Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 5.9.11
Mukti· LiberationSpiritual Steadiness Is Not Mere Imitation
“Jaḍa Bharata used to work only for food. His stepbrothers took advantage of this and engaged him in agricultural field work in exchange for some food, but actually he did not know how to work very well in the field. He did not know where to spread dirt or where to make the ground level or uneven. His brothers used to give him broken rice, oil cakes, the chaff of rice, worm-eaten grains and burned grains that had stuck to the pot, but he gladly accepted all this as if it were nectar. He did not hold any grudges and ate all this very gladly.”
What the purport teaches
- Jaḍa Bharata’s brothers engaged him in field work for poor-quality food. He accepted it gladly, as if it were nectar, and held no grudges.
- Complete in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, Bharata Mahārāja was determined to finish his business in the material world. He remained unaffected by material happiness and distress.
- Steadiness beyond material duality makes one fit for eternal life. The purport cautions that this consciousness must not be imitated; one must actually reach the spiritual platform.
Try this today
Accept one simple meal today without complaining about its taste, and reflect on the warning against imitation.
Ask yourself
Can I cultivate contentment without pretending to have Jaḍa Bharata’s spiritual realization?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.