Chapter 12
अहं पुरा भरतो नाम राजा विमुक्तदृष्टश्रुतसङ्गबन्ध: । आराधनं भगवत ईहमानो मृगोऽभवं मृगसङ्गाद्धतार्थ: ॥ १४ ॥
Transliteration
ahaṁ purā bharato nāma rājā vimukta-dṛṣṭa-śruta-saṅga-bandhaḥ ārādhanaṁ bhagavata īhamāno mṛgo ’bhavaṁ mṛga-saṅgād dhatārthaḥ
Synonyms (Word-for-Word)
aham — I; purā — formerly (in my previous birth); bharataḥ nāma rājā — a King named Mahārāja Bharata; vimukta — liberated from; dṛṣṭa-śruta — by experiencing personally through direct association or by getting knowledge from the Vedas; saṅga-bandhaḥ — bondage by association; ārādhanam — the worship; bhagavataḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva; īhamānaḥ — always performing; mṛgaḥ abhavam — I became a deer; mṛga-saṅgāt — because of my intimate association with a deer; hata-arthaḥ — having neglected the regulative principles in the discharge of devotional service.
Translation
“In a previous birth I was known as Mahārāja Bharata. I attained perfection by becoming completely detached from material activities through direct experience, and through indirect experience I received understanding from the Vedas. I was fully engaged in the service of the Lord, but due to my misfortune, I became very affectionate to a small deer, so much so that I neglected my spiritual duties. Due to my deep affection for the deer, in my next life I had to accept the body of a deer.”