21/08/2026
HH Mahavishnu Swami Maharaj || ŚB 5.8.11-12
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam class by HH Mahavishnu Swami Maharaj on 22nd August 2026 at ISKCON Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu Nepal.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam CHAPTER Eight
A Description of the Character of Bharata Mahārāja
ŚB 5.8.11
इति कृतानुषङ्ग आसनशयनाटनस्नानाशनादिषु सह मृगजहुना स्नेहानुबद्धहृदय आसीत् ॥ ११ ॥
iti kṛtānuṣaṅga āsana-śayanāṭana-snānāśanādiṣu saha mṛga-jahunā snehānubaddha-hṛdaya āsīt.
Synonyms
iti — thus; kṛta-anuṣaṅgaḥ — having developed attachment; āsana — sitting; śayana — lying down; aṭana — walking; snāna — bathing; āśana-ādiṣu — while eating and so on; saha mṛga-jahunā — with the deer calf; sneha-anubaddha — captivated by affection; hṛdayaḥ — his heart; āsīt — became.
Translation
Due to attachment for the deer, Mahārāja Bharata lay down with it, walked about with it, bathed with it and even ate with it. Thus his heart became bound to the deer in affection.
ŚB 5.8.12
कुशकुसुमसमित्पलाशफलमूलोदकान्याहरिष्यमाणो वृकसालावृकादिभ्यो भयमाशंसमानो यदा सह हरिणकुणकेन वनं समाविशति ॥ १२ ॥
kuśa-kusuma-samit-palāśa-phala-mūlodakāny āhariṣyamāṇo vṛkasālā-vṛkādibhyo bhayam āśaṁsamāno yadā saha hariṇa-kuṇakena vanaṁ samāviśati.
Synonyms
kuśa — a kind of grass required for ritualistic ceremonies; kusuma — flowers; samit — firewood; palāśa — leaves; phala-mūla — fruits and roots; udakāni — and water; āhariṣyamāṇaḥ — desiring to collect; vṛkasālā-vṛka — from wolves and dogs; ādibhyaḥ — and other animals, such as tigers; bhayam — fear; āśaṁsamānaḥ — doubting; yadā — when; saha — with; hariṇa-kuṇakena — the deer calf; vanam — the forest; samāviśati — enters.
Translation
When Mahārāja Bharata wanted to enter the forest to collect kuśa grass, flowers, wood, leaves, fruits, roots and water, he would fear that dogs, jackals, tigers and other ferocious animals might kill the deer. He would therefore always take the deer with him when entering the forest.
Purport
How Mahārāja Bharata increased his affection for the deer is described herein. Even such an exalted personality as Bharata Mahārāja, who had attained loving affection for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, fell down from his position due to his affection for some animal. Consequently, as will be seen, he had to accept the body of a deer in his next life. Since this was the case with Bharata Mahārāja, what can we say of those who are not advanced in spiritual life but who become attached to cats and dogs? Due to their affection for their cats and dogs, they have to take the same bodily forms in the next life unless they clearly increase their affection and love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Unless we increase our faith in the Supreme Lord, we shall be attracted to many other things. That is the cause of our material bo***ge.
https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/5/8/11-12
