17.1 In the Samvat year 1884, on Shrãvan sud 6 [30th July 1827], Shreeji Mahãrãj was sitting on the veranda outside the east-facing rooms of Dãdã Khãchar’s darbãr in Gadhadã. He was dressed entirely in white clothes and was wearing garlands of flowers around His neck. A sabhã of munis, as well as haribhaktas from various places, had gathered before Him.
17.2 Then, Shreeji Mahãrãj said, “There is no story in the Shreemad Bhãgvat as incredible as the story of Bharatji. This is because Bharatji was the son of Rushabh-Dev Bhagvãn, and for the specific purpose of realising Bhagvãn, he gave up his kingdom, which consisted of the whole world, and retired to the forest. Then, while engaged in the worship of Bhagvãn, he developed affection for a young deer. As a result, his mind’s vrutti took the form of that deer. As a result, despite his greatness, Bharatji was reborn as a deer due to the sin of that attachment.
17.3 “As a matter of fact, there are countless types of sins; but for a bhakta of Bhagvãn, of all those sins, having affection for anything except Bhagvãn is an extremely great sin. Therefore, if a wise person thinks over this story of Bharatji, he becomes extremely fearful in his heart with the thought, ‘What if I develop affection for anything other than Bhagvãn?’ In this way, he becomes extremely afraid.
17.4 “Then, when Bharatji gave up the body of the deer, he was born in a brãhman family. Then, out of fear of developing affection for anything other than Bhagvãn, he paid no attention at all to worldly affairs and deliberately behaved as a madman. He lived in a way where he could maintain his vrutti constantly on Bhagvãn.”
17.5 After delivering this talk, Shreeji Mahãrãj left to attend the ãrti.
End of Vachanãmrut Gadhadã III || 17 || 251 ||