Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 6
Rahūgaṇa Meets Jaḍa Bharata: The Shaking Palanquin and the Teaching Beyond Body-Identity
अहो कष्टं भ्रातर्व्यक्तमुरुपरिश्रान्तो दीर्घमध्वानमेक एव ऊहिवान् सुचिरं नातिपीवा न संहननाङ्गो जरसा चोपद्रुतो भवान् सखे नो एवापर एते सङ्घट्टिन इति बहुविप्रलब्धोऽप्यविद्यया रचितद्रव्यगुणकर्माशयस्वचरमकलेवरेऽवस्तुनि संस्थानविशेषेऽहं ममेत्यनध्यारोपितमिथ्याप्रत्ययो ब्रह्मभूतस्तूष्णीं शिबिकां पूर्ववदुवाह ॥ ६ ॥
aho kaṣṭaṁ bhrātar vyaktam uru-pariśrānto dīrgham adhvānam eka eva ūhivān suciraṁ nāti-pīvā na saṁhananāṅgo jarasā copadruto bhavān sakhe no evāpara ete saṅghaṭṭina iti bahu-vipralabdho ’py avidyayā racita-dravya-guṇa-karmāśaya-sva-carama-kalevare ’vastuni saṁsthāna-viśeṣe ’haṁ mamety anadhyāropita-mithyā-pratyayo brahma-bhūtas tūṣṇīṁ śibikāṁ pūrvavad uvāha.
Raja Rahūgaṇa berkata kepada Jaḍa Bharata, “Aduhai, saudaraku, sungguh menyusahkan! Engkau tampak sangat letih; engkau telah memikul tandu sendirian begitu lama dan menempuh jalan yang jauh. Engkau pun tidak gemuk, tidak bertubuh kuat, dan usia tua menekanmu, sahabat. Apakah para pemikul lain tidak membantumu?” Namun Jaḍa Bharata—meski sering disalahpahami—tetap hening, bebas dari sangkaan palsu ‘aku’ dan ‘milikku’, mengetahui tubuh sebagai selubung terakhir yang tersusun dari benda, sifat, dan karma; ia mantap dalam kesadaran Brahman dan memikul tandu seperti semula.
In this way the King criticized Jaḍa Bharata with sarcastic words, yet despite being criticized in this way, Jaḍa Bharata had no bodily conception of the situation. He knew that he was not the body, for he had attained his spiritual identity. He was neither fat, lean nor thin, nor had he anything to do with a lump of matter, a combination of the five gross and three subtle elements. He had nothing to do with the material body and its two hands and legs. In other words, he had completely realized his spiritual identity [ahaṁ brahmāsmi]. He was therefore unaffected by this sarcastic criticism from the King. Without saying anything, he continued carrying the palanquin as before.
FAQs
This verse states that due to ignorance one superimposes “I” and “mine” upon the material body—made of matter, qualities, and actions—though the body is not the true Self.
Rahūgaṇa believed Bharata was a weak, aged palanquin-bearer and complained that he alone was carrying the load, not realizing Bharata was a self-realized saint beyond bodily identification.
See the body and roles as temporary instruments, reduce ego-driven reactions (“I am insulted,” “this is mine”), and cultivate steady awareness of the Self through devotion and self-knowledge.