Vishnupurana 2.13.p6

2.13.p6

On account of such feeling at such an hour he was born again in Jambumarga forest as a deer with the faculty of recollecting his former life. Cherishing a distaste for the world on account of this recollection he left his mother and again repaired to holy place of Salagram. Living there upon dry grass and leaves he expatiated the acts which had led to his being born in such a condition: and upon his death he was born as a Brahmin still retaining the recollection of his former life. He was born in a devout and illustrious family of ascetics who rigidly observed devotional practices. Having been gifted with true knowledge and acquainted with the spirit of all sacred writings he observed soul as contra-distinguished from Prakriti (matter). And acquainted with the knowledge of self he observed the celestial and all other beings as the same. When he was invested with the Brahminical thread he did not read the Vedas with a preceptor, did not perform the ceremonies nor did he read the scriptures. And requested again and again he replied incoherently in ungrammatical and unpolished speech. His body was unclean and he used to wear dirty clothes. Saliva dribbled from his mouth and he was treated with hatred by the people. Undue respect from the people obstructs abstraction and hence the ascetics, disregarded by people, attain to the consummation of their asceticism. Without polluting the way treaded by the saints the ascetics should so behave that the ordinary folk might hate them and not come in their company. Having thus thought of this saying (Bharata) gifted with high intellect assumed the appearance of a crazy idiot in the eyes of the people. He used to live on raw pulse, potherbs, wild fruit and grains of corn and whatever came in his way as a part of necessary but temporary infliction.