Amma's Column

	Sunday, June 21, 2009
	Story of Bharata II (Jadabharata) Previously: The Story of Bharata In his third rebirth, Bharata was born as a son of Angirasa, a brahmin and his second wife. Unlike his siblings, Bharata had no liking for study or any manual work. He sat motionless all the time, without speaking and earned the sobriquet of "Jadabharata". But Bharata remembered his two previous rebirths and did not want another cycle of rebirths. Hence he kept away from all earthly activities. When time came for upanayana or the sacred thread ceremony, he could not utter or repeat a single word of the Gayatri Mantra in spite of immense efforts of his father. Poor father died of sheer frustration and his wife committed Sati. Boy Jadabharata become an orphan. He hardly spoke earlier and now observed total silence. But he meditated all the time, kept away from earthly temptations and silence helped him. Thinking him idiot and dumb, his step-brothers divided their father's property among themselves. They started treating Bharata as a servant. Even their wives made him do all the house-hold work and served him only leftovers. They used to find fault with him for everything. He used to bear the ill-treatment patiently and would go out, sit under a tree near the highway, and return home when everything had cooled down. One day while he was sitting under the tree after a lot of screaming and scolding at home, a royal palanquin arrived. Three bearers were carrying it and were very much tired. Seeing a well built youngster idling under the tree, the king who was in the palanquin ordered Bharata to join the bearer's team. Bharata obliged. But this job was new to him and he could not keep even pace with trained bovis (carriers). There was imbalance and the palanquin started swinging. The king got angry. "You lazy slug! I will punish you if you do not behave yourself!" -- he shouted. Bharata smiled and broke his silence. "Oh! King! These harsh words have no meaning. I am not a mere palanquin-bearer and thou, a mere ruler. These things pertain only to the body and not to the soul! Who is the king, and who is the servant? The position may change after a while. But the quality of Atman (The soul) would never change. Such being the case, whom are you going to punish? It is my body which you may punish. But presently I am enjoying great bliss and do not care for mortal agony." The king was taken aback. Here was a sage in the guise of dud! He got down from the palanquin and fell at the feet of Bharata. "Oh great Soul (Mahatma)! Who are you? From your sacred thread I guess you are a Brahmin." I am never afraid of warriors or their weapons. But I am scared of Brahmins and their wisdom. Oh, Mighty One! Please instruct me", he pleaded. Sitting by the roadside tree, Bharata started speaking about futility of worldly pleasures and bliss of spiritual enlightenment for hours. The king forgot himself and all his duties which he thought were most important. He went back a completely changed person. Bharata also went back to his people and never spoke again. Finally came his end. At the hour of death he was a free soul and he knew he would not have the agony of rebirth.
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Jyotsna Kamat Ph.D. lives in Bangalore.

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