Text 24] The Character of Bharata Maharaja 291

liberation; deva-yajanam—a place of sacrifice to the demigods: karoti—
it makes.

TRANSLATION

After speaking like a madman in this way, Maharaja Bharata got
up and went outside. Seeing the footprints of the deer on the
ground, he praised the footprints out of love, saying: O unfortu-
nate Bharata, your austerities and penances are very insignificant
compared to the penance and austerity undergone by this earth
planet. Due to the earth’s severe penances, the footprints of this
deer, which are small, beautiful, most auspicious and soft, are im-
printed on the surface of this fortunate planet. This series of
footprints show a person like me, who am bereaved due to loss of
the deer, how the animal has passed through the forest artd how I
can regain my lost wealth. By these footprints, this land has
become a proper place for brahmanas who desire heavenly planets
or liberation to execute sacrifices to the demigods.

PURPORT

It is said that when a person becomes overly involved in loving affairs.
he forgets himself as well as others, and he forgets how to act and how to
speak. It is said that once when a man’s son was blind since birth. the
father, out of staunch affection for the child, named him Padmalocana.
or “lotus-eyed.”’ This is the situation arising from blind love. Bharata
Maharaja gradually fell into this condition due to his material love for
the deer. It is said in the smrti-Sdstra:

yasmin dese mrgah krsnas
tasmin dharmann ivodhata

“That tract of land wherein the footprints of a black deer can be seen is
to be understood as a suitable place to execute religious rituals.”

TEXT 24
AAANATET TN FMAATAS: TAL |RvIl
