Texts 5-6
brāhmaṇa uvāca
ayaṁ jano nāma calan pṛthivyāṁ
yaḥ pārthivaḥ pārthiva kasya hetoḥ
tasyāpi cāṅghryor adhi gulpha-jaṅghā-
jānūru-madhyora-śirodharāṁsāḥ
aṁse ’dhi dārvī śibikā ca yasyāṁ
sauvīra-rājety apadeśa āste
yasmin bhavān rūḍha-nijābhimāno
rājāsmi sindhuṣv iti durmadāndhaḥ
brāhmaṇaḥ uvāca—el brāhmaṇa dijo; ayam—esta; janaḥ—persona; nāma—famosa como; calan—que se mueven;pṛthivyām—sobre la Tierra; yaḥ—quien; pārthivaḥ—una transformación de la tierra; pārthiva—¡oh, rey, que también posees un cuerpo hecho de tierra!; kasya—por la cual; hetoḥ—razón; tasya api—de él también; ca—y; aṅghryoḥ—pies; adhi—sobre; gulpha—tobillos; jaṅghā—pantorrillas; jānu—rodillas; uru—muslos; madhyora—cintura; śiraḥ-dhara—cuello;aṁsāḥ—hombros; aṁse—hombro; adhi—sobre; dārvī—hecho de madera; śibikā—palanquín; ca—y; yasyām—sobre el cual; sauvīra-rājā—el rey de Sauvīra; iti—así; apadeśaḥ—conocido como; āste—hay; yasmin—en el cual; bhavān—Su Majestad; rūḍha—impuesto sobre; nija-abhimānaḥ—con un concepto de prestigio falso; rājā asmi—yo soy el rey; sindhuṣu—en el estado de Sindhu; iti—así; durmada-andhaḥ—cautivado por el prestigio falso.
El brāhmaṇa Jaḍa Bharata, que era una persona autorrealizada, dijo: Entre las muchas combinaciones y permutaciones materiales, existen diversas formas y transformaciones de la tierra. Por alguna razón, las hay que se mueven por la superficie de la Tierra y reciben el nombre de porteadores de palanquín, mientras que las transformaciones que no se mueven son objetos materiales burdos, como las piedras. En todo caso, el cuerpo material está hecho de tierra y piedra en forma de pies, tobillos, pantorrillas, rodillas, muslos, torso, garganta y cabeza. Sobre los hombros descansa el palanquín de madera, y dentro del palanquín, el supuesto rey de Sauvīra. El cuerpo del rey no es más que otra transformación de la tierra, pero dentro de él vive su majestad, que piensa, y se equivoca al hacerlo, que es el rey del estado de Sauvīra.
After analyzing the material bodies of the palanquin carrier and the palanquin passenger, Jaḍa Bharata concludes that the real living force is the living entity. The living entity is the offshoot or offspring of Lord Viṣṇu; therefore within this material world, among moving and nonmoving things, the real principle is Lord Viṣṇu. Due to His presence, everything is working, and there are actions and reactions. One who understands Lord Viṣṇu as the original cause of everything is to be understood to be perfectly situated in knowledge. Although he was falsely proud of being a king, King Rahūgaṇa was not really situated in knowledge. Therefore he was rebuking the palanquin carriers, including the self-realized brāhmaṇa Jaḍa Bharata. This is the first accusation Jaḍa Bharata made against the King, who was daring to talk to a learned brāhmaṇa from the flimsy ground of ignorance, identifying everything with matter. King Rahūgaṇa argued that the living entity is within the body and that when the body is fatigued the living entity within must therefore be suffering. It is clearly explained in the following verses that the living entity does not suffer due to the body’s fatigue. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī gives an example of a child heavily decorated with ornaments; although the child’s body is very delicate, he does not feel fatigue, nor do the parents think that his ornaments should be taken away. The living entity has nothing to do with bodily pains and pleasures. These are simply mental concoctions. An intelligent man will find the original cause of everything. Material combinations and permutations may be a matter of fact in worldly dealings, but actually the living force, the soul, has nothing to do with them. Those who are materially upset take care of the body and manufacture daridra-nārāyaṇa (poor Nārāyaṇa). However, it is not a fact that the soul or Supersoul becomes poor simply because the body is poor. These are the statements of ignorant people. The soul and Supersoul are always apart from bodily pleasure and pain.