King Bharata Turned As Jada In Narada Purana: Know The Story Behind It

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Puranas say that our next birth will depend on our last thoughts before death. If at the moment, we are full of worldly thoughts, our next birth will occur in the quagmire of worldly wants. If we think of god, it will take us in that godly direction. If you are full of greed and die, thinking of the legacy you are going to leave in the hands of somebody unknown, then you are going to be born with greed as your predominant nature or you may also be born as a snake that guards the wealth. If you are unable to leave your family members at the time of death, you will soon have the next birth in the same lineage.

If you die with sad thoughts, you will be in the same state of mind when you are born in the next birth. Dying cheerfully with happy thoughts, will give you an afterlife with a happy and calm disposition. At the moment of death, unfulfilled and strong desires will decide how you will be born in your next life. This is the reason why the wise say that we should think good do good and die good. We should also pursue a sadhana that takes us to God in our final moments. It is very difficult to remember God at the time of death, and hence the seers advise us to remember God when we are alive so that we remember him at the time of death.

Story of Jada Bharata

Jada Bharata was ancient king who lived in the times of yore. He was the son of Dushyanta and Shakuntala. He was a king that led life righteously and his austere life helped him to develop non-attachment towards worldly things and a strong will to reach the divine. As time passed, he entrusted the kingdom to his son and left for the jungles to pursue his sadhana.
One day, as he was chanting the name of the Lord, while seated by the side of the river, he saw a small cute fawn in a desolate position. It had accidentally fallen into the river and got swept off by the horrendous currents. Bharata could not bear to see the fawn struggling to take its tiny breath and desperate to escape the impending fate. Getting up, he jumped into the river, dragged the fawn out of the water and placing it on his shoulders he strode into his hut. With great care and love, he nursed it back to health, as if it were his own child. Soon the fawn captivated him so much that he forgot all about the tapasya and engaged himself in looking after the fawn day and night.

Jada Bharata's Next Birth

Then one day, his time was up and Yamadharma arrived to take him to the next loka. At that time too, he was lamenting the fate of the deer and died watching it. He was immediately reborn as a deer and remembered his previous sadhana which he had relinquished for the sake of looking after the fawn. He spent his life as a deer in constant remembrance of God and finally was able to be born as a human. He utilised human birth to make the most of it and reach the state of final liberation.

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