(Bhagavatham 5.8.1 – 5.8.27)

One day, as Bharatha was doing Sandhyavandanam and Nama Japam on the banks of River Gandaki, he saw a very thirsty female deer drinking water from the river. Abruptly a lion roared near her and out of shock and fear, she jumped over to the next bank of the river.

As she jumped, her baby in the womb came out and fell in the water. The poor mother died and the baby was drowning in the river.

Bharatha was deeply moved by this sight and jumped into the river to save the baby deer. He took utmost care in feeding and pampering the baby as if it was his own baby.

As days passed, his attachment grew beyond limits and he could not separate even for a minute from the poor animal, thus failing in his Sadhana and devotion to the Lord.

What is the end result of this unwise attachment? We will see in the next Slokas.

Note – it is surprising to see the mighty king who left all his people, even his children to seek the Lord in solitude, falling in his path because of an animal!