King Bharat was a great King. He ruled his kingdom with great justice and compassion. When he grew old he gave up his kingdom and went to a forest to perform penance and achieve Jeevanmukt state. He built a small hut and started living there to perform penance.
One day while he was sitting there, he saw she deer running. A lion was chasing her. As the deer jumped through the river, she delivered a deer and also died because of fright. Bharat jumped and picked up the small deer child. From that day onwards he started caring for the deer all day. So much so that he forgot his penance and instead of thinking o Brahman, kept thinking of the deer.
He was born a deer in his next birth because at the time of his death he was thinking of the deer. In his next birth, he was born as a Brahmin. Because of the virtue of his earlier penance he remembered everything. He had decided to not involve in anything and keep his mind free of every care and thought. Because he looked careless about everything he was called Jada Bharat, or someone who understands nothing.
Once it so happened that the King of that place called Rahugan was traveling near the village of Jada Bharat. He was traveling to meet Sage Kapila to know about Brahman and the truth of life. One of the bearers of his Palaquin was sick so he was looking for another bearer. He caught hold of Jada Bharat and ordered him to act as the fourth bearer.
Jada Bharat was careful while walking to save the small insects on the ground. Due to his slow and uneven motion King was troubled and he shouted at Bharat saying that perhaps he was sick and old of his body and was unfit. Bharat replied saying that O King, what you say applies to my body and not to me because I am pure Brahman who has realized his oneness with the whole. Jada Bharat also told King Rahugan more about soul and body. Realizing that the bearer was a great being King came down asked for forgiveness from Bharat.
The King said that I was going to meet Sage Kapila to learn about the truth of life and it seems that I need not go there. You will be able to enlighten me here itself. Jada Bharat told King everything about Brahman and World and enlightened the King.
In this birth when Bharat died he merged with Brahman and got free of the world forever.
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