SB 5.8.16 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

अपि बत स वै कृपण एणबालको मृतहरिणीसुतोऽहो ममानार्यस्य शठकिरातमतेरकृतसुकृतस्य कृतविस्रम्भ आत्मप्रत्ययेन तदविगणयन् सुजन इवागमिष्यति ॥ १६ ॥

Verse text

api bata sa vai kṛpaṇa eṇa-bālako mṛta-hariṇī-suto ’ho mamānāryasya śaṭha-kirāta-mater akṛta-sukṛtasya kṛta-visrambha ātma-pratyayena tad avigaṇayan sujana ivāgamiṣyati.

Synonyms

api — indeed ; bata — alas ; saḥ — that calf ; vai — certainly ; kṛpaṇaḥ — aggrieved ; eṇa — bālakaḥ — the deer child ; mṛta — hariṇī — sutaḥ — the calf of the dead doe ; aho — oh ; mama — of me ; anāryasya — the most ill-behaved ; śaṭha — of a cheater ; kirāta — or of an uncivilized aborigine ; mateḥ — whose mind is that ; akṛta — sukṛtasya — who has no pious activities ; kṛta — visrambhaḥ — putting all faith ; ātma — pratyayena — by assuming me to be like himself ; tat avigaṇayan — without thinking of all these things ; su — janaḥ iva — like a perfect gentle person ; agamiṣyati — will he again return .

Translation

Bharata Mahārāja would think: Alas, the deer is now helpless. I am now very unfortunate, and my mind is like a cunning hunter, for it is always filled with cheating propensities and cruelty. The deer has put its faith in me, just as a good man who has a natural interest in good behavior forgets the misbehavior of a cunning friend and puts his faith in him. Although I have proved faithless, will this deer return and place its faith in me?

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Perhaps this young, helpless deer whose mother has died, having faith in me though I am actually cruel like a cunning or low class person and have no pious credits, will not consider my offense and will return out of kindness. Api indicates possibility. Bata indicates compassion. Aho indicates surprise due to lamentation. I have the cruel mind of a cheater or low class persons. I am heartless, being inattentive to feeding and protecting the young deer (anaryasya). What is the cause? I have not done pious acts. I am without good fortune. Will the deer return, not considering the offenses I have committed out of cruelty? What is the cause of his offense? The deer considered that I was pure like it was, according to the rule “One thinks the world like oneself.” It had faith in me, who cannot be trusted.

Purport

Bharata Mahārāja was very noble and exalted, and therefore when the deer was absent from him he thought himself unworthy to give it protection. Due to his attachment for the animal, he thought that the animal was as noble and exalted as he himself was. According to the logic of ātmavan manyate jagat, everyone thinks of others according to his own position. Therefore Mahārāja Bharata felt that the deer had left him due to his negligence and that due to the animal’s noble heart, it would again return.