Text 13
pathiṣu ca mugdha-bhāvena tatra tatra viṣakta-mati-praṇaya-bhara-hṛdayaḥ kārpaṇyāt skandhenodvahati evam utsaṅga urasi cādhāyopalālayan mudaṁ paramām avāpa.
pathiṣu — on the forest paths; ca — also; mugdha-bhāvena — by the childish behavior of the deer; tatra tatra — here and there; viṣakta-mati — whose mind was too much attracted; praṇaya — with love; bhara — loaded; hṛdayaḥ — whose heart; kārpaṇyāt — because of affection and love; skandhena — by the shoulder; udvahati — carries; evam — in this way; utsaṅge — sometimes on the lap; urasi — on the chest while sleeping; ca — also; ādhāya — keeping; upalālayan — fondling; mudam — pleasure; paramām — very great; avāpa — he felt.
When entering the forest, the animal would appear very attractive to Mahārāja Bharata due to its childish behavior. Mahārāja Bharata would even take the deer on his shoulders and carry it due to affection. His heart was so filled with great love for the deer that he would sometimes keep it on his lap or, when sleeping, on his chest. In this way he felt great pleasure in fondling the animal.
Mahārāja Bharata left his home, wife, children, kingdom and everything else to advance his spiritual life in the forest, but again he fell victim to material affection due to his attachment to an insignificant pet deer. What, then, was the use of his renouncing his family? One who is serious in advancing his spiritual life should be very cautious not to become attached to anything but Kṛṣṇa. Sometimes, in order to preach, we have to accept many material activities, but we should remember that everything is for Kṛṣṇa. If we remember this, there is no chance of our being victimized by material activities.