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wife and one daughter. This son was said to be an incarnation of
Bharata. Me was afraid of sanga (company), so much so that he
would not even speak to any one for fear of acquiring new Karma.
People took him for an idiot. His father strove hard to teach him
the Vedas but did not succeed. His parents died and his half
brothers had charge of him. Their wisdom was that of the Vedas.
They had not learned Atma Vidya. So they did not understand the
nature of Bharata and neglected him. They gave him poor meals for
the day's work in the fields.
At one time a thief wanted to propitiate the goddess Bhadra
Kali by human sacrifice in order that he might be blessed with a
child. The victim that was procured somehow untied himself and
fled. The attendants searched for him on all sides in vain. They at
last fell upon Bharata who was watching in the fields in a peculiar way.
They found him most suited for sacrifice and tied him up and carried
him to the altar of Kali. He was duly consecrated and the priest
took up a sharp instrument to cut off his head. Kali could no longer
remain unconcerned. She rushed forth in rage from out of her image,
wrested the knives from the hands of the thieves and cut off their
heads.
Once upon a time Rahugana King of Sindhu and Saubira
was travelling in a palanquin. The chief palanquin bearer on reaching
the river Ikshumati went in search of a bearer and on finding Bharata
deemed him to be a god-send. He found his limbs strong and well-
built and thought him capable of bearing the palanquin. He forced
Bharata into the service. Bharata though quite unfit for this meni-
al work did his utmost. But he was in the habit of looking forward
for the distance of an arrow throw and then taking steps in advance,
so that he might not unwarily kill some animal under his feet. He
could not therefore keep pace with the other bearers and the palan-
quin lost its balance. King Rahugana became angiy and reproached
the bearers. They complained against the new recruit. The king
taunted Bharata with these words; " Oh my friend I dare say you are
tired for have you not carried me long and for a long distance too
and you appear to be thin indeed and weak. Are you suffering from
decrepitude? Are not these your fellow-mates."
Bharata kept quiet. For these taunting remarks did not
touch him. He was crystallised in wisdom and was no longer troubl-
ed with the false preceptions of " I and mine."
The palanquin again lost its balance. The king lost his tem-
per and broke forth thus; " What is this? are you alive or dead? Do
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v?