Further Talks Between King Rahūgaṇa and Jaḍa Bharata

In the Thirteenth Chapter, by describing the forest of the material world, Bharata puts the King on the horse of detachment so that the King will cross over it. The last verse of the previous chapter mentioned crossing over material life. What is that path and what is the traveler on the path? This chapter answers.

He sees the activities divided into tamas, rajas and sattva as obligatory because of ignorance (ajayā) on the difficult to cross path of pravṛtti-marga (adhvani). Sārthaḥ is well known as a wealthy merchant. Medinī says sārtho vaṇika-samūhe syāt: sārtha means a gathering of merchants. All the jīvas in the world are like merchants, interested in material acquisition (artha-paraḥ). The explanation of all these terms will be given in the next chapter. However to make understanding easier, some explanation is given here.

The plunderers are the senses. They plunder wealth from the jīva whose intelligence is like a bad chariot driver (ku-nāyakam), though the wealth is actually meant for serving the Lord, but is used for his enjoyment. Wife and sons who are like jackals plunder the merchant who is inattentive to spiritual goals (pramattam) and possesses a treasure of food and clothing. Āviśya means “they enter his heart which is like a house.” Uraṇam means sheep.

In his house, like a bower, abundant in material actions like dense shrubs, he is disturbed by evil men who are like mosquitoes. The body and house are temporary like the city in the sky. He sees the city in the sky as if were real and permanent (prapaśyati). Sometimes he sees piśācas who take the form of firebrands and move quickly in the sky. This refers to seeing gold which he regards as valuable.

Thinking that house and wealth are his, he runs here and there (tataḥ tataḥ). He becomes covered by the impulses of lust because of a woman. This is comparable to being covered by dirt raised by a whirlwind. His eyes blinded by lust, he does not know that the devatās of the directions are witness to his actions.

His ears are pierced by the sharp language of detested speakers he does not see. This is like the sound of crickets. His mind is afflicted by words of detested speakers he can see, who are like owls. He goes to sinful people, who are like impious trees, to beg. Even the shade or shelter of such persons is a cause of sin. Sometimes he begs from uncharitable persons who give nothing. They are like mirages of water.

He becomes immediately unhappy by breaking his limbs when he jumps into a waterless river, but gets no water. This means he goes to atheists who give misery in this and the next world. Instead of nirandhaḥ sometimes nirannaḥ is found. It has the same meaning—without food. Without food, he desires (ālaṣate) it from others. He comes to a house which gives suffering like a forest fire. He becomes despondent, burned by the fire of lamentation. He whose wealth, dear like life, has been stolen by kings who are like Yakṣas and Rākṣasas, becomes despondent thinking, “How unfortunate I am without wealth!”

Having his desires fulfilled in terms of sons, wife, wealth and power, is like entering an imaginary Gandharva city.

“Desiring to climb a high mountain” means “desiring fame by marrying his daughters and sons.” Desiring to do this, he becomes depressed, thinking, “How can I accomplish this?” His feet become cut by thorns because he has no shoes. This indicates that he becomes defeated by obstacles because he has no assistance. The fire within is the fire of digestion.

“Swallowed by a python” means he goes to sleep. Not woken up by friends (apaviddhaḥ) he is afflicted by evil persons like snakes. Blind, without discrimination, he falls into illusion, like a blind well, covered by darkness—filled by misery.

The insignificant honey is another person’s wife. He suffers, disgraced by the husband and brothers, like bees biting. If by great effort, by spending a lot of money he obtains the woman, and enjoys her, someone else steals her. Then again he spends money to get a woman, and someone steals her.

While buying and selling, because of cheating for money, he develops enemies.

Because he does not get enough from begging from others, he desires (dṛṣṭiḥ) others’ wealth and is consequently disrespected.

He gains increased enmity with others by transactions for wealth in which each party desires to gain. But still he marries amongst such persons. Wandering on the path of material existence, he almost dies because of great suffering, loss of money, and sickness.

Giving up the dead (vipannān), he accepts those who are born. He wanders about, but until today does not go towards the Lord. No one among the merchants attains the method of crossing the forest-- bhakti or jñāna.

Great warriors conquer even the elephants of the directions situated far away, but they cannot conquer the eleven senses, which are close enemies. This is their courage, but it is not spiritual. Thinking in terms of “mine,” they all die on the battlefield. Spiritual courage is then described. Real courage is having no enmity and giving up all material attachments.

Again the forest of material life is described. He takes shelter of the happiness of touch of the arms of women, like creepers. He desires to hear the birds which cannot be heard because they are sleeping in the creepers. This refers to the inaudible words of the woman while embracing the man. Dvija also refers to the children born from the man and woman. He desires to see and touch them.

Pretenders say “How will you become free of material life?” Hearing these words by chance, he becomes afraid of the wheel of time, which is like a group of lions. To alleviate his fear he eagerly accepts the words of the cheaters. “Easily you can cross the ocean of suffering.” He makes friends with the cheaters who are like cranes. They are cheaters, unintelligent, and cruel.

Understanding that they give no results, he goes to a group of brāhmaṇas, but is not satisfied with their rules for atonement and taking the sacred thread again. Not satisfied, he goes to some pretenders, almost śūdras, with fallen conduct. Satisfied with unrestricted association with women, eating and drinking, by looking at their faces he forgets that death is approaching.

He enjoys in the houses, places of pleasure. Desiring sex life, he is kicked by the woman. He is bound up helplessly (sva-bandhane) in that forest, and cannot escape. Another version has caran vane (wandering in the forest). Becoming terribly sick, like falling into a mountain cave, he fears death, compared to an elephant. He remains alive by the support of his karmas, like a vine holding him up.

Again he enjoys pravṛtti-marga. He does not know the Supreme Lord.

Tvam api is connected with the verb niveśitaḥ in the previous sentence. Cross over this material ocean.

How have I suddenly become so fortunate? With astonishment he wonders. Among all births, human life is splendid in this astonishing world. There is nothing better in next life in Svarga. What is the use of those births as devatās in which there is no association with great devotees, whose souls, efforts, intelligence, mind and bodies are made only of glorification of the Lord who engages their senses?

“You mentioned intimate association. Does that mean that a little association is useless?” No, I spoke like that out of great enthusiasm. Just by obtaining the dust from your lotus feet I have attained pure bhakti, which is rare even for Brahmā or Indra. But this is not astonishing. What is astonishing is that if just by a moment’s association my mind, corrupted by a little knowledge and filled with bad logic, becomes favorable to bhakti, how can one describe the greatness of prolonged association with devotees? My statement shows my enthusiasm.

“If you, carrying the palanquin, had not enlightened me, what destination would such an offender attain?” In fear, the King offers respects. I offer respects even unto the small brāhmaṇa boys. Since such children are inclined to play, their greatness is not evident. However, to even such persons he offers respects. By requesting good fortune for kings, he indicates that possibly other kings have offended the devotees.

Oh! King Rahūgana was so fortunate! Though he offended Bharata by making him carry the palanquin, he was showered in the nectar of mercy and became successful. I am most unfortunate. Not being forgiven for the offense of placing a dead snake on the neck of a brāhmaṇa, I have been burned by the poison of his curse. What dark hell will I attain? Śukadeva pacifies the lamenting Parīkṣit. O Parīkṣit whose mother was Uttarā! The Lord entered into your mother’s womb personally and protected you. He showed his form to you. The Lord, sending sages like Nārada and myself to protect you from the brāhmaṇa’s curse, has brought us to you and has nullified the curse by sprinkling you with unprecedented mercy of the sages and making you drink the nectar of Bhāgavatam through me. This shows that your have greater fortune than King Rahūgana, than Bharata, than myself, and than the great sages. Therefore, why do you lament? Though he was scolded, Bharata had the highest realization. He taught about spirit to the King of Sindhu. Sakaruṇam means “with tears.” His heart had waves of the senses which were calmed.

Sujana refers to Bharata. Ātmani means “in oneself.” He gave up the conception that the body is the self, which is assumed by beginningless ignorance in the self. King Rahūgana took shelter (āśritaḥ) of the devotee Bharata who took shelter of the Lord (bhagavad-āśrita).

The subject in which the six plunderers are the senses and the jackals are the children was produced by the greatest intelligence. It is hard to understand because examples are not given. Suitable examples (anukalpena) should be given.

Thus ends the commentary on the Thirteenth Chapter of the Fifth Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.