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## Bharat's Message to His 98 Brothers
Days and nights like gold began to pass. A thousand years passed like a single day. Just as an elephant moves from one forest to another, Bharat Raja, bidding farewell to Gangadevi, reached the Khandprapaat cave. There, like Krtimalayaksha, he performed Attham Tapa and worshipped Natyamal, celebrating an eight-day festival in the same manner. Then, Sushena, the commander, opened the door of the cave and entered. Thus, the southern door opened on its own. From the middle of that cave, Bharat Chakravarti emerged like a Kesari lion. He set up camp on the western bank of the Ganga. At the time the Chakravarti reached the banks of the Ganga, the nine Nidhis, presided over by the Naga Kumar Dev, appeared and said, "O Great One! We reside in Magadhdesh at the mouth of the Ganga and, attracted by your fortune, we have come here to you. Use us as you wish or donate us. Perhaps the water in the ocean can run out, but our wealth can never be depleted. Our length is 12 yojanas and our width is 9 yojanas. Even though we are so vast, we will always remain at your service like a watchman. We will also accompany you underground. We are established on eight chakras and assure you that our 9,000 obedient Yakshas will always replenish your treasures." Just as the wind makes a great forest desolate, so too did Sushena, the commander, make the southern region of the Ganga desolate and returned. In this way, after conquering six continents in sixty thousand years, Bharat Chakravarti, with his army, reached Ayodhya, following the designated path. For twelve years, kings from far and wide came and accepted Bharat Maharaja's Chakravartihood.
One day, Bharat Chakravarti, seeing his sister Sundari, who cared for his family, weak and with bones protruding, angrily said to his close servants, "Servants! Is there a shortage of food here? Then why is this woman of my family reduced to mere bones? Is she not given nourishing food?" The servants replied, "Master! Ever since you went on your victory march, she has been observing a Parana-less Achaml (Ayambil) tapa, desiring to take initiation. At that time, the news came that "Lord Rishabhdev, while wandering the earth, has arrived at the Ashtapad mountain." Hearing this, Chakravarti Bharat, taking Sundari with him, went to pay his respects to the Lord. Following the Lord's teachings, Sundari, with the Chakravarti's permission, took initiation. Meanwhile, preparations were underway for the Chakravarti's coronation ceremony. Bharatesh sent messengers to all the concerned kings, conveying the message, "If they want their kingdom safe and sound, they should accept the authority of Chakravarti Bharat and come to serve him." Hearing this, all the kings accepted his authority, except for Bharat's 98 brothers. They discussed among themselves and sent a message to Bharat through a messenger, saying, "As brothers, we are ready to serve him, but we are not willing to accept his authority and give him the kingdom. Our father gave us the kingdom. What more will we get by serving Bharat? When Yama Raja comes, will he be able to stop him? Will he be able to subdue the body that weakens? Will he be able to eliminate the suffering, the disease that hunts us? Will he be able to subdue the growing Tishna-Pishachi? If Bharat is not capable of giving the fruit of our service in this form, then we are equal to him. In what way are we inferior to him? Therefore, our humanity is equal; then who is the servant of whom? Does he want to forcibly seize the kingdom from us and increase his kingdom due to his personal dissatisfaction? This competition is not right among equal brothers. The father whose son we are, he is also his son. Therefore, messenger, tell your master, "Without our father's say, we will not fight with our elder brother, but we will not tolerate our humiliation." Saying this, the 98 brothers went to Lord Rishabhdev and, after paying their respects, informed him about the message Bharat had sent through the messenger, saying, "Father! You gave us the kingdom; how can we hand over your given kingdom to Bharat? We will follow your command according to whatever guidance you give us." Lord Rishabhdev, in the mirror of pure knowledge, saw the entire universe clearly...