Srimad Bhagavatam — Panchama Skandha, Shloka 25

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

Devanagari script

किं वाऽऽत्मजविश्लेषज्वरदवदहनशिखाभिरुपतप्यमानहृदयस्थलनलिनीकं मामुपसृतमृगीतनयं शिशिरशान्तानुरागगुणितनिजवदनसलिलामृतमयगभस्तिभि: स्वधयतीति च ॥ २५ ॥

Transliteration

kiṁ vātmaja-viśleṣa-jvara-dava-dahana-śikhābhir upatapyamāna-hṛdaya-sthala-nalinīkaṁ mām upasṛta-mṛgī-tanayaṁ śiśira-śāntānurāga-guṇita-nija-vadana-salilāmṛtamaya-gabhastibhiḥ svadhayatīti ca.

Translation

Hay là, thấy đóa sen trong tim ta đang bị thiêu đốt bởi ngọn lửa rừng—cơn sốt của ly biệt, như ly biệt chính con mình—vì nai con đã đến gần ta, nên vầng trăng đang rưới lên ta những tia sáng mát lành, như cam lộ từ nước nơi gương mặt, giống bạn hiền hắt nước lên người bạn đang sốt cao để làm dịu; nhờ vậy ta được an vui?

Synonyms

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; interrogative

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-निपात

• आत्मज-विश्लेष-ज्वर-दव-दहन-शिखाभिः: by the flame-tongues of the fever-forest-fire of separation from my son
• आत्मज-विश्लेष-ज्वर-दव-दहन-शिखाभिः: Karana (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मज (प्रातिपदिक) + विश्लेष (प्रातिपदिक) + ज्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + दव (प्रातिपदिक) + दहन (प्रातिपदिक) + शिखा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-समास; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘by the flames of the forest-fire of fever due to separation from (my) son’

• उपतप्यमान-हृदय-स्थल-नलिनीकम्: me, whose heart-lotus is being scorched
• उपतप्यमान-हृदय-स्थल-नलिनीकम्: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप√तप् (धातु)→ तप्यमान (कृदन्त) + हृदय (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थल (प्रातिपदिक) + नलिनीक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; qualifies ‘माम्’; ‘whose heart-lotus is being scorched’

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन; 1st person pronoun

• उपसृत-मृगी-तनयम्: the fawn that has come near
• उपसृत-मृगी-तनयम्: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उप√सृ (धातु)→ उपसृत (कृदन्त) + मृगी (प्रातिपदिक) + तनय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘the fawn approached (to me)’

• शिशिर-शान्त-अनुराग-गुणित-निज-वदन-सलिल-अमृतमय-गभस्तिभिः: with cool, soothing, affection-filled rays made of nectar-like tears from his own face
• शिशिर-शान्त-अनुराग-गुणित-निज-वदन-सलिल-अमृतमय-गभस्तिभिः: Karana (करण/instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिशिर (प्रातिपदिक) + शान्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अनुराग (प्रातिपदिक) + गुणित (कृदन्त from √गुण्/√गण् in sense ‘to endow’) + निज (प्रातिपदिक) + वदन (प्रातिपदिक) + सलिल (प्रातिपदिक) + अमृतमय (प्रातिपदिक) + गभस्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-समास; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; ‘with rays consisting of nectar-like water of his own face (tears), endowed with cool, pacifying affection’

• स्वधयति: refreshes/soothes
• स्वधयति: Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्वध् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘comforts/refreshes’

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/वाक्यसमाप्ति-निपात (quotative particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

Purport

According to Āyurvedic treatment, it is said that if one has a high fever, someone should splash him with water after gargling this water. In this way the fever subsides. Although Bharata Mahārāja was very aggrieved due to the separation of his so-called son, the deer, he thought that the moon was splashing gargled water on him from its mouth and that this water would subdue his high fever, which was raging due to separation from the deer.

Characters & Entities

• Bharata Mahārāja
• mṛgī (doe)
• mṛgī-tanaya (fawn)

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about attachment even in a compassionate heart?

This verse shows Bharata interpreting the fawn’s dependence in tender, emotional terms—illustrating how compassion can gradually turn into binding attachment when it becomes a substitute focus for one’s devotion and meditation.

Why did Bharata Mahārāja think the fawn approached him?

He assumed the fawn was burning in distress from separation from its mother and had come to be comforted by Bharata’s affectionate, soothing presence—revealing Bharata’s increasing emotional involvement.

Practical application: how can a devotee balance compassion with detachment?

Serve and protect others as duty, but keep the heart anchored in remembrance of the Lord; avoid letting caregiving become the mind’s primary attachment that displaces sādhana, japa, and steady bhakti.