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Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.9.1-2

श्रीशुक उवाच अथ कस्यचिद् द्विजवरस्याङ्गिर:प्रवरस्य शमदमतप:स्वाध्यायाध्ययनत्यागसन्तोषतितिक्षाप्रश्रयविद्यानसूयात्मज्ञानानन्दयुक्तस्यात्मसद‍ृशश्रुतशीलाचाररूपौदार्यगुणा नव सोदर्या अङ्गजा बभूवुर्मिथुनं च यवीयस्यां भार्यायाम् ॥ १ ॥ यस्तु तत्र पुमांस्तं परमभागवतं राजर्षिप्रवरं भरतमुत्सृष्टमृगशरीरं चरमशरीरेण विप्रत्वं गतमाहु: ॥ २ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca
[shree-shuka uvaacha]
atha kasyacid dvija-varasyāṅgiraḥ-pravarasya śama-dama-tapaḥ-svādhyāyādhyayana-tyāga-santoṣa-titikṣā-praśraya-vidyānasūyātma-jñānānanda-yuktasyātma-sadṛśa-śruta-śīlācāra-rūpaudārya-guṇā nava sodaryā aṅgajā babhūvur mithunaṁ ca yavīyasyāṁ bhāryāyām yas tu tatra pumāṁs taṁ parama-bhāgavataṁ rājarṣi-pravaraṁ bharatam utsṛṣṭa-mṛga-śarīraṁ carama-śarīreṇa vipratvaṁ gatam āhuḥ.
[atha kasyachid dvija-varasyaangirah-pravarasya shama-dama-tapah-svaadhyaayaadhyayana-tyaaga-santosha-titikshaa-prashraya-vidyaanasooyaatma-jnaanaananda-yuktasyaatma-sadrisha-shruta-sheelaachaara-roopaudaarya-gunaa nava sodaryaa angajaa babhoovur mithunam cha yaveeyasyaam bhaaryaayaam yas tu tatra pumaams tam parama-bhaagavatam raajarshi-pravaram bharatam utsrishta-mriga-shareeram charama-shareerena vipratvam gatam aahuh.]
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued to speak atha — thereafter kasyacit — of some dvija-varasya — brāhmaṇa aṅgiraḥ-pravarasya — who came in the dynasty of the great saint Aṅgirā śama — control of the mind dama — control of the senses tapaḥ — practice of austerities and penances svādhyāya — recitation of the Vedic literatures adhyayana — studying tyāga — renunciation santoṣa — satisfaction titikṣā — tolerance praśraya — very gentle vidyā — knowledge anasūya — without envy ātma-jñāna-ānanda — satisfied in self-realization yuktasya — who was qualified with ātma-sadṛśa — and exactly like himself śruta — in education śīla — in character ācāra — in behavior rūpa — in beauty audārya — in magnanimity guṇāḥ — possessing all these qualities nava sa-udaryāḥ — nine brothers born of the same womb aṅga-jāḥ — sons babhūvuḥ — were born mithunam — a twin brother and sister ca — and yavīyasyām — in the youngest bhāryāyām — wife yaḥ — who tu — but tatra — there pumān — the male child tam — him parama-bhāgavatam — the most exalted devotee rāja-ṛṣi — of saintly kings pravaram — most honored bharatam — Bharata Mahārāja utsṛṣṭa — having given up mṛga-śarīram — the body of a deer carama-śarīreṇa — with the last body vipratvam — being a brāhmaṇa gatam — obtained āhuḥ — they said.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-śuka uvāca
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca
Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued to speak
atha kasyacid dvija-varasyāṅgiraḥ-pravarasya śama-dama-tapaḥ-svādhyāyādhyayana-tyāga-santoṣa-titikṣā-praśraya-vidyānasūyātma-jñānānanda-yuktasyātma-sadṛśa-śruta-śīlācāra-rūpaudārya-guṇā nava sodaryā aṅgajā babhūvur mithunaṁ ca yavīyasyāṁ bhāryāyām yas tu tatra pumāṁs taṁ parama-bhāgavataṁ rājarṣi-pravaraṁ bharatam utsṛṣṭa-mṛga-śarīraṁ carama-śarīreṇa vipratvaṁ gatam āhuḥ.
atha
thereafter
kasyacit
of some
dvija-varasya
brāhmaṇa
aṅgiraḥ-pravarasya
who came in the dynasty of the great saint Aṅgirā
śama
control of the mind
dama
control of the senses
tapaḥ
practice of austerities and penances
svādhyāya
recitation of the Vedic literatures
adhyayana
studying
tyāga
renunciation
santoṣa
satisfaction
titikṣā
tolerance
praśraya
very gentle
vidyā
knowledge
anasūya
without envy
ātma-jñāna-ānanda
satisfied in self-realization
yuktasya
who was qualified with
ātma-sadṛśa
and exactly like himself
śruta
in education
śīla
in character
ācāra
in behavior
rūpa
in beauty
audārya
in magnanimity
guṇāḥ
possessing all these qualities
nava sa-udaryāḥ
nine brothers born of the same womb
aṅga-jāḥ
sons
babhūvuḥ
were born
mithunam
a twin brother and sister
ca
and
yavīyasyām
in the youngest
bhāryāyām
wife
yaḥ
who
tu
but
tatra
there
pumān
the male child
tam
him
parama-bhāgavatam
the most exalted devotee
rāja-ṛṣi
of saintly kings
pravaram
most honored
bharatam
Bharata Mahārāja
utsṛṣṭa
having given up
mṛga-śarīram
the body of a deer
carama-śarīreṇa
with the last body
vipratvam
being a brāhmaṇa
gatam
obtained
āhuḥ
they said.
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, after giving up the body of a deer, Bharata Mahārāja took birth in a very pure brāhmaṇa family. There was a brāhmaṇa who belonged to the dynasty of Aṅgirā. He was fully qualified with brahminical qualifications. He could control his mind and senses, and he had studied the Vedic literatures and other subsidiary literatures. He was expert in giving charity, and he was always satisfied, tolerant, very gentle, learned and nonenvious. He was self-realized and engaged in the devotional service of the Lord. He remained always in a trance. He had nine equally qualified sons by his first wife, and by his second wife he begot twins — a brother and a sister, of which the male child was said to be the topmost devotee and foremost of saintly kings — Bharata Mahārāja. This, then, is the story of the birth he took after giving up the body of a deer.

Bharata Mahārāja was a great devotee, but he did not attain success in one life. In Bhagavad-gītā it is said that a devotee who does not fulfill his devotional duties in one life is given the chance to be born in a fully qualified brāhmaṇa family or a rich kṣatriya or vaiśya family. Śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe ( Bg. 6.41 ). Bharata Mahārāja was the firstborn son of Mahārāja Ṛṣabha in a rich kṣatriya family, but due to his willful negligence of his spiritual duties and his excessive attachment to an insignificant deer, he was obliged to take birth as the son of a deer. However, due to his strong position as a devotee, he was gifted with the remembrance of his past life. Being repentant, he remained in a solitary forest and always thought of Kṛṣṇa. Then he was given the chance to take birth in a very good brāhmaṇa family.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
To a best of brāhmaṇas of the Aṅgira line, who was endowed with mind and sense control, austerity, study of the Vedas, renunciation, satisfaction, tolerance, humility, knowledge, lack of envy, and bliss on realization of ātmā, were born nine sons, endowed with learning, conduct, beauty and generous qualities which was similar to that of their father. In his younger wife he bore twins. They say that the great devotee Bharata, giving up the body of a deer, became the male child among the twins, and lived his final life as a brāhmaṇa. In the Ninth Chapter, Bharata is born in a brāhmaṇa family, acts like a dull person, does not desire to take instructions on gāyatrī, acts as a scarecrow and gets offered to Kālī.
Related verses
When devotional service is not completed in one life, the Lord arranges a new birth where it can resume — in this case, a pure brāhmaṇa family. Spiritual effort is never lost; the next life is calibrated to give it room to mature.
Reflection Questions
  • Where does the assurance that bhakti carries forward across lives change the urgency or anxiety of your present practice?
  • What seed are you planting now that you trust the Lord to arrange the soil for, even if it sprouts later?
📝 My note

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