Shloka 21

Bharata Mahārāja’s Attachment to a Deer and His Fall from Yoga

Devanagari script

क्ष्वेलिकायां मां मृषासमाधिनाऽऽमीलितदृशं प्रेमसंरम्भेण चकितचकित आगत्य पृषदपरुषविषाणाग्रेण लुठति ॥ २१ ॥

Transliteration

kṣvelikāyāṁ māṁ mṛṣā-samādhināmīlita-dṛśaṁ prema-saṁrambheṇa cakita-cakita āgatya pṛṣad-aparuṣa-viṣāṇāgreṇa luṭhati.

Translation

Alas, while playing, the little deer would see me feigning samadhi with closed eyes; stirred by a lover’s anger it would approach in startled steps and timidly touch me with the tips of its soft horns, like drops of water.

Synonyms

• क्ष्वेलिकायाम्: in play, in sport
• क्ष्वेलिकायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्ष्वेलिका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी (7th/Locative); एकवचन

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया; एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• मृषासमाधिना: with a feigned trance
• मृषासमाधिना: Karana (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृषा + समाधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन; तत्पुरुष—‘मृषायाः समाधिः’ (a feigned trance)

• आमीलितदृशम्: me, with eyes closed
• आमीलितदृशम्: Karma (कर्म/object, qualifier of माम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + मीलित (कृदन्त) + दृश्/दृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; कृदन्त-विशेषण—आमीलित (क्त-प्रत्यय, ‘closed’) + दृश (eyes) = ‘with closed eyes’; कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुषभाव

• प्रेमसंरम्भेण: with affectionate excitement
• प्रेमसंरम्भेण: Karana (करण/instrument/cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेम + संरम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन; तत्पुरुष—‘प्रेम्णः संरम्भः’ (impetuosity from affection)

• चकितचकितः: startled again and again
• चकितचकितः: Karta (कर्ता/subject, qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चकित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; पुनरुक्ति (intensive repetition)

• आगत्य: having come
• आगत्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund)

• पृषदपरुषविषाणाग्रेण: with the tip of his soft horn
• पृषदपरुषविषाणाग्रेण: Karana (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृषद् + अपरुष + विषाण + अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष—‘पृषदः अपरुषस्य विषाणस्य अग्रेण’ (with the tip of his spotted, not-hard horn)

• लुठति: nudges/rolls about (playfully)
• लुठति: Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: लुठ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार; परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन

Purport

Now King Bharata considers his meditation false. While engaged in meditation, he was actually thinking of his deer, and he would feel great pleasure when the animal pricked him with the points of its horns. Feigning meditation, the King would actually think of the animal, and this was but a sign of his downfall.

Characters & Entities

• Bharata Mahārāja
• the fawn (deer-calf)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about attachment disrupting meditation?

This verse shows how even a seemingly innocent affection—here, Bharata’s fondness for a fawn—can intrude upon one’s practice, pulling the mind away from genuine samādhi into distraction.

Why does the deer-calf butt Bharata Mahārāja while he is meditating?

Bharata is only pretending to be in trance with eyes closed, and the fawn, anxiously affectionate, repeatedly approaches and nudges him with its small horns to regain his attention.

Practical application of this Bhagavatam lesson in modern life?

Guard your focus in sādhana: affectionate distractions (even lovable ones) can gradually replace disciplined remembrance of the Lord unless boundaries and mindful practice are maintained.