Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 30

Ṛṣabhadeva Instructs His Sons: Tapasya, Mahātmā-Sevā, and Cutting the Heart-Knot

Devanagari script

तत्र तत्र पुरग्रामाकरखेटवाटखर्वटशिबिरव्रजघोषसार्थगिरिवनाश्रमादिष्वनुपथमवनिचरापसदै: परिभूयमानो मक्षिकाभिरिव वनगजस्तर्जनताडनावमेहनष्ठीवनग्रावशकृद्रज:प्रक्षेपपूतिवातदुरुक्तै- स्तदविगणयन्नेवासत्संस्थान एतस्मिन् देहोपलक्षणे सदपदेश उभयानुभवस्वरूपेण स्वमहिमावस्थानेनासमारोपिताहंममाभिमानत्वादविखण्डितमना: पृथिवीमेकचर: परिबभ्राम ॥ ३० ॥

Transliteration

tatra tatra pura-grāmākara-kheṭa-vāṭa-kharvaṭa-śibira-vraja-ghoṣa-sārtha-giri-vanāśramādiṣv anupatham avanicarāpasadaiḥ paribhūyamāno makṣikābhir iva vana-gajas tarjana-tāḍanāvamehana-ṣṭhīvana-grāva-śakṛd-rajaḥ-prakṣepa-pūti-vāta-duruktais tad avigaṇayann evāsat-saṁsthāna etasmin dehopalakṣaṇe sad-apadeśa ubhayānubhava-svarūpeṇa sva-mahimāvasthānenāsamāropitāhaṁ-mamābhimānatvād avikhaṇḍita-manāḥ pṛthivīm eka-caraḥ paribabhrāma.

Translation

Ṛṣabhadeva wandered along the roads through cities, villages, mines, countrysides, valleys, gardens, military camps, cow pens, the settlements of the gopas, inns, hills, forests, and hermitages. Wherever He went, wicked people surrounded Him like flies around a forest elephant. He was threatened, beaten, urinated upon, and spat upon; sometimes stones, stool, and dust were thrown at Him; sometimes foul air was passed before Him and harsh words were spoken. Yet He ignored it all, knowing the body is destined for such an end. Established on the spiritual plane, fully discerning the difference between matter and spirit, free from bodily ego and anger toward anyone, He walked alone throughout the whole earth.

Synonyms

• tatra: there
• tatra: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Deśa-avyaya (देशाव्यय), adverb

• tatra: here and there
• tatra: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Repetition for distributive sense

• pura-grāma-ākara-kheṭa-vāṭa-kharvaṭa-śibira-vraja-ghoṣa-sārtha-giri-vana-āśrama-ādiṣu: in cities, villages, mines, hamlets, etc.
• pura-grāma-ākara-kheṭa-vāṭa-kharvaṭa-śibira-vraja-ghoṣa-sārtha-giri-vana-āśrama-ādiṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pura (प्रातिपदिक) + grāma (प्रातिपदिक) + ākara (प्रातिपदिक) + kheṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + vāṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + kharvaṭa (प्रातिपदिक) + śibira (प्रातिपदिक) + vraja (प्रातिपदिक) + ghoṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + sārtha (प्रातिपदिक) + giri (प्रातिपदिक) + vana (प्रातिपदिक) + āśrama (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Saptamī, Bahuvacana; locative plural: 'in cities, villages, mines, hamlets, gardens, small towns, camps, cowherd-settlements, herdsmen-villages, caravans, mountains, forests, hermitages, etc.'

• anupatham: along the road
• anupatham: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anupatha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva used adverbially; 'along the way'

• avanicara-apasadaiḥ: by the vile people
• avanicara-apasadaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avanicara (प्रातिपदिक) + apasada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Bahuvacana; instrumental: 'by the lowest among men/earth-walkers'

• paribhūyamānaḥ: being insulted
• paribhūyamānaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-bhū (धातु) + yamāna (शानच्)
• Form: Present passive participle (शानच्), Puṁliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; 'being insulted/overpowered'

• makṣikābhiḥ: by flies
• makṣikābhiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: makṣikā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Bahuvacana

• iva: like
• iva: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Upamā-nipāta

• vana-gajaḥ: a wild elephant
• vana-gajaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक) + gaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; simile-subject

• tarjana-tāḍana-avamehana-ṣṭhīvana-grāva-śakṛt-rajaḥ-prakṣepa-pūti-vāta-duruktaiḥ: by threats, blows, spitting, stones, filth, dust, foul wind, harsh words
• tarjana-tāḍana-avamehana-ṣṭhīvana-grāva-śakṛt-rajaḥ-prakṣepa-pūti-vāta-duruktaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tarjana (प्रातिपदिक) + tāḍana (प्रातिपदिक) + avamehana (प्रातिपदिक) + ṣṭhīvana (प्रातिपदिक) + grāva (प्रातिपदिक) + śakṛt (प्रातिपदिक) + rajas (प्रातिपदिक) + prakṣepa (प्रातिपदिक) + pūti (प्रातिपदिक) + vāta (प्रातिपदिक) + durukta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka/Puṁliṅga (collective), Tṛtīyā, Bahuvacana; instrumental plural: 'by threats, beatings, urination, spitting, stones, feces, dust-throwing, foul wind, and harsh words'

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; object of avigaṇayan

• avigaṇayan: disregarding
• avigaṇayan: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava-gaṇ (धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Puṁliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; 'disregarding'

• eva: indeed
• eva: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta, emphasis

• asat-saṁsthānaḥ: of unseemly appearance
• asat-saṁsthānaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asat (प्रातिपदिक) + saṁsthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; 'one whose bodily form/appearance was unbecoming'

• etasmin: in this
• etasmin: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁ/Napumsaka, Saptamī, Ekavacana

• deha-upalakṣaṇe: in this bodily identification
• deha-upalakṣaṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deha (प्रातिपदिक) + upalakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Saptamī, Ekavacana; 'in this bodily designation/mark'

• sat-apadeśaḥ: having the true designation (as the real self)
• sat-apadeśaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sat (प्रातिपदिक) + apadeśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; 'having the designation of the real/saintly' (i.e., truly existing self)

• ubhaya-anubhava-svarūpeṇa: by the nature of experiencing both (duals)
• ubhaya-anubhava-svarūpeṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ubhaya (प्रातिपदिक) + anubhava (प्रातिपदिक) + svarūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana; instrumental: 'by/through the nature of experiencing both (pleasure and pain)'

• sva-mahimā-avasthānena: by abiding in his own glory
• sva-mahimā-avasthānena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + mahimā (प्रातिपदिक) + avasthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana; instrumental: 'by abiding in his own glory'

• asamāropita-ahaṁ-mama-abhimānatvāt: because 'I' and 'mine' ego was not superimposed
• asamāropita-ahaṁ-mama-abhimānatvāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-samāropita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + aham (सर्वनाम) + mama (सर्वनाम) + abhimāna (प्रातिपदिक) + -tva (तद्धित)
• Form: Napumsaka, Pañcamī, Ekavacana; ablative of cause: 'because of the absence of superimposed I- and mine-egoism'

• avikhaṇḍita-manāḥ: with an undisturbed mind
• avikhaṇḍita-manāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-vikhaṇḍita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; 'one whose mind was unbroken/undisturbed'

• pṛthivīm: the earth
• pṛthivīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• eka-caraḥ: wandering alone
• eka-caraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक) + cara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṁliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; 'one who wanders alone'

• paribabhrāma: wandered about
• paribabhrāma: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-bhram (धातu)
• Form: Liṭ (लिट्, perfect), Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana

Purport

Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says: deha-smṛti nāhi yāra, saṁsāra bandhana kāhāṅ tāra. When a person fully realizes that the material body and world are temporary, he is not concerned with pain and pleasures of the body. As Śrī Kṛṣṇa advises in Bhagavad-gītā (2.14) :

Characters & Entities

• Jaḍa Bharata (Bharata Mahārāja in his avadhūta-like stage)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about tolerating insult and abuse?

This verse describes Jaḍa Bharata being insulted in many ways yet remaining unaffected, showing that one fixed in the self and free from “I” and “mine” does not become disturbed by honor or dishonor.

Why was Jaḍa Bharata wandering alone and being mistreated by people?

He moved through towns and forests as a detached renunciant, appearing externally degraded, and worldly people—unable to recognize his inner realization—harassed him; he accepted it without reaction, remaining established in his spiritual identity.

How can I apply Jaḍa Bharata’s teaching in modern life when facing criticism or humiliation?

Practice reducing ego-based identification, remember that praise and blame are temporary, and respond without retaliation—keeping the mind steady by anchoring identity in the soul and devotion rather than social approval.