord Yama, I am deeply concerned about my impolite comment on you.  Therefore, kindly do not curse me.  I am ignorant; I have spoken rudely about a renounced soul.  I have understood your greatness, I shall repeatedly prostrate before you, kindly forgive me.  Oh! Mahatma, I want to know about the eternal truth. I have worn out of miseries and sorrows, I have lost peace of mind and I was in search for Paramaguru Sage Kapila.  Kindly help me to bring the serenity of mind.  I am wholeheartedly willing to learn about the absolute truth/Paramarththa/highest of the philosophies. Oh! Mahatma, the vessel that holds water and rice get cooked in the fire if we assume body as a vessel, mind as water, and soul as rice, whatever going through the body and mind should affect the soul.  How could you say that the soul remains untouched?  Kindly narrate to me.”

Jadabharatha replied to King Raghugana “ Oh! Rajan, the mind has a great influence on our body, while I was carrying your palanquin I was not carrying you in my mind,  or not disturbed by your rude comments.  The intellectuals separate the action/Vyavahara and knowledge of supreme self, you need to understand how to separate them in your daily life.  You have been in the Grihasthashrama for long and taking pleasure in it without the knowledge of self, therefore you are bound by the miseries and sorrows of the worldly matters.  While in Grihasthashrama you should have taken an effort to understand your duties and responsibilities, and knowledge of self as well, as long as the mind immerses in worldly matters, it gets detached from the knowledge of self.  The mind which is absorbed in worldly matters undergoes sixteen types of emotions such as ego, jealousy, pride, anxiety, sorrow, greed, lust, desire, humiliation, anger, depression etc…. it does not allow the mind to concentrate on the knowledge of self.  Oh! Rajan, understands the truth that the life is full of extreme happiness and extreme sorrow, the intensity of the happiness and sorrows varies according to the circumstances, it is full of delusion, therefore do not let the happiness or sorrow embrace your mind that would create endless miseries and sorrows to you.  As long as you are fastened with the worldly matters it will not let you experience the supreme bliss.  Oh! Rajan, I shall narrate you in detail, our mind is like oil in the lamp, once the oil in the lamp emptied,  the fire like tribulations goes off.  The mind never keeps idle, it is constantly in search of matter, and therefore you have to educate your mind to focus in different matters which could bring peace and serenity.  The Kshethrajja/the supreme Lord resides as a soul in living beings, he is supreme Purusha, who is eternal, he has neither beginning nor end, he symbolizes supreme brilliance which removes the darkness of ignorance.  Oh! Rajan, he is supreme Lord Narayana who resides as a soul in living beings are engulfed in illusion; therefore we are incapable to realize his real nature.  Therefore, focus your mind on Bhagavan  Vasudeva who is Paresha to get relieved from all the miseries and sorrows of the worldly existence.”

||Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran||

||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 53 – Jada Bharatha’s conversation with the King Raghugana -1

The conversation between Jada Bharatha and the  King Raghugana teach us the highest of the knowledge that the mind has immense power to get attached to the material world,  therefore it is our duty to educate the mind not to get attached to any worldly matters, and divert its attention to the glorious myths of the Supreme Lord.  King Raghugana was the ruler of the Kingdom Sindhu Sauveera, he did not find peace in the family, so he decided to visit Kapilashram, the hermitage of Sage Kapila.  On their way, they felt the need for a person to carry the Palaquin of King Raghugana.  They found Jada Bharatha who is youthful with a strong physique, King’s men instructed Jada Bharatha to carry the palanquin was sincerely followed.  Jada Bharatha was keenly watching every step and moved forward,  he took great care of his every single step without hurting any crawling creatures in the wood, his movements were neither matching nor balancing with other three people who were carrying the Palanquin.   The King was annoyed by the movement of the Palanquin, he got angry and ordered to stop in the middle.  The King’s men replied “ Oh! Rajan, we are not the one causing quake to the palanquin; we have hired a youth who is causing irregular haul to the Palanquin, he has no knowledge of the happenings, he is neither looking at us nor co-operating with us.”  King Raghugana looked over the Palanquin and found it was Jada Bharatha with a well-built physique and mocked at him. Jada Bharatha did not pay any attention to the harsh comments of the King, he continued to walk.  Suddenly the King’s men moved in a great speed, Jada Bharatha could not move further, the palanquin lost its balance.  King Raghugana in a rage “Hey, Pramaththa/insane, are you dead or alive? You can’t understand anything? Do you know who am I? I am capable enough to punish you for your irresponsible deed.”  Jada Bharatha thought that I have carried the King Raghugana on my shoulder, therefore it is my responsibility to impart him the supreme knowledge of Bhramam, he should get the grace of Lord.  Jada Bharatha who has not uttered a word in all his life began to speak “Oh! Rajan, you are absolutely right, you have passed sarcastic comments on my body, you have enquired me alive or corpse, you have the misconception that you are bearing the subjects of the Kingdom on your shoulders.  I am not carrying any weight, or am not capable of it, heaviness or thinness, illness, anxiety, grief, hunger, desire, yearning, aging, impurities of the mind, that are born with the body.  I am not related to the body or impurities of mind; I have no body-conscious as well.  Oh! Rajan, the body undergoes a continuous transformation, ultimately it has to face death, it engages in deeds as long as the imperishable soul/Bhramam resides in it.”  King Raghugana looked at the eyes of Jadabaratha, and realized that he is not an ordinary soul, he is an intellectual.  Jadabharatha continued “Oh! Rajan, you cannot punish me.  You can get hands-on my body; you can pass sarcastic comments on me, which is not going to affect my soul.”  King Raghugana understood the divinity of Jadabharatha, he jumped out of the palanquin and prostrated before him and begged for forgiveness.

||Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran||

||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 52 - Jadabharatha Upakhyanam -3

Rajarishi Bharatha took the body of the infant of deer on his next birth, during this period the deer was constantly engaged in the thought of his previous birth as Bharatha who constantly engages in the meditation upon the Supreme Lord.  Therefore, the deer attained the form of human on next birth.   Jada Bharatha took birth in a pious Brahmin family belongs to the Angirass Gothra, they were engaged in various pious activities like recitation of Veda, performances fire sacrifices, worship of Lord etc..  The moment the infant Bharatha pushed out of the womb of the mother, remembered his previous lives as Rajarishi Bharatha and the deer, therefore he took a vow not to get attached to any of the worldly matters.  His father performed all the religious ceremonies to the child, but the child was pretended as he was lacking speaking or hearing ability.  His father whispered the Vedic hymns of Gayathri to his ears were not heard or repeated.  His father was extremely disappointed, he tried to change the habit of the child but nothing worked on Jadabharatha.  His parents have died, his brothers were taken care of the responsibility of the remaining members of the family.  They soon gave up on Bharatha who was neither good in studies or duties.  They found Jada Bharatha has nothing to contribute to the welfare of the family so they refused to take care of him.  Eventually, Jada Bharatha left home in bliss.  He consumed meals if anyone offers him, or starves; he takes ablutions whenever he feels, he works for others, if they offer anything in return he will accept or disappear with no complaints.  His mind was always happy and serene, soaked in the ultimate Bhramam.  He was free from sorrows or happiness; he had no feeling of cold or heat, he had no body-conscious, he was in a state of contentment and supreme bliss. Jada Bharatha took up the work of guarding the agricultural land.

Once, the chief of the tribal clan visited the astrologer to find a solution for lack of progeny.  The astrologer advised to please Goddess Chandika of the Village by offering human meat.  Eventually, the chief of the tribal chief ordered his men to search for a human for the offering.  They found Jada Bharatha who has an effulgent face; they fastened him with the rope and took him to the shrine of Goddess Bhadrakali.  They gave bath to Jadabharatha, dressed him in new clothes and decorated with ornaments, smeared with rich fragrances and adorned in flower garlands; they fed him with a variety of meals.  They took him near the huge rock before the idol of Goddess Bhadrakali and prepared to sieve off his head.  Suddenly the idol of Goddess Bhradrakali quivered forcefully and broken into pieces with a loud noise, a huge dreadful form of Bhradrakali with black complexion, fierce teeth, long and disheveled curly hair, numerous hands with vicious weapons, large eyes,  and lolling tongue appeared before them.  She seized the sword from the person, who was preparing to severe the head of Jada Bharatha, she briskly chopped off the heads of the tribal people assembled, as if she was playing with the ball.  Jada Bharatha had no fear or uneasiness when his head was about to cut off, he was calm and quiet as usual.   He strongly imagined the supreme Lord as his inseparable companion, he had no body-conscious, and he had firm devotion and faith upon the supreme Lord.  Jada Bharatha was not dull; he was a supreme intellectual who has the absolute knowledge of Bhramam.

||Srimad Bhagavath Mahapuran||

||Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya||

Chapter – 51- Jadabharatha Upakhyanam -2

Sutha Pauranika describes “ Rajarishi Bharatha took great care of the infant of the deer, he was too devoted to the infant, eventually  he forgot his daily religious rites, he fed the child, he cried with it and laughed with it, he performed all the duties of the deer, he was anxious of it future, showered all his fondness, he could not bear the separation from the deer, gradually his  attachment to the infant of the deer grew deeper.  He took great care of the infant like a father, mother, brother, and a friend, eventually, his heart was inseparable from the child of the deer, and his mind was too absorbed in the thought of it.  He was relentlessly accompanied by the infant of the deer.   Thus, Rajarishi Bharatha did not realize the passage of the time; he was too attached as well as anxious about its safety.  The time has started to play its tricks on him and the deer, he completely forgot the purpose of his visit to woods and completely wrapped up in taking care of it, feeding and worrying about its safety.  While leaving the mortal coil he cried out of self-pity “ Oh! Vasudeva, I have wandered all over the woods, I have undertaken the Tapasya to contemplate upon you, recite your glories, remembrances of your glorious myths and attain the association of pious people.  I have sacrificed my Kingdom and my relatives and family for you.  Unfortunately, I have fallen deep into worldly bondage with the infant of deer and lost the objective of life.”   His mind was too absorbed in the thoughts of the infant of the deer while leaving the mortal coil, thus he has attained the body of the deer in his next birth.  Rajarishi Bharatha after attaining the body of the infant deer spends the days on the surroundings of Pulahashrama, consumed dried grass, stayed away from its herd, and finally left its mortal coil.