Text 4] The Supreme Character of Jada Bharata 31]
PURPORT

Jada Bharata was Bharata Maharaja in the body of a brahmana, and he
outwardly conducted himself as if he were dull, deaf, dumb and blind.
Actually he was quite alert within. He knew perfectly well of the results
of fruitive activity and the results of devotional service. In the body of a
brahmana, Maharaja Bharata was completely absorbed in devotional ser-
vice within; therefore it was not at all necessary for him to execute the
regulative principles of fruitive activity. As confirmed in Srimad-
Bhagavatam: svanusthitasya dharmasya samsiddhir hari-tosanam
(Bhag. 1.2.13). One has to satisfy Hari, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. That is the perfection of the regulative principles of fruitive
activity. Besides that, it is stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam:

dharmah svanusthitah pumsam
visvaksena-kathasu yah
notpddayed yadi ratim
Srama eva hi kevalam

‘Duties [dharma] executed by men, regardless of occupation, are only so
much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of
the Supreme Lord.” (Bhag. 1.2.8) These karma-kdnda activities are re-
quired as long as one has not developed Krsna consciousness. If one is
developed in Krsna consciousness, there is no need to execute the prior
regulative principles of karma-kanda. Srila Madhavendra Puri said. “O
regulative principles of karma-kdnda, please excuse me. | cannot follow
all these regulative principles, for | am fully engaged in devotional ser-
vice.” He expressed the desire to sit somehwere beneath a tree and con-
tinue chanting the Hare Krsna mahd-mantra. Consequently he did not
execute all the regulative principles. Similarly, Haridasa Thakura was
born in a Mohammedan family. From the very beginning of his life he
was never trained in the karma-kdnda system, but because he was al-
ways chanting the holy name of the Lord, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu ac-
cepted him as n@mdcdarya, the authority in chanting the holy name. As
Jada Bharata, Bharata Maharaja was always engaged in devotional service
within his mind. Since he had executed the regulative principles
