Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 15
Rahūgaṇa Meets Jaḍa Bharata: The Shaking Palanquin and the Teaching Beyond Body-Identity
स चापि पाण्डवेय सिन्धुसौवीरपतिस्तत्त्वजिज्ञासायां सम्यक्श्रद्धयाधिकृताधिकारस्तद्धृदयग्रन्थिमोचनं द्विजवच आश्रुत्य बहुयोगग्रन्थसम्मतं त्वरयावरुह्य शिरसा पादमूलमुपसृत: क्षमापयन् विगतनृपदेवस्मय उवाच ॥ १५ ॥
sa cāpi pāṇḍaveya sindhu-sauvīra-patis tattva-jijñāsāyāṁ samyak-śraddhayādhikṛtādhikāras tad dhṛdaya-granthi-mocanaṁ dvija-vaca āśrutya bahu-yoga-grantha-sammataṁ tvarayāvaruhya śirasā pāda-mūlam upasṛtaḥ kṣamāpayan vigata-nṛpa-deva-smaya uvāca.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī fuhr fort: O Bester aus dem Geschlecht der Pāṇḍus, König Rahūgaṇa, Herrscher von Sindhu und Sauvīra, besaß festen Glauben an die Erforschung der Absoluten Wahrheit und war daher befähigt. Als er von Jaḍa Bharata die Worte eines Brāhmaṇa hörte—eine Darlegung, von vielen Yoga-Schriften gebilligt und geeignet, den Knoten im Herzen zu lösen—zerbrach sein Stolz: „Ich bin König.“ Sogleich stieg er von seiner Sänfte herab und warf sich nieder, das Haupt an die Lotosfüße Jaḍa Bharatas legend, um Vergebung für seine beleidigenden Worte gegen den großen Brāhmaṇa zu erlangen. Dann betete er wie folgt.
In Bhagavad-gītā (4.2) Lord Kṛṣṇa says:
FAQs
This verse says that the enlightened brāhmaṇa’s words can loosen and remove the heart’s knot—deep inner bondage like ego and attachment—when heard with genuine faith and truth-seeking.
After hearing Jaḍa Bharata’s authoritative, spiritually piercing instruction, Rahūgaṇa realized his offense and arrogance as a ruler; he got down from the palanquin, approached the sage’s feet, and apologized with humility.
When corrected by wise guidance, drop defensiveness, acknowledge mistakes quickly, and approach truth with sincere faith—because humility makes spiritual learning and transformation possible.