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 continuó: Oh el mejor de la dinastía de Pāṇḍu, el rey Rahūgaṇa, soberano de Sindhu y Sauvīra, tenía firme fe en la indagación de la Verdad Absoluta; por ello estaba capacitado. Al oír de Jaḍa Bharata las palabras de un brāhmaṇa—una exposición aprobada por muchos tratados de yoga y capaz de desatar el nudo del corazón—se destruyó su orgullo de “soy rey”. De inmediato descendió del palanquín y se postró, poniendo la cabeza a los pies de loto de Jaḍa Bharata, para ser perdonado por sus palabras ofensivas contra el gran brāhmaṇa. Luego oró así.
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.