PURPORT

In Bhagavad-gita it is said: svalpam apy asya dharmasya (Bg. 2.40). It is certainly a great fall to go from human life to animal life, but in the case of Bharata Maharaja or any devotee, devotional service to the Lord never goes in vain. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (8.6): yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram. At the time of death, by nature's law the mind is absorbed in a certain type of thinking. This may lead one to animal life, yet for a devotee there is no loss. Even though Bharata Maharaja received the body of a deer, he didn't forget his position. Consequently, in the body of a deer he was very careful to remember the cause of his downfall. As a result, he was given a chance to be born in a family of very pure brahmanas. Thus his service to the Lord never went in vain.