Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 6
Bharata Mahārāja’s Attachment to a Deer and His Fall from Yoga
तत्प्रसवोत्सर्पणभयखेदातुरा स्वगणेन वियुज्यमाना कस्याञ्चिद्दर्यां कृष्णसारसती निपपाताथ च ममार ॥ ६ ॥
tat-prasavotsarpaṇa-bhaya-khedāturā sva-gaṇena viyujyamānā kasyāñcid daryāṁ kṛṣṇa-sārasatī nipapātātha ca mamāra.
Von der Angst und Erschöpfung der Fehlgeburt gequält und von ihrer Herde getrennt, war die schwarze Hirschkuh nach dem Überqueren des Flusses völlig entkräftet. Sie stürzte in eine Höhle und starb sogleich.
FAQs
This verse shows how a helpless creature’s crisis (the doe separated from her herd and dying) becomes the basis for Bharata Mahārāja’s later attachment—illustrating that even well-intended affection can divert the mind from single-pointed devotion if not guarded.
Śukadeva describes the doe’s fear, separation, fall, and death to establish the circumstance that led Bharata to care for the orphaned fawn—setting up the narrative lesson about vigilance in bhakti and the subtle power of attachment.
Be compassionate, but keep spiritual priorities steady: serve dependents responsibly while maintaining sādhana, remembering that unchecked emotional absorption can quietly displace remembrance of the Lord.