King Bharata's Rule and Renunciation

Verse 1 (bhagavata.5.7.1)

श्रीशुक उवाच भरतस्तु महाभागवतो यदा भगवतावनितलपरिपालनाय सञ्चिन्तितस्तदनुशासनपरः पञ्चजनीं विश्वरूपदुहितरमुपयेमे ॥ १ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca bharatas tu mahā-bhāgavato yadā bhagavatāvani-tala-paripālanāya sañcintitas tad-anuśāsana-paraḥ pañcajanīṁ viśvarūpa-duhitaram upayeme.

Shri Shukadeva said: When Bhagavan Rishabhadeva chose the great devotee Bharata to govern the earth, Bharata, faithful to His command, took Panchajani, daughter of Vishvarupa, as his wife.

Verse 2 (bhagavata.5.7.2)

तस्यामु ह वा आत्मजान् कार्त्स्न्येनानुरूपानात्मनः पञ्च जनयामास भूतादिरिव भूतसूक्ष्माणि सुमतिं राष्ट्रभृतं सुदर्शनमावरणं धूम्रकेतुमिति ॥ २ ॥

tasyām u ha vā ātmajān kārtsnyenānurūpān ātmanaḥ pañca janayām āsa bhūtādir iva bhūta-sūkṣmāṇi sumatiṁ rāṣṭrabhṛtaṁ sudarśanam āvaraṇaṁ dhūmraketum iti.

By her he begot five sons, each fully worthy of himself — Sumati, Rashtrabhrit, Sudarshana, Avarana, and Dhumraketu — just as the principle of false ego gives rise to the subtle elements.

Verse 3 (bhagavata.5.7.3)

अजनाभं नामैतद्वर्षं भारतमिति यत आरभ्य व्यपदिशन्ति ॥ ३ ॥

ajanābhaṁ nāmaitad varṣaṁ bhāratam iti yata ārabhya vyapadiśanti.

This land, formerly known as Ajanabha, has been called Bharatavarsha, after him, ever since.

Verse 4 (bhagavata.5.7.4)

स बहुविन्महीपतिः पितृपितामहवदुरुवत्सलतया स्वे स्वे कर्मणि वर्तमानाः प्रजाः स्वधर्ममनुवर्तमानः पर्यपालयत् ॥ ४ ॥

sa bahuvin mahī-patiḥ pitṛ-pitāmahavad uru-vatsalatayā sve sve karmaṇi vartamānāḥ prajāḥ sva-dharmam anuvartamānaḥ paryapālayat.

That most learned king, filled with the same deep tenderness that his father and grandfather had shown, protected the people, each engaged in his own occupation, all the while himself faithfully following his own dharma.

Verse 5 (bhagavata.5.7.5)

ईजे च भगवन्तं यज्ञक्रतुरूपं क्रतुभिरुच्चावचैः श्रद्धयाऽऽहृताग्निहोत्रदर्शपूर्णमासचातुर्मास्यपशुसोमानां प्रकृतिविकृतिभिरनुसवनं चातुर्होत्रविधिना ॥ ५ ॥

īje ca bhagavantaṁ yajña-kratu-rūpaṁ kratubhir uccāvacaiḥ śraddhayāhṛtāgnihotra-darśa-pūrṇamāsa-cāturmāsya-paśu-somānāṁ prakṛti-vikṛtibhir anusavanaṁ cāturhotra-vidhinā.

With faith he worshiped the Supreme Lord, Himself the very form of sacrifice, through great and small rites alike — the agnihotra, the darsha and purnamasa, the chaturmasya, the pashu-yajna and the soma-yajna — performed in both their basic and modified forms, again and again, exactly as the chaturhotra rite prescribes.

Verse 6 (bhagavata.5.7.6)

सम्प्रचरत्सु नानायागेषु विरचिताङ्गक्रियेष्वपूर्वं यत्तत्क्रियाफलं धर्माख्यं परे ब्रह्मणि यज्ञपुरुषे सर्वदेवतालिङ्गानां मन्त्राणामर्थनियामकतया साक्षात्कर्तरि परदेवतायां भगवति वासुदेव एव भावयमान आत्मनैपुण्यमृदितकषायो हविःष्वध्वर्युभिर्गृह्यमाणेषु स यजमानो यज्ञभाजो देवांस्तान् पुरुषावयवेष्वभ्यध्यायत् ॥ ६ ॥

sampracaratsu nānā-yāgeṣu viracitāṅga-kriyeṣv apūrvaṁ yat tat kriyā-phalaṁ dharmākhyaṁ pare brahmaṇi yajña-puruṣe sarva-devatā-liṅgānāṁ mantrāṇām artha-niyāma-katayā sākṣāt-kartari para-devatāyāṁ bhagavati vāsudeva eva bhāvayamāna ātma-naipuṇya-mṛdita-kaṣāyo haviḥṣv adhvaryubhir gṛhyamāṇeṣu sa yajamāno yajña-bhājo devāṁs tān puruṣāvayaveṣv abhyadhyāyat.

As the many auxiliary rites of the various sacrifices unfolded, that unprecedented fruit of ritual action known as dharma he understood to belong entirely to the Supreme Brahman Himself, the very embodiment of sacrifice, the one who directly governs the meaning of every mantra representing every deity — Bhagavan Vasudeva, the Supreme Deity. Thus, his impurities worn away by his own inner discipline, whenever the priests took up the oblations, that sacrificer meditated on those very gods as limbs of that Supreme Person.

Verse 7 (bhagavata.5.7.7)

एवं कर्मविशुद्ध्या विशुद्धसत्त्वस्यान्तर्हृदयाकाशशरीरे ब्रह्मणि भगवति वासुदेवे महापुरुषरूपोपलक्षणे श्रीवत्सकौस्तुभवनमालारिदरगदादिभिरुपलक्षिते निजपुरुषहृल्लिखितेनात्मनि पुरुषरूपेण विरोचमान उच्चैस्तरां भक्तिरनुदिनमेधमानरयाजायत ॥ ७ ॥

evaṁ karma-viśuddhyā viśuddha-sattvasyāntar-hṛdayākāśa-śarīre brahmaṇi bhagavati vāsudeve mahā-puruṣa-rūpopalakṣaṇe śrīvatsa-kaustubha-vana-mālāri-dara-gadādibhir upalakṣite nija-puruṣa-hṛl-likhitenātmani puruṣa-rūpeṇa virocamāna uccaistarāṁ bhaktir anudinam edhamāna-rayājāyata.

Thus, his mind purified through this ritual action, entering into a state of pure being, and beholding — shining forth within the sky of his own heart — that form of the Supreme Person, Bhagavan Vasudeva, marked by Shrivatsa, the Kaustubha gem, a garland of forest flowers, discus, conch and mace, his devotion grew, with each passing day, ever more powerfully.

Verse 8 (bhagavata.5.7.8)

एवं वर्षायुतसहस्रपर्यन्तावसितकर्मनिर्वाणावसरोऽधिभुज्यमानं स्वतनयेभ्यो रिक्थं पितृपैतामहं यथादायं विभज्य स्वयं सकलसम्पन्निकेतात्स्वनिकेतात् पुलहाश्रमं प्रवव्राज ॥ ८ ॥

evaṁ varṣāyuta-sahasra-paryantāvasita-karma-nirvāṇāvasaro ’dhibhujyamānaṁ sva-tanayebhyo rikthaṁ pitṛ-paitāmahaṁ yathā-dāyaṁ vibhajya svayaṁ sakala-sampan-niketāt sva-niketāt pulahāśramaṁ pravavrāja.

Thus, once the appointed span of his enjoyment of that inheritance — running to ten thousand years — had come to its end, he divided fittingly among his sons all the wealth received from his father and grandfather, and, leaving behind his own home, that abode of every opulence, set out himself for Pulaha-ashrama.

Verse 9 (bhagavata.5.7.9)

यत्र ह वाव भगवान् हरिरद्यापि तत्रत्यानां निजजनानां वात्सल्येन सन्निधाप्यत इच्छारूपेण ॥ ९ ॥

yatra ha vāva bhagavān harir adyāpi tatratyānāṁ nija-janānāṁ vātsalyena sannidhāpyata icchā-rūpeṇa.

There, even to this day, Bhagavan Hari, out of His tenderness for His own devotees, makes Himself directly present to them in whatever form they desire.

Verse 10 (bhagavata.5.7.10)

यत्राश्रमपदान्युभयतोनाभिभिर्दृषच्चक्रैश्चक्रनदी नाम सरित्प्रवरा सर्वतः पवित्रीकरोति ॥ १० ॥

yatrāśrama-padāny ubhayato nābhibhir dṛṣac-cakraiś cakra-nadī nāma sarit-pravarā sarvataḥ pavitrī-karoti.

There, the finest of rivers, named Chakra-nadi, whose pebbles bear on both faces circular marks resembling navels, purifies that hermitage ground on every side.

Verse 11 (bhagavata.5.7.11)

तस्मिन् वाव किल स एकलः पुलहाश्रमोपवने विविधकुसुमकिसलयतुलसिकाम्बुभिः कन्दमूलफलोपहारैश्च समीहमानो भगवत आराधनं विविक्त उपरतविषयाभिलाष उपभृतोपशमः परां निर्वृतिमवाप ॥ ११ ॥

tasmin vāva kila sa ekalaḥ pulahāśramopavane vividha-kusuma-kisalaya-tulasikāmbubhiḥ kanda-mūla-phalopahāraiś ca samīhamāno bhagavata ārādhanaṁ vivikta uparata-viṣayābhilāṣa upabhṛtopaśamaḥ parāṁ nirvṛtim avāpa.

There, dwelling alone in the grove of Pulaha-ashrama, worshiping the Lord with various flowers, tender shoots, tulasi leaves and water, and with offerings of roots, bulbs and fruits, living apart from others, wholly free of any craving for sense objects, and settled in deep tranquility, he came to know supreme bliss.

Verse 12 (bhagavata.5.7.12)

तयेत्थमविरतपुरुषपरिचर्यया भगवति प्रवर्धमानानुरागभरद्रुतहृदयशैथिल्यः प्रहर्षवेगेनात्मन्युद्भिद्यमानरोमपुलककुलक औत्कण्ठ्यप्रवृत्तप्रणयबाष्पनिरुद्धावलोकनयन एवं निजरमणारुणचरणारविन्दानुध्यानपरिचितभक्तियोगेन परिप्लुतपरमाह्लादगम्भीरहृदयह्रदावगाढधिषणस्तामपि क्रियमाणां भगवत्सपर्यां न सस्मार ॥ १२ ॥

tayettham avirata-puruṣa-paricaryayā bhagavati pravardhamānā-nurāga-bhara-druta-hṛdaya-śaithilyaḥ praharṣa-vegenātmany udbhidyamāna-roma-pulaka-kulaka autkaṇṭhya-pravṛtta-praṇaya-bāṣpa-niruddhāvaloka-nayana evaṁ nija-ramaṇāruṇa-caraṇāravindānudhyāna-paricita-bhakti-yogena paripluta-paramāhlāda-gambhīra-hṛdaya-hradāvagāḍha-dhiṣaṇas tām api kriyamāṇāṁ bhagavat-saparyāṁ na sasmāra.

Thus, through his ceaseless personal service to the Lord, his heart, under the growing weight of his love, began to melt; in the intensity of his joy the hairs of his body stood on end; tears of longing and love welled up and blocked his very sight. So absorbed did his intelligence become, sunk deep in the lake of his heart, brimming with supreme bliss through the bhakti-yoga ripened by his ceaseless meditation on his beloved Lord's reddish lotus feet, that he forgot even the worship of the Lord that he himself was performing.

Verse 13 (bhagavata.5.7.13)

इत्थं धृतभगवद्व्रत ऐणेयाजिनवाससानुसवनाभिषेकार्द्रकपिशकुटिलजटाकलापेन च विरोचमानः सूर्यर्चा भगवन्तं हिरण्मयं पुरुषमुज्जिहाने सूर्यमण्डलेऽभ्युपतिष्ठन्नेतदु होवाच ॥ १३ ॥

itthaṁ dhṛta-bhagavad-vrata aiṇeyājina-vāsasānusavanābhiṣekārdra-kapiśa-kuṭila-jaṭā-kalāpena ca virocamānaḥ sūryarcā bhagavantaṁ hiraṇmayaṁ puruṣam ujjihāne sūrya-maṇḍale ’bhyupatiṣṭhann etad u hovāca.

Thus keeping his vow to the Lord, clad in a deerskin, his tawny, matted hair still wet from bathing three times each day, radiant in appearance, he would stand before the rising sun and worship the golden Person residing within its orb through the hymn to the sun, speaking these very words.

Verse 14 (bhagavata.5.7.14)

परोरजः सवितुर्जातवेदो देवस्य भर्गो मनसेदं जजान । सुरेतसादः पुनराविश्य चष्टे हंसं गृध्राणं नृषद्रिङ्गिरामिमः ॥ १४ ॥

paro-rajaḥ savitur jāta-vedo devasya bhargo manasedaṁ jajāna suretasādaḥ punar āviśya caṣṭe haṁsaṁ gṛdhrāṇaṁ nṛṣad-riṅgirām imaḥ

"The sun-god, beyond the mode of passion, knower of all creation, that radiant deity who, by His very will, gave birth to this universe — He it is who, entering again through His own divine potency, watches over it. To You, Lord in the form of the swan, the bestower of understanding, I offer my obeisance."