Although Bharata Maharaja was very elevated, he fell down due to his attachment to a young deer. One day after Bharata Maharaja had taken his bath as usual in the River Gandaki and was chanting his mantra, he saw a pregnant deer come to the river to drink water. Suddenly there could be heard the thundering roar of a lion, and the deer was so frightened that it immediately gave birth to its calf. It then crossed the river, but died immediately thereafter. Maharaja Bharata took compassion upon the motherless calf, rescued it from the water, took it to his asrama and cared for it affectionately. He gradually became attached to this young deer and always thought of it affectionately. As it grew up, it became Maharaja Bharatas constant companion, and he always took care of it. Gradually he became so absorbed in thinking of this deer that his mind became agitated. As he became more attached to the deer, his devotional service slackened. Although he was able to give up his opulent kingdom, he became attached to the deer. Thus he fell down from his mystic yoga practice. Once when the deer was absent, Maharaja Bharata was so disturbed that he began to search for it. While searching and lamenting the deers absence, Maharaja Bharata fell down and died. Because his mind was fully absorbed thinking of the deer, he naturally took his next birth from the womb of a deer. However, because he was considerably advanced spiritually, he did not forget his past activities, even though he was in the body of a deer. He could understand how he had fallen down from his exalted position, and remembering this, he left his mother deer and again went to Pulaha-asrama. He finally ended his fruitive activities in the form of a deer, and when he died he was released from the deers body.