CHAPTER NINE

The Supreme Character of Jada Bharata

In this chapter Bharata Maharaja’s attainment of the body of a brahmana
is described. In this body he remained like one dull, deaf and dumb, so
much so that when he was brought before the goddess Kali to be killed as
a sacrifice, he never protested but remained silent. After having given up
the body of a deer, he took birth in the womb of the youngest wife of a
brahmana. In this life he could also remember the activities of his past
life, and in order to avoid the influence of society, he remained like a
deaf and dumb person. He was very careful not to fall down again. He
did not mix with anyone who was not a devotee. This process should be
adopted by every devotee. As advised by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu: asat-
sariga-tyadga, —ei vaisnava-acara. One should strictly avoid the com-
pany of nondevotees, even though they may be family members. When
Bharata Maharaja was in the body of a braéhmana, the people in the
neighborhood thought of him as a crazy, dull fellow, but within he was
always chanting and remembering Vasudeva, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Although his father wanted to give him an education and
purify him as a brahmana by offering him the sacred thread. he
remained in such a way that his father and mother could understand that
he was crazy and not interested in the reformatory method. Nonetheless.
he remained fully Krsna conscious, even without undergoing such offi-
cial ceremonies. Due to his silence, some people who were no better than
animals began to tease him in many ways, but he tolerated this. After the
death of his father and mother, his stepmother and stepbrothers began to
treat him very poorly. They would give him the most condemned food.
but still he did not mind; he remained completely absorbed in Krsna con-
sciousness. He was ordered by his stepbrothers and mother to guard a
paddy field one night, and at that time the leader of a dacoit party took
him away and tried to kill him by offering him as a sacrifice before
Bhadra Kali. When the dacoits brought Bharata Maharaja before the
goddess Kali and raised a chopper to kill him, the goddess Kali became

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