JADA BHARATA (LIFE STORY)

Bharata was born the son of Dushyanta (RishabaDeva) and Shakuntala. Bharata was born of "Poorna Garbha" (complete womb time), he was in his mother's womb for 36 months. He was very strong from childhood, he would play with forest animals even when he was as small as 6 years old. He would play with the cubs, drag and beat Lions and Tigers if they tried any mischief.

As a young man he was brought up by his father and taught in the Kshatriya dharma, Bharata ruled the land with Dharma, He ruled the vast corners of the land, the land mass which was called "Anjanabha Varsha" later became famous as "Bharata Varsha" in the Indian vernacular it is still called "Bharata", the land of king Bharata.

He had five sons named Sumati, Raashtrabhoota, Sudarshana, Aavarana and Dhumraketu from Panchajani daughter of Vishwaroopa. After fulfilling his duties as a householder (Grihasta) he contemplating on the life of VanaPrasta and Sanyasa (Renunciation) transferred all his duties to his children. He moved to a forest and meditated with the ultimate purpose of attaining Liberation.

He soared in realization, his meditation was getting better and better, he had attained many higher stages in meditation. He was spending last days of his life in search of the ultimate knowledge.

Once Bharata was meditating peacefully on the banks river 'Chakra' after his daily rites of chanting AUM and Gayatri Mantra. A lonely pregnant doe was drinking water from the river, there was a sudden lion roar from a short distance. The doe was terrified and tried to run in hurry, it jumped over the river from the top of a big rock, on mid flight it gave birth to a baby doe which fell into the river, the mother doe hit the rock on the other side and died.

Baby Doe was carried by the river current, overcome by the compassion for that little, orphan, helpless doe sage Bharata got up and ran to save the baby Doe.

He brought it out of the water, forest was a cruel place for a young Doe to survive, he thought he would take care of it until it could take care of itself.

He would bring milk for the Doe from other animals, he brought the sweetest of delicate grass for the doe to eat, Doe considered him to be the mother, as it grew it filled his heart with joy, but it also made him stray from his spiritual practices. Sometimes he would become strict and try to meditate seriously, while meditating the doe would come and sit on his lap or disturb him, asking him to play with it.

Sage Bharata at times would get angry at the animal, later like a mother his heart would soften quickly and he would play with it and fetch grass to feed it.

The king's spiritual practices had become irregular, lot of his time was spent on the doe; A king who had left his entire kingdom- a kingdom with his sons, wife and luxury of palace was now attached to a doe, such is the destiny.

Bharata was already at the end of his life, one day he couldn't find the doe anywhere near the cottage, he looked for it all day and couldn't find it, he was overcome with intense pain, he lamented for the missing deer, his old body couldn't take the toll. Bharata died thinking of doe.

King Bharata because of his attachment to the doe was reborn in the womb of a doe, In his next birth as the doe he realized what a big mistake he had done, because he had attained a higher spiritual realization in his past he had memory of his last life even though he was born a doe.

Though trapped in a doe's body, his actions were that of a yogi, he would go sit near Ashrams of Rishis, he would listen to them sing chants and hymns, he liked living around them in the calm and peaceful spiritual vibrations.

As time passed his life as a doe ended, he gave up the body and proceeded to heavens.