A Summary of the Srimad Bhagavata Mahapuranam-4.18.

11/01/2017.

4.The Stories of Siva and Sati, and Rishabhadeva and Bharata-18.

Because of the fear of attachment due to the lesson that he had learned, he would not utter a word in this birth. His parents sent him to school, but he would not learn anything, not even the letters of the alphabet. Whatever was told to him fell on deaf ears. They thought that he was an idiot who was shamefully born into a Brahmin family, as Brahmins are very learned in Vedic lore. They tried to teach him again and again, but he was so idle, and never responded to anyone, and would not say anything. They thought he was an idiotic creature, and wondered what to do with him.

They said, “Go! Do some work,” but he would not do any work either.

“Okay, at least tend the cattle. Go! Graze the cows,” they said.

He took the cattle to graze, and allowed them to go into other people’s fields and eat up all their crops. People were annoyed, and wondered what was wrong with him.

Then they said, “Don’t do anything. Go and sit there. Idiot! Don’t do anything.”

But though Bharata would not utter a word, he looked very robust. He was filled with energy, but he did not want to use that energy because of fear of attachment. He had learned his lesson. So he did not want to say anything to anybody, and just kept quiet.

Some dacoits who worshipped Kali—Bhadrakali—were looking for a human being to offer in sacrifice. They searched for a hefty, strong person, and they somehow found Bharata sitting quietly without saying anything.

“Come on,” they said.

Swami Krishnananda
To be continued ..