When King Bharatha ruled India, he ruled people with care and affection.

After a long period of ruling he lost all interest for the family, for the kingdom and to be a king. He was a fully satisfied man, having done his duties well.

Jada Bharatha Meditates 24/7

He departs from his kingdom and leaves for Haridwar.

Bharatha lived alone in a hut in the forest. He recited the Vishnu’s Nama all the hours – while waking up, taking his bath, drinking water, eating food, sitting, walking, and sleeping.

He was non stop thinking and chanting the mantra, “Om Padmanabhaya Namaha”, which means the ruler of soul qualities.

Every moment, every second was moment of worship. All the desires are burnt. His heart was devoted to the Lord.

When his heart became blissful and filled with the Namas, his eyes responded with tears flowing on his cheeks.

The longing to see the Lord and to have Darshan of the lord – the fire grew inside him.

A Life Changing Event

When his life went on like this happily, an event happened, which changed his life totally.

He became slavishly attracted to a pet which came to him by chance. It is a small deer left orphaned by its dead mother.

He thought that the poor pet had taken shelter of him. He became its father and mother, started caressing and protecting it. He would sleep with it, bathe with it, walk with it and even eat only with his pet deer.

A detached person gets attached to his pet!!!

Finally He Dies Thinking About His Pet

He forgot his Pooja, the Lord, and the Nama. The initial compassion and affection for the pet became an obsession.

Spent his life obsessed with the pet – becoming mad. The end for any one comes without notice.

When the death knocked him, lying on his bed, he saw his pet sitting near him. His eyes shed tears for the pet.

He thought, “I can’t die without my dear deer”.

However, he died with the thought of the deer.

Next Lifetime He Takes the birth as a Deer

In the next life time, he was born as a deer. The Lord graced him with complete remembrance of his previous birth.

(Please note here that we are not privileged enough to know about our previous birth(s) so easily.)

As a deer, he repented for his past foolishness and detached himself from the deer family, standing in the forest near Rishis.

He spent his time listening to the spiritual teachings of Lord.

After some years he died and took the next birth in a high spiritual family, as a human.

Took the birth as a human being again

Wanting to avoid another spiritual fall he carefully detached from all his family members including his parents, and looked and behaved like an insane person.

He was called as Jada Bharatha and wanted to avoid another spiritual fall.

To discourage people from talking to him he presented himself as a madman, very dull, partially blind, and partially deaf.

He did chanting again 24/7

He kept away from all, while reciting the Nama “OM PADMANABAYA NAMAHA”, which he did two births ago. He was always immersed in God consciousness.

After the death of his parents he was driven out of the house by his nine brothers.

Though he would not take food properly, he was a very strong and hefty man. Never desiring either for food or clothing, he would only wear a dirty loin cloth and slept on the ground.

He was insulted, mocked and neglected by all. Nothing disturbed him as he was deeply into divine consciousness.

He began wandering all over India.

He was asked to carry the Palanquin of a King

One day he was asked to carry a Palanquin. They were carrying a king.

During the course, he walked slower than others, to avoid stepping on the ants along the path.

This was creating a jerk, because of which the king could not sit comfortably. He almost fell down.

The king shouted, “You clumsy insolent, how dare you are carrying me like this”.

Jada Bharatha did not say a word. Stopped carrying the palanquin and walked unaffected.

The king shouted, “Hey! Stop! I am your master. You are not carrying out my order – you are not doing anything.”

For the first time in his life Jada Bharatha opened his mouth and came out with the answer, which baffled the king.

Jada Bharatha Speaks for the First Time in his Lifetime

“O King your words are true. Yes I am not the doer. The body has been doing. I, the soul, is just watching and observing.

“You said that you are my master and I am your servant. This may be true today but later I may be your master. It is our karma which decides our birth.

“You think that you are permanent. Everything is this world is ephemeral. It is constantly changing. Nature will change everything in a split second.

“You are in illusion. You think that this illusion is real. You will remain in this illusion with all its miseries unless you realise who you are!

“If you realize who you are, you are untouched neither by karma nor by the illusion”.

The King Falls at the Feet of Jada Bharatha

The king with hands clasped fell at the feet of Jada Bharatha and said, “O sage! Please forgive me. I am sorry. Teach me divine. If I have your blessings I can learn it.”

King asked questions about soul, god, mind karma and reincarnation.

Jada Bharatha answered all of them and finally said, “Give up your attachments. Detach from this illusory world. You are not your body. You are not your mind. You are all these but above these.”

The king asked Jada Bharatha, “How can I separate my mind?”

Jada Bharatha replied, “Release your desires. Likes and dislikes. Shed your ego. Then you will find the shining light, which is divine.”

Always think, “God, Thou art the reason of our existence and our goal.”

Finally

He just walked away, without noticing anything, while his mouth muttering, “God, Thou art the reason of our existence and our goal.”