SB 5.12.6 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

ब्राह्मण उवाच अयं जनो नाम चलन् पृथिव्यां य: पार्थिव: पार्थिव कस्य हेतो: । तस्यापि चाङ्‌घ्र्योयोरधि गुल्फजङ्घा- जानूरुमध्योरशिरोधरांसा: ॥ ५ ॥ अंसेऽधि दार्वी शिबिका च यस्यां सौवीरराजेत्यपदेश आस्ते । यस्मिन् भवान् रूढनिजाभिमानो राजास्मि सिन्धुष्विति दुर्मदान्ध: ॥ ६ ॥

Verse text

brāhmaṇa uvāca ayaṁ jano nāma calan pṛthivyāṁ yaḥ pārthivaḥ pārthiva kasya hetoḥ tasyāpi cāṅghryor adhi gulpha-jaṅghā- jānūru-madhyora-śirodharāṁsāḥ aṁse ’dhi dārvī śibikā ca yasyāṁ sauvīra-rājety apadeśa āste yasmin bhavān rūḍha-nijābhimāno rājāsmi sindhuṣv iti durmadāndhaḥ

Synonyms

brāhmaṇaḥ uvāca — the brāhmaṇa said ; ayam — this ; janaḥ — person ; nāma — celebrated as such ; calan — moving ; pṛthivyām — on the earth ; yaḥ — who ; pārthivaḥ — a transformation of the earth ; pārthiva — O King, who possesses a similar earthly body ; kasya — for what ; hetoḥ — reason ; tasya api — of him also ; ca — and ; aṅghryoḥ — feet ; adhi — above ; gulpha — ankles ; jaṅghā — calves ; jānu — knees ; uru — thighs ; madhyora — waist ; śiraḥ — dhara — neck ; aṁsāḥ — shoulders ; aṁse — shoulder ; adhi — upon ; dārvī — made of wood ; śibikā — palanquin ; ca — and ; yasyām — on which ; sauvīra — rājā — the King of Sauvīra ; iti — thus ; apadeśaḥ — known as ; āste — there is ; yasmin — in which ; bhavān — Your Lordship ; rūḍha — imposed upon ; nija — abhimānaḥ — having a conception of false prestige ; rājā asmi — I am the King ; sindhuṣu — in the state of Sindhu ; iti — thus ; durmada — andhaḥ — captivated by false prestige .

Translation

The self-realized brāhmaṇa Jaḍa Bharata said: Among the various material combinations and permutations, there are various forms and earthly transformations. For some reason, these move on the surface of the earth and are called palanquin carriers. Those material transformations which do not move are gross material objects like stones. In any case, the material body is made of earth and stone in the form of feet, ankles, calves, knees, thighs, torso, throat and head. Upon the shoulders is the wooden palanquin, and within the palanquin is the so-called King of Sauvīra. The body of the King is simply another transformation of earth, but within that body Your Lordship is situated and falsely thinking that you are the King of the state of Sauvīra.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The brāhmaṇa (Jaḍa Bharata) said: O King! This carrier, who is a transformation of earth, walks on the earth for some reason. Above his feet are ankles, calves, knees, thigh, waist, chest, neck, and shoulders. Above the shoulders is the wooden palanquin and in the palanquin is the person called the King of Sauvīra, who, blinded by illusion of false identity, thinks “I am the King of Sindhu. Not having understood the answer given to defeat the King’s statement, the King again asks. Now Bharata addresses the King disrespectfully. O King (pārthiva—earth)! Your conventional existence is insubstantial. Using another technique, Bharata now answers. This person, the carrier of the palanquin, is a transformation of earth. He is moving for some reason. It he does not move, he is an inanimate object like a stone. This is the difference. His feet, a transformation of earth, are situated on earth. Above his feet are his ankles, calves, knees, thighs, waist, chest, neck and shoulders (aṁśāḥ). Ura instead of uras is poetic license. Above the shoulders is the palanquin, a transformation of wood. In the palanquin, a transformation of earth, there is a person with the name “King of Sauvīra.” You think you are the King, but this is not actual. From all the elements starting with earth and ending with the palanquin, to which of these does the fatigue from carrying it belong? “I can see that the earth and the palanquin are not tired. Therefore the feet etc. must be tired.” But without the palanquin we do not see fatigue in the limbs which do the carrying. “Fatigue arises for the possessor of limbs from carrying the palanquin.” But we cannot distinguish fatigue of the possessor of limbs who is different from the limbs. “Whether a possessor of limbs exists or not, one experiences the suffering of fatigue in being the carrier.” This is not the final conclusion, because one does not experience fatigue on carrying the ornaments of a young girl or on carrying one’s young son. Thus happiness and distress are experienced only by one’s particular identity. And you, blind with false identity, thinking “I am a king” actually see nothing. This is your happiness. Those who have no false identity do not have this happiness and distress.

Purport

After analyzing the material bodies of the palanquin carrier and the palanquin passenger, Jaḍa Bharata concludes that the real living force is the living entity. The living entity is the offshoot or offspring of Lord Viṣṇu; therefore within this material world, among moving and nonmoving things, the real principle is Lord Viṣṇu. Due to His presence, everything is working, and there are actions and reactions. One who understands Lord Viṣṇu as the original cause of everything is to be understood to be perfectly situated in knowledge. Although he was falsely proud of being a king, King Rahūgaṇa was not really situated in knowledge. Therefore he was rebuking the palanquin carriers, including the self-realized brāhmaṇa Jaḍa Bharata. This is the first accusation Jaḍa Bharata made against the King, who was daring to talk to a learned brāhmaṇa from the flimsy ground of ignorance, identifying everything with matter. King Rahūgaṇa argued that the living entity is within the body and that when the body is fatigued the living entity within must therefore be suffering. It is clearly explained in the following verses that the living entity does not suffer due to the body’s fatigue. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī gives an example of a child heavily decorated with ornaments; although the child’s body is very delicate, he does not feel fatigue, nor do the parents think that his ornaments should be taken away. The living entity has nothing to do with bodily pains and pleasures. These are simply mental concoctions. An intelligent man will find the original cause of everything. Material combinations and permutations may be a matter of fact in worldly dealings, but actually the living force, the soul, has nothing to do with them. Those who are materially upset take care of the body and manufacture daridra-nārāyaṇa (poor Nārāyaṇa). However, it is not a fact that the soul or Supersoul becomes poor simply because the body is poor. These are the statements of ignorant people. The soul and Supersoul are always apart from bodily pleasure and pain.