Shloka 18
Bharata Mahārāja’s Attachment to a Deer and His Fall from Yoga
अपि च न वृक: सालावृकोऽन्यतमो वा नैकचर एकचरो वा भक्षयति ॥ १८ ॥
api ca na vṛkaḥ sālā-vṛko ’nyatamo vā naika-cara eka-caro vā bhak-ṣayati.
न जाने; हरिणं वृकः श्वा वा, समूहचराः वराहाः, अथवा एकचरो व्याघ्रो भक्षयितुं शक्नुवन्ति॥
Tigers never wander in the forest in flocks. Each tiger wanders alone, but forest boars keep together. Similarly, hogs, wolves and dogs also do the same. Thus Mahārāja Bharata thought that the deer had been killed by some of the many ferocious animals within the forest.
FAQs
This verse states that even predators—whether solitary or in groups—cannot devour one who is under higher protection, emphasizing safety that comes through dharmic alignment and divine shelter.
He uses common threats from the wild as a vivid example to illustrate that when one is protected by a superior principle (dharma and the Lord’s shelter), ordinary causes of fear lose their power.
Cultivate steady spiritual practice and ethical living; it builds inner fearlessness and reduces vulnerability to many “predators” of life—harmful influences, addictions, and destructive company.