SB 5.10.1 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

श्रीशुक उवाच अथ सिन्धुसौवीरपते रहूगणस्य व्रजत इक्षुमत्यास्तटे तत्कुलपतिना शिबिकावाहपुरुषान्वेषणसमये दैवेनोपसादित: स द्विजवर उपलब्ध एष पीवा युवा संहननाङ्गो गोखरवद्धुरं वोढुमलमिति पूर्वविष्टिगृहीतै: सह गृहीत: प्रसभमतदर्ह उवाह शिबिकां स महानुभाव: ॥ १ ॥

Verse text

śrī-śuka uvāca atha sindhu-sauvīra-pate rahūgaṇasya vrajata ikṣumatyās taṭe tat-kula-patinā śibikā-vāha-puruṣānveṣaṇa-samaye daivenopasāditaḥ sa dvija-vara upalabdha eṣa pīvā yuvā saṁhananāṅgo go-kharavad dhuraṁ voḍhum alam iti pūrva-viṣṭi-gṛhītaiḥ saha gṛhītaḥ prasabham atad-arha uvāha śibikāṁ sa mahānubhāvaḥ.

Synonyms

śrī — śukaḥ uvāca — Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued to speak ; atha — thus ; sindhu — sauvīra — pateḥ — of the ruler of the states known as Sindhu and Sauvīra ; rahū — gaṇasya — the King known as Rahūgaṇa ; vrajataḥ — while going (to the āśrama of Kapila) ; ikṣu — matyāḥ taṭe — on the bank of the river known as Ikṣumatī ; tat — kula — patinā — by the leader of the palanquin carriers ; śibikā — vāha — to become a carrier of the palanquin ; puruṣa — anveṣaṇa — samaye — at the time of searching for a man ; daivena — by chance ; upasāditaḥ — led near ; saḥ — that ; dvija — varaḥ — Jaḍa Bharata, the son of a brāhmaṇa ; upalabdhaḥ — obtained ; eṣaḥ — this man ; pīvā — very strong and stout ; yuvā — young ; saṁhanana — aṅgaḥ — having very firm limbs ; go — khara — vat — like a cow or an ass ; dhuram — a load ; voḍhum — to carry ; alam — able ; iti — thus thinking ; pūrva — viṣṭi — gṛhītaiḥ — others who were formerly forced to do the task ; saha — with ; gṛhītaḥ — being taken ; prasabham — by force ; a — tat — arhaḥ — although not fit for carrying the palanquin ; uvāha — carried ; śibikām — the palanquin ; saḥ — he ; mahā — anubhāvaḥ — a great soul .

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, after this, King Rahūgaṇa, ruler of the states known as Sindhu and Sauvīra, was going to Kapilāśrama. When the King’s chief palanquin carriers reached the banks of the river Ikṣumatī, they needed another carrier. Therefore they began searching for someone, and by chance they came upon Jaḍa Bharata. They considered the fact that Jaḍa Bharata was very young and strong and had firm limbs. Like cows and asses, he was quite fit to carry loads. Thinking in this way, although the great soul Jaḍa Bharata was unfit for such work, they nonetheless unhesitatingly forced him to carry the palanquin.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

While the King of Sindhu and Suvīra, Rahūgana, was traveling on the bank of the Ikṣūmatī River and the leader of his palanquin bearers was searching for extra bearer, by chance they came upon Bharata, best of the brāhmaṇas, who had arrived there. He was well nourished, young, and strong like a bull or donkey. Thinking that he was suitable to carry the load, they forcibly engaged that great devotee along with the other carriers who were also engaged by force. The great devotee, though not proper for such a job, carried the palanquin of the King. The Tenth Chapter describes how King Rahūgana, understanding that the foul words he used to describe the carrier of the palanquin were not suitable for a great sage, got down from the palanquin and praised Bharata. Bharata gave mercy to his brothers and neighbors who maintained him with rice and oil cakes, even though they were materialists filled with rajo-guṇa, by letting them see his form for a considerable period of time. He also gave mercy to the leader of the thieves, even though he was in deep tamo-guna, attached to sinful activities, and had beaten Bharata, because he arranged for thief’s liberation in the next life because he saw himself and Kālī directly. And he gave mercy to King Rahūgana who was in sattva-guṇa, being a jṣānī, even though the King made him carry the palanquin through a manifestation of rajo-guṇa suitable to the position of a king. Because the King did not show rajas or tamas, and shows sattva, Bharata revealed bhakti and jṣāna to the King. He did not reveal this to his brothers or the thieves. The story begins in order to reveal this. It should be explained that though, as paramahaṁsa, one should see everything equally, mercy manifests from one’s being a great devotee. Some say the story is told to explain how, by the mercy of the Lord, Bharata’s own bhakti, jṣāna and vairāgya were multiplied a hundred times. Rahūgana was King the states of Sindhu and Sauvīra. The leader of the carriers (tat-kula-patinā) was searching for another carrier. Bharata had well-nourished limbs and was strong. Thinking that he was capable (alam,) he forcibly engaged him.