Ṛṣabhadeva Instructs His Sons: Tapasya, Mahātmā-Sevā, and Cutting the Heart-Knot
तत्र तत्र पुरग्रामाकरखेटवाटखर्वटशिबिरव्रजघोषसार्थगिरिवनाश्रमादिष्वनुपथमवनिचरापसदै: परिभूयमानो मक्षिकाभिरिव वनगजस्तर्जनताडनावमेहनष्ठीवनग्रावशकृद्रज:प्रक्षेपपूतिवातदुरुक्तै- स्तदविगणयन्नेवासत्संस्थान एतस्मिन् देहोपलक्षणे सदपदेश उभयानुभवस्वरूपेण स्वमहिमावस्थानेनासमारोपिताहंममाभिमानत्वादविखण्डितमना: पृथिवीमेकचर: परिबभ्राम ॥ ३० ॥
tatra tatra pura-grāmākara-kheṭa-vāṭa-kharvaṭa-śibira-vraja-ghoṣa-sārtha-giri-vanāśramādiṣv anupatham avanicarāpasadaiḥ paribhūyamāno makṣikābhir iva vana-gajas tarjana-tāḍanāvamehana-ṣṭhīvana-grāva-śakṛd-rajaḥ-prakṣepa-pūti-vāta-duruktais tad avigaṇayann evāsat-saṁsthāna etasmin dehopalakṣaṇe sad-apadeśa ubhayānubhava-svarūpeṇa sva-mahimāvasthānenāsamāropitāhaṁ-mamābhimānatvād avikhaṇḍita-manāḥ pṛthivīm eka-caraḥ paribabhrāma.
Nagsimulang maglakbay si Ṛṣabhadeva sa mga lungsod, nayon, minahan, kanayunan, lambak, hardin, kampo ng hukbo, kulungan ng baka, mga pamayanan ng gopa, tuluyan ng manlalakbay, burol, gubat at mga āśrama. Saan man Siya dumaan, pinalilibutan Siya ng masasama na parang mga langaw sa elepanteng galing sa gubat. Siya’y tinatakot, binubugbog, iniihian at dinuduraan; kung minsan binabato ng bato, dumi at alikabok; kung minsan sinasadya pang magpakawala ng mabahong hangin at magbitaw ng mapanlait na salita. Ngunit hindi Niya ito pinansin, sapagkat batid Niya na ang katawan ay nauuwi sa gayong kapalaran. Nakatindig Siya sa antas espirituwal, ganap na nauunawaan ang pagkakaiba ng materya at kaluluwa; walang pagkapit sa katawan at walang galit kaninuman, mag-isa Siyang naglakad sa buong daigdig.
Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says: deha-smṛti nāhi yāra, saṁsāra bandhana kāhāṅ tāra. When a person fully realizes that the material body and world are temporary, he is not concerned with pain and pleasures of the body. As Śrī Kṛṣṇa advises in Bhagavad-gītā (2.14) :
This verse describes Jaḍa Bharata being insulted in many ways yet remaining unaffected, showing that one fixed in the self and free from “I” and “mine” does not become disturbed by honor or dishonor.
He moved through towns and forests as a detached renunciant, appearing externally degraded, and worldly people—unable to recognize his inner realization—harassed him; he accepted it without reaction, remaining established in his spiritual identity.
Practice reducing ego-based identification, remember that praise and blame are temporary, and respond without retaliation—keeping the mind steady by anchoring identity in the soul and devotion rather than social approval.