3rd Life - Deer to Jada Bharata

Chapter 9

Bharata next took birth as the son of an advanced brahmana. Fully aware of the powerful influence of illusion (maya), Jada Bharata pretended to be deaf and dumb so as to avoid materialistic association and social interaction. When his mother and father died, Jada Bharata was placed under the supervision of his stepbrothers. Though people thought him to be crazy, insulting and exploiting him at every opportunity, Jada Bharata remained absorbed in perfect devotional consciousness and unaffected by such disrespectful behaviour.

Once, having been ordered by his evil stepbrothers to guard a paddy field like a scarecrow, Jada Bharata was captured by dacoits. They placed him as a sacrifice before the Goddess Kali and raised a sword to kill him. Kali was infuriated by the mistreatment of such a saintly person. She burst out of the deity, and, taking the chopper in her own hands, killed all the dacoits there!