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Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 31

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

Devanagari script

तस्मिन्नपि कालं प्रतीक्षमाणः सङ्गाच्च भृशमुद्विग्नः । आत्मसहचरः शुष्कपर्णतृणवीरुधा वर्तमानो मृगत्वनिमित्तावसानमेव ॥ गणयन्मृगशरीरं तीर्थोदकक्लिन्नमुत्ससर्ज ॥ ३१ ॥

Transliteration

tasminn api kālaṁ pratīkṣamāṇaḥ saṅgāc ca bhṛśam udvigna ātma-sahacaraḥ śuṣka-parṇa-tṛṇa-vīrudhā vartamāno mṛgatva-nimittāvasānam eva gaṇayan mṛga-śarīraṁ tīrthodaka-klinnam ut-sasarja.

Translation

Demeurant dans cet āśrama, il attendit l’heure et se montra extrêmement vigilant face à la mauvaise compagnie. Sans révéler son passé à quiconque, il ne se nourrissait que de feuilles sèches et d’herbes ; il n’était pas vraiment seul, car le Paramātmā l’accompagnait. Ne comptant que la fin de sa condition de cerf, il se baigna en ces eaux sacrées et, finalement, abandonna ce corps de cerf.

Synonyms
तस्मिन्in that (place/time)
तस्मिन्:
अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/locative)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं/नपुं, सप्तमी, एकवचन — in that (place/time)
अपिalso
अपि:
सम्बन्ध (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (particle) — also/even
कालम्time
कालम्:
कर्म (Karma/object of प्रतीक्षमाणः)
TypeNoun
Rootकाल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन — time
प्रतीक्षमाणःwaiting
प्रतीक्षमाणः:
कर्ता (Karta/subject of उत्ससर्ज)
TypeVerb
Rootप्रति + ईक्ष् (धातु)
Formवर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (present active participle), प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग — ‘waiting’
सङ्गात्from attachment/association
सङ्गात्:
अपादान (Apādāna/source/cause)
TypeNoun
Rootसङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन — from association
चand
च:
सम्बन्ध (Connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (conjunction) — समुच्चय (and)
भृशम्greatly
भृशम्:
क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootभृशम् (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (adverb) — अत्यर्थे (greatly)
उद्विग्नःanxious
उद्विग्नः:
कर्ता (Karta; predicate of subject)
TypeAdjective
Rootउद् + विज्/विज् (धातु; ‘to be agitated’)
Formभूतकालिक कृदन्त (past participle), प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग — ‘agitated/anxious’
आत्म-सहचरःhis own companion (alone)
आत्म-सहचरः:
कर्ता (Karta; apposition to subject)
TypeNoun
Rootआत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + सहचर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष — ‘companion of the self’ (i.e., alone with himself)
शुष्क-पर्ण-तृण-वीरुधाwith dry leaves, grass, and creepers
शुष्क-पर्ण-तृण-वीरुधा:
करण (Karaṇa/instrument; means of living)
TypeNoun
Rootशुष्क (प्रातिपदिक) + पर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + तृण (प्रातिपदिक) + वीरुध् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; द्वन्द्व-समाहार/समुच्चय — ‘with dry leaves, grass, and creepers’
वर्तमानःliving; subsisting
वर्तमानः:
कर्ता (Karta; participial qualifier)
TypeVerb
Rootवृत् (धातु)
Formवर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (present active participle), प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग — ‘subsisting/continuing’
मृगत्व-निमित्त-अवसानम्the ending of the cause of (his) deerhood
मृगत्व-निमित्त-अवसानम्:
कर्म (Karma/object of गणयन्)
TypeNoun
Rootमृगत्व (प्रातिपदिक) + निमित्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अवसान (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष — ‘the end of the cause (nimitta) of deerhood’
एवonly; indeed
एव:
सम्बन्ध (Emphasis)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (particle) — एवकार (only/indeed)
गणयन्considering
गणयन्:
कर्ता (Karta; participial qualifier)
TypeVerb
Rootगण् (धातु)
Formवर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (present active participle), प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग — ‘considering/reckoning’
मृग-शरीरम्the deer body
मृग-शरीरम्:
कर्म (Karma/object of उत्ससर्ज)
TypeNoun
Rootमृग (प्रातिपदिक) + शरीर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष — ‘deer-body’
तीर्थ-उदक-क्लिन्नम्wet with holy water
तीर्थ-उदक-क्लिन्नम्:
विशेषण (Qualifier of object)
TypeAdjective
Rootतीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + उदक (प्रातिपदिक) + क्लिन्न (प्रातिपदिक; √क्लिद्)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष — ‘wet with sacred water’ (qualifying शरीरम्)
उत्ससर्जabandoned
उत्ससर्ज:
क्रिया (Main verb)
TypeVerb
Rootउत् + सृज् (धातु)
Formलिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद — ‘abandoned/let go’
Purport

Holy places like Vṛndāvana, Hardwar, Prayāga and Jagannātha Purī are especially meant for the execution of devotional service. Vṛndāvana specifically is the most exalted and preferred holy place for Vaiṣṇava devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa who are aspiring to return back to Godhead, the Vaikuṇṭha planets. There are many devotees in Vṛndāvana who regularly bathe in the Yamunā, and this cleanses all the contamination of the material world. By constantly chanting and hearing the holy names and pastimes of the Supreme Lord, one certainly becomes purified and becomes a fit candidate for liberation. However, if one purposefully falls victim to sense gratification, he has to be punished, at least for one lifetime, like Bharata Mahārāja.

Characters & Entities
B
Bharata Maharaja

FAQs

This verse shows that intense attachment (saṅga) can dominate one’s consciousness, and the mind fixed on that attachment at life’s end becomes the cause for the next embodiment—here, Bharata’s absorption in the deer leads to a deer body.

Though Bharata was spiritually advanced, his association with the deer created deep emotional attachment, which produced anxiety and preoccupation—illustrating how even subtle saṅga can divert the mind from exclusive remembrance of the Lord.

Guard your attention: reduce unhealthy attachments, keep devotional remembrance central (nāma, śravaṇa, smaraṇa), and intentionally cultivate the thoughts you want to carry at life’s end.

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