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Srimad Bhãgavatam - Fifth Canto - Jadabharata Charithra (Part 4)

King Rahugana did not recognize the greatness of JadaBharata since he was caught in the meshes of Maya (illusion) and thus nurtured the feelings of ‘I’ and ‘Mine’. JadaBharata was unmindful of the censures of the king and carried the palanquin as before. Seeing the palanquin being irregularly borne once again, the King got furious and reprimanded JadaBharata as follows, “Hey You! Are you a fool or a corpse in motion? How dare you disobey my order, a King that I am! I shall now punish you severely so that you dare not repeat it!”

Hearing these words of the King, who ignorantly identified himself with his body, JadaBharata smilingly replied, “Oh! King! You teased me believing that carrying this palanquin would be an effortless task for me. Your belief is indeed true! A load weighs on a man only if he carries it. But in truth there is indeed no distinction between ‘one who carries’ and ‘the one being carried’; ‘one who walks’ and ‘the path to be walked’ etc. (Since the Atma (Soul) is all pervading, disparity between the places do not exist. Also since the Brahman is non-dual and is The (only) Truth existing, distinctions between ‘one who carries’ and ‘the one being carried’ can not exist.) Stoutness, leanness, disease, hunger, fear, sleep, passion, the feeling of ‘I’ arising from egotism etc., appear only in a man who identifies himself with his body and not for me (the Pure Self)! The distinction that you are the Master and they (the palanquin bearers) are your slaves exists only in convention and not in reality. Indeed the truth is that you were destined to be a King and they were fated to be slaves! If it so happens that these bearers become masters and you become a slave, then you will have to serve them. You were talking of punishing me! What will you gain by punishing me who roams about like a lunatic or a dunce?” Having spoken thus, JadaBharata continued to carry the palanquin.

King Rahugana was a worldly person and was absolutely ignorant of the ways of Yogis. Thus he could not appreciate the greatness of JadaBharata till that moment. But, was he not on his way to the Ashram of the Sage Kapila in order to gain spiritual enlightenment?(!) So, on hearing the words of JadaBharata he could no longer sit inside the palanquin. He got down from the palanquin, prostrated to the Holy feet of JadaBharata with his head bent low and shirking the pride of a King addressed him humbly as follows.

To be continued……….

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