Text 8]
The Activities of Lord Rṣabhadeva
229
because He played like an ordinary human being, He gave up the mentality of identifying with it. Following this principle, He began to wander all over the world. While traveling, He came to the province of Karṇāṭa in South India and passed through Koṇka, Veṇka and Kuṭaka. He had no plan to travel this way, but He arrived near Kuṭakācala and entered a forest there. He placed stones within His mouth and began to wander through the forest, naked and with His hair disheveled like a madman.
TEXT 8
अथ समीरवेगविधूतवेणुविकर्षणजातो ग्रदावानलस्तद्वनमालेलिहानः सह तेन ददाह ॥८॥
atha samīra-vega-vidhūta-veṇu-vikarṣaṇa-jātogra-dāvānalas tad vanam ālelihānaḥ saha tena dadāha.
atha —thereafter;  samīra-vega —by the force of the wind;  vidhūta —tossed about;  veṇu —of bamboos;  vikarṣaṇa —by the rubbing;  jāta —produced;  ugra —fierce;  dāva-analaḥ —a forest fire;  tat —that;  vanam —forest near Kuṭakācala;  ālelihānaḥ —devouring all around;  saha —with;  tena —that body;  dadāha —burned to ashes.
TRANSLATION
While He was wandering about, a wild forest fire began. This fire was caused by the friction of bamboos, which were being blown by the wind. In that fire, the entire forest near Kuṭakācala and the body of Lord Rṣabhadeva were burnt to ashes.
PURPORT
Such a forest fire can burn the external bodies of animals, but Lord Rṣabhadeva was not burned, although He apparently seemed so. Lord Rṣabhadeva is the Supersoul of all living entities within the forest, and His soul is never burned by fire. As stated in  Bhagavad-gītā ,  adāhyo 'yam —the soul is never burned by fire. Due to Lord Rṣabhadeva's presence, all the animals in the forest were also liberated from material encagement.