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{{short description|Legendary Emperor of ancient India}}
{{Infobox deity
{{about|legendary king Bharata of Mahabharata|character from Hindu Epic Ramayana|Bharata (Ramayana)|other uses|Bharat (disambiguation)}}
| type = Hindu
| name = Bharata
| texts = [[Mahabharata]]
| dynasty = [[Chandravamsha]]
| image = Raja Ravi Varma - Mahabharata - Bharata.jpg
| caption = Painting of Bharata, Raja Ravi Varma
| predecessor = [[Dushyanta]]
| successor = [[Bhumanyu]]
| children = [[Bhumanyu]], [[Bharadvaja]] {{small|(adopted)}}
| parents = [[Dushyanta]] (father), [[Shakuntala]] (mother)
| spouse = Sunanda<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ygA2240G74kC&dq=sunanda+two+wives+bharata&pg=PT544 | isbn=9781465526373 | title=The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (Complete) | publisher=Library of Alexandria }}</ref><br>Two unnamed wives<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ISJxtfn8k-UC&dq=bharata+bharadvaja+son&pg=PA36 | isbn=9788177558784 | title=An Introduction to Epic Philosophy: Epic Period, History, Literature, Pantheon, Philosophy, Traditions and Mythology | year=2004 | publisher=Cosmo Publications }}</ref>
}}{{short description|King featured in the Mahabharata}}
{{about|legendary king Bharata of Mahabharata|the figure from Hindu Epic Ramayana|Bharata (Ramayana)|other uses|Bharat (disambiguation)}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Bharata (''Mahabharata'')}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Bharata (''Mahabharata'')}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox royalty
| name = Bharata
| title          = [[Emperor|Samrat]]
| image          = Raja Ravi Varma - Mahabharata - Bharata.jpg
| alt = Bharat
| caption        = Bharat plays with lion cubs<br />Painting by [[Raja Ravi Varma]]
| birth_place    = Sage [[Kanva]] hermitage
| predecessor    =
| successor      = [[Bhumanyu]]
| father          = [[Dushyanta]] of [[Hastinapura]]
| mother          = [[Śakuntalā]]
| spouse          = Sunanda, 2 others
| issue          = [[Bhumanyu]]
| dynasty        = [[Lunar dynasty|Lunar]]
}}
In [[Hindu scriptures]], '''Bharata''' ({{lang-sa|भरत|bharata|lit=The Cherished}})<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01075.htm|title=The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section LXXIV|website=www.sacred-texts.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/mbs/mbs01069.htm|title=The Mahabharata in Sanskrit: Book 1: Chapter 69|website=www.sacred-texts.com}}</ref> is an ancestor of the [[Pandava]]s and the [[Kaurava]]s in the Sanskrit epic ''[[Mahabharata]]''. Though the [[Bhāratas]] are a prominent historical tribe mentioned in the [[Rigveda]],<ref name=Singh>{{citation|last=Singh|first=U.|author-link=Upinder Singh|title=A History of Ancient and Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century|year=2009|publisher=[[Longman]]|location=Delhi|isbn=978-81-317-1677-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H3lUIIYxWkEC|page=187}}</ref> the story of Bharata is first told in the [[Adi Parva]] of the Mahabharata, wherein he is the son of [[Dushyanta]] and [[Shakuntala]].<ref name=Apte>{{cite book|last1=Apte|first1=Vaman Shivaram|title=Revised and enlarged edition of Prin. V. S. Apte's The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary|year=1959|publisher=Prasad Prakashan|location=Poona|url=http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.4:1:2619.apte|chapter=भरतः}}</ref><ref name = Buitenen>{{cite book|last1=Buitenen|first1=J. A. B. van|author-link1=J. A. B. van Buitenen|title=Mahabharata Book I: The book of beginnings|date=1973|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=9780226846637|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i8oe5fY5_3UC|chapter=Introduction}}</ref>  The story of his parents and his birth is also related in [[Kalidasa]]'s famous play ''[[Abhijñānashākuntala]]''.


In the epic ''[[Mahābhārata]]'', the ancestor of [[Kuru Kingdom|Kuru]]s becomes Emperor Bharata, and his ruler and kingdom are called Bhārata.<ref>[[Julius Lipner]] (2010) "Hindus: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices.", p.23</ref> The Bharata clan mentioned in ''Mahabharata'' is a [[Kuru Kingdom|Kuru]] clan which is a sub-clan of the [[Puru (Vedic tribe)|Puru]] clan.<ref>National Council of Educational Research and Training, History Text Book, Part 2, India</ref>
'''Bharata''' ({{langx|sa|भरत|Bharata}})<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01075.htm|title=The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section LXXIV|website=www.sacred-texts.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/mbs/mbs01069.htm|title=The Mahabharata in Sanskrit: Book 1: Chapter 69|website=www.sacred-texts.com}}</ref> is a legendary emperor featured in [[Hindu texts|Hindu literature]]. He is a member of the [[Lunar dynasty|Chandravamsha]] dynasty, and becomes the [[Chakravarti (Sanskrit term)|Chakravarti]] (Chakra possessing emperor).<ref>{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=11 April 2009 |title=Bharata, Bhārata, Bharatā, Bharaṭa: 44 definitions |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/bharata#hinduism-general |access-date=27 November 2022 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en}}</ref> He is regarded to be the ancestor of the [[Pandava]]s, the [[Kaurava]]s, [[Brihadratha]] and [[Jarasandha]].


==Bharata in literature==
The legend of Bharata is featured in the [[Adi Parva]] of the [[Mahabharata]], where he is mentioned as the son of [[Dushyanta]] and [[Shakuntala]].<ref name="Apte">{{cite book|last1=Apte|first1=Vaman Shivaram|title=Revised and enlarged edition of Prin. V. S. Apte's The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary|year=1959|publisher=Prasad Prakashan|location=Poona|url=http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.4:1:2619.apte|chapter=भरतः|access-date=20 June 2015|archive-date=13 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113234218/http://dsalsrv02.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.4:1:2619.apte|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Buitenen">{{cite book|last1=Buitenen|first1=J. A. B. van|author-link1=J. A. B. van Buitenen|title=Mahabharata Book I: The book of beginnings|date=1973|publisher=University of Chicago Press|isbn=9780226846637|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i8oe5fY5_3UC|chapter=Introduction}}</ref>  The story of his parents and his birth is related in [[Kalidasa]]'s famous play, ''[[Abhijñānashākuntala]]''. He is a descendant of [[rajarshi]] [[Vishvamitra]].


According to the ''[[Mahābhārata]]'' (''Adi Parva''), Bharata was the son of King [[Dushyanta]] and [[Shakuntala]] and thus a descendant of the [[Lunar dynasty]] of the [[Kshatriya]] [[Varna (Hinduism)|Varna]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/mahabharata03buit/page/214|title=The Mahābhārata|publisher=University of Chicago Press|others=Buitenen, J. A. B. van (Johannes Adrianus Bernardus), 1928–1979,, Fitzgerald, James L.|year=1973|isbn=0226846636|location=Chicago|pages=[https://archive.org/details/mahabharata03buit/page/214 214]|oclc=831317|url-access=registration}}</ref> He was originally named ''Sarvadamana'' ("the subduer of all"); the ''Mahābhārata'' traces the events in his life by which he came to be known as Bharata ("the cherished"). Bharata's exploits as a child prince are dramatised in [[Kalidasa]]'s poetic play ''[[The Recognition of Shakuntala|Abhijñānaśākuntalam]]''.{{sfn|Ganguly|2006|pp=130–132}}
According to popular tradition, [[Names for India|Bhārata]],<ref>[[Julius Lipner]] (2010) "Hindus: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices.", p.23</ref> one of the traditional names of the [[Indian subcontinent]], is named after Bharata.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Vyasa |first=Dwaipayana |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=egw_EAAAQBAJ&dq=bharata+named+after+mahabharata&pg=PT2643 |title=The Mahabharata of Vyasa: (Complete 18 Volumes) |date=24 August 2021 |publisher=Enigma Edizioni |pages=2643 |language=en}}</ref>


==Story of Bharat==
Many depictions call him as [[Digvijaya (conquest)|Digvijaya]] [[Chakravarti (Sanskrit term)|Chakravartin]] [[Emperor|Samrāj]] Sarvadamana Bharata ({{Langx|sa|दिग्विजय-चक्रवर्तिन्-सम्राज्-सर्वदमन भरत|links=no|lit=The World-conquering Bharata, who is victorious wherever he goes, whose chariot wheels are always turning, who rules over Kings|translit=digvijaya-cakravartin-samrāj-sarvadamana bharata}}; {{IPA|sa|d̪ɪg.ʋɪ.dʑɐˈjɐ  tɕɐk.ɾɐ.ʋɐɾˈt̪ɪn̪  s̪ɐmˈɾɑːdʑ  s̪ɐɾ.ʋɐ.d̪ɐ.mɐˈn̪ɐ  bʰɐ.ɾɐˈt̪ɐ}}).{{Citation required|date=January 2024}}
===''Abhijñānaśakuntalā'' version===
According to a dramatized version of the events by the poet [[Kalidasa]], the king [[Dushyanta]] married [[Shakuntala]] on his hunting expeditions in forests. He was captivated by Shakuntala's beauty, courted her in royal style and married her. He then had to leave to take care of affairs in the capital.{{citation needed|date=November 2016}}<ref>{{Cite book|title=Theater of memory : the plays of Kālidāsa|last=Kālidāsa.|year=1984|publisher=Columbia University Press|others=Miller, Barbara Stoler.|isbn=0231058381|location=New York|pages=109, 122|oclc=10299417}}</ref> She was given a ring by the king, to be presented to him when she was ready to appear in his court. She could then claim her place as queen. Shakuntala gave birth to her child who was named ''Sarvadamana'' by the sage Kanwa. Surrounded only by wild animals, Sarvadamana grew to be a strong child and made a sport of opening the mouths of tigers and lions and counting their teeth.{{sfn|Ganguly|2006|pp=130–132}}


This narrative varies dramatically from the version in the epic ''[[Mahabharata]]''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Macfie|first=J. M|title=Myths and Legends of India|year=1993|publisher=Rupa & Co.|location=New Delhi|isbn=978-81-7167-131-1|page=323}}</ref>
==Legend==
===Mahabharata ===
The [[Mahabharata]] states that King Dushyanta was once hunting in the forests, when he arrived at the [[Ashram|ashrama]] of Sage [[Kanva]]. In the sage's absence, his adoptive daughter, Shakuntala welcomed Dushyanta, who became smitten by her beauty. Shakuntala revealed the story of her birth- how she was raised by Sage Kanva after she was born from the union of the celestial nymph, Menaka, and Sage [[Vishvamitra]]. Dushyanta expressed his desire to marry Shakuntala, who consented on the condition that Dushyanta must crown the son born of their union the king. Dushyanta agreed and married Shakuntala according to the Gandharva marriage. Afterwards, Dushyanta left for his kingdom. Meanwhile, Sage Kanva learnt about Shakuntala's marriage to Dushyanta and revealed that she would give birth to an emperor. In due course, Shakuntala gave birth to Dushyanta's son and named him Sarvadamana, who had the sign of a Chakra on his right hand (indicating that he was destined to be an emperor). Sarvadamana was born with the strength of 10,000 elephants, and even as a child, he was capable of subduing and taming wild beasts. A few years later, Sage Kanva advised Shakuntala to take her son to Dushyanta. However, Shakuntala was taken aback when Dushyanta expressed unfamiliarity towards her and her son. However, a divine voice confirmed that Sarvadamana was indeed the son of Dushyanta and renamed the child as Bharata. Dushyanta admitted that he was aware of Bharata being his son, but did not acknowledge out of fear that people would doubt his paternity.


===''Mahabharata'' version===
Eventually, Bharata became the king and conquered the world. The Drona Parva states that Bharata performed 1,800 Ashwamedha Yagnas, 100 Rajasuya Yagnas, and hundreds of Vajapeya Yagnas. Bharata's grandfather, Sage Kanva, officiated all his sacrificial rituals, and the emperor donated countless horses and 10 trillion gold coins to his grandfather. Bharata married three princesses of Vidarbha, though the sons born of these wives were so cruel that they were slain. Bharata propitiated the [[Deva (Hinduism)|devas]] for a son, and they gave him a boy, whom he named Vitatha, also called Bharadvaja. According to another account, Bharadvaja blessed Bharata with a son named Bhumanyu.<ref>{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=28 January 2019 |title=Story of Bharadvāja |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/compilation/puranic-encyclopaedia/d/doc241462.html |access-date=27 November 2022 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en}}</ref> Bharata ruled for twenty-seven thousand years, and therefore, the kingdom that he inherited and expanded came to be known as Bhārata, named after him.<ref>{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=28 January 2019 |title=Story of Bharata |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/compilation/puranic-encyclopaedia/d/doc241463.html |access-date=27 November 2022 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en}}</ref>
In the ''Mahabharata'', the core story remains the same. However, in the story, Shakuntala's son Bharata is already 6 years old, and when they both appear in Dushyanta's court, the latter rejects both of them by saying that he had no relation with both of them and women are often experts at speaking lies, so he pretends to forget them in order to avoid embarrassment in front of his ministers and public. Shakuntala leaves angrily and frustrated. Suddenly, a divine voice echoes at the court, ordering Dushyanta to acknowledge Shakuntala and Bharata. Bharata succeeded his father as the king and with his unparalleled might, he subjugated the world. He proceeded to perform numerous Rajasuya and Ashwamedha rituals on the banks of Ganga, donating vast amounts of wealth to the Brahmanas.


Bharat had a son named Bhúmanyu. The Adi Parva of ''Mahabharata'' tells two different stories about Bhúmanyu's birth. The first story says that Bharat married Sunanda, the daughter of Sarvasena, the King of Kasi Kingdom and begot upon her the son named [[Bhumanyu]].<ref name="sacred-texts1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01096.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100116130453/http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01096.htm |url-status=dead |title=The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section XCV|archive-date=16 January 2010|website=www.sacred-texts.com}}</ref> According to the second story, Bharata had three wives, and nine sons from them. But these sons were not as their father and incapable of being his successor. Seeing Bharata's dissatisfaction, his wives in wrath slew all of their sons. Then Bhúmanyu was born out of a great sacrifice that Bharata performed with the help of the sage [[Bharadwaja]].<ref name="mahabharata-resources">http://mahabharata-resources.org/bharata.html {{Bare URL inline|date=September 2021}}</ref>
===Abhijñānaśakuntalā===
[[File:Abhijñānaśākuntalam.jpg|thumb|Statue of Abhijñānaśākuntalam book at [[Kalidas Dih]] in the Uchchaith village of the Madhubani district in the [[Mithila (region)|Mithila region]] of Bihar]]
According to a dramatised version of the events by the poet [[Kalidasa]], the king [[Dushyanta]] married [[Shakuntala]] on his hunting expeditions in forests. He was captivated by Shakuntala's beauty, courted her in royal style and married her. He then had to leave to take care of affairs in the capital.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kālidāsa. |title=Theater of memory : the plays of Kālidāsa |publisher=Columbia University Press |others=Miller, Barbara Stoler. |year=1984 |isbn=0231058381 |location=New York |pages=109, 122 |oclc=10299417}}</ref> She was given a ring by the king, to be presented to him when she was ready to appear in his court. Shakuntala gave birth to her child who was named ''Sarvadamana'' by the sage Kashyapa. Surrounded only by wild animals, Sarvadamana grew to be a strong child and made a sport of opening the mouths of tigers and lions and counting their teeth.{{sfn|Ganguly|2006|pp=130–132}}<ref>{{cite book |last=Macfie |first=J. M |title=Myths and Legends of India |publisher=Rupa & Co. |year=1993 |isbn=978-81-7167-131-1 |location=New Delhi |page=323}}</ref>


The Bhagavata Purana gives another account of the adopted son of Bharata. When [[Angiras|Angiras']] son – Utathya's wife, Mamata was pregnant, Utathya's younger brother [[Brihaspati]] moved by desire sought Mamata. But the child in her womb obstructed the deposition of Brihaspati's semen. Instead the child was delivered by Mamata. Mamata and Brihaspati started to quarrel over the guardianship of the child. At last they left the infant boy abandoned. The [[Maruts|Maruta]] gods adopted the boy and named him Bharadwaja. When the wives of Bharata killed all their sons, the Marutas gave Bharadwaja to Bharata. Bharadwaja, also known as Vitatha, became the king.<ref>Bhagavata Bhagavata Purana Skandha IX Chapter 20</ref>
=== Children ===
Bharata had a son named Bhúmanyu. The Adi Parva of ''Mahabharata'' tells two different stories about Bhúmanyu's birth. The first story says that Bharata married Sunanda, the daughter of Sarvasena, the King of the Kashi kingdom and begot upon her the son named [[Bhumanyu]].<ref name="sacred-texts1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01096.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100116130453/http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01096.htm |url-status=dead |title=The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section XCV|archive-date=16 January 2010|website=www.sacred-texts.com}}</ref> According to the second story, Bharata had three wives, and nine sons from them. But these sons were not as their father and incapable of being his successor. Seeing Bharata's dissatisfaction, his wives in wrath slew all of their sons. Then Bhúmanyu was born out of a great sacrifice that Bharata performed with the help of the sage [[Bharadvaja]].<ref name="mahabharata-resources">{{cite web |url=http://mahabharata-resources.org/bharata.html |title=Bharata's sons |website=mahabharata-resources.org}}</ref>


===Bharata lineage===
The [[Skanda Purana]] gives another account of the adopted son of Bharata. When [[Angiras|Angiras']] son, Utathya's wife Mamata was pregnant, Utathya's younger brother [[Brihaspati]] moved by desire sought Mamata. But the child in her womb obstructed the deposition of Brihaspati's semen. Instead the child was delivered by Mamata. Mamata and Brihaspati started to quarrel over the guardianship of the child. At last they left the infant boy abandoned. The [[Maruts|Maruta]] gods adopted the boy and named him Bharadvaja. When the wives of Bharata killed all their sons, the Marutas gave Bharadvaja to Bharata. Bharadvaja, also known as Vitatha, became the king.<ref>Bhagavata Bhagavata Purana Skandha IX Chapter 20</ref>
Emperor Bharat gave his name to the dynasty of which he was the founder to an eligible person who was not his actual son. It was in Bharat's dynasty that later the [[Pandava]]s of the epic ''[[Mahabharata]]'' were born, though Emperor Bharata is not a true ancestor of the [[Pandava]]s.{{sfn|Mackenzie|2004|p=157}}


==See also==
==See also==
* [[Bharata chakravartin]]
* [[Raghu]]
* [[Bharata Khanda]]
* [[Ikshvaku]]
* [[Yadu (legendary king)|Yadu]]


==Notes==
==Notes==
Line 58: Line 56:
{{HinduMythology}}
{{HinduMythology}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Bharata, Emperor}}
[[Category:Characters in the Mahabharata]]
[[Category:Characters in the Mahabharata]]
[[Category:Solar dynasty]]
[[Category:Kings in Indian mythology]]
[[Category:Lunar dynasty]]

Latest revision as of 16:01, 5 July 2025

Bharata
Painting of Bharata, Raja Ravi Varma
PredecessorDushyanta
SuccessorBhumanyu
TextsMahabharata
Personal information
ParentsDushyanta (father), Shakuntala (mother)
SpouseSunanda[1]
Two unnamed wives[2]
ChildrenBhumanyu, Bharadvaja (adopted)
DynastyChandravamsha
This article is about legendary king Bharata of Mahabharata. For the figure from Hindu Epic Ramayana, see Bharata (Ramayana). For other uses, see Bharat (disambiguation).


Bharata (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.)[3][4] is a legendary emperor featured in Hindu literature. He is a member of the Chandravamsha dynasty, and becomes the Chakravarti (Chakra possessing emperor).[5] He is regarded to be the ancestor of the Pandavas, the Kauravas, Brihadratha and Jarasandha.

The legend of Bharata is featured in the Adi Parva of the Mahabharata, where he is mentioned as the son of Dushyanta and Shakuntala.[6][7] The story of his parents and his birth is related in Kalidasa's famous play, Abhijñānashākuntala. He is a descendant of rajarshi Vishvamitra.

According to popular tradition, Bhārata,[8] one of the traditional names of the Indian subcontinent, is named after Bharata.[9]

Many depictions call him as Digvijaya Chakravartin Samrāj Sarvadamana Bharata (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.; sa).Template:Citation required

Legend[edit | edit source]

Mahabharata[edit | edit source]

The Mahabharata states that King Dushyanta was once hunting in the forests, when he arrived at the ashrama of Sage Kanva. In the sage's absence, his adoptive daughter, Shakuntala welcomed Dushyanta, who became smitten by her beauty. Shakuntala revealed the story of her birth- how she was raised by Sage Kanva after she was born from the union of the celestial nymph, Menaka, and Sage Vishvamitra. Dushyanta expressed his desire to marry Shakuntala, who consented on the condition that Dushyanta must crown the son born of their union the king. Dushyanta agreed and married Shakuntala according to the Gandharva marriage. Afterwards, Dushyanta left for his kingdom. Meanwhile, Sage Kanva learnt about Shakuntala's marriage to Dushyanta and revealed that she would give birth to an emperor. In due course, Shakuntala gave birth to Dushyanta's son and named him Sarvadamana, who had the sign of a Chakra on his right hand (indicating that he was destined to be an emperor). Sarvadamana was born with the strength of 10,000 elephants, and even as a child, he was capable of subduing and taming wild beasts. A few years later, Sage Kanva advised Shakuntala to take her son to Dushyanta. However, Shakuntala was taken aback when Dushyanta expressed unfamiliarity towards her and her son. However, a divine voice confirmed that Sarvadamana was indeed the son of Dushyanta and renamed the child as Bharata. Dushyanta admitted that he was aware of Bharata being his son, but did not acknowledge out of fear that people would doubt his paternity.

Eventually, Bharata became the king and conquered the world. The Drona Parva states that Bharata performed 1,800 Ashwamedha Yagnas, 100 Rajasuya Yagnas, and hundreds of Vajapeya Yagnas. Bharata's grandfather, Sage Kanva, officiated all his sacrificial rituals, and the emperor donated countless horses and 10 trillion gold coins to his grandfather. Bharata married three princesses of Vidarbha, though the sons born of these wives were so cruel that they were slain. Bharata propitiated the devas for a son, and they gave him a boy, whom he named Vitatha, also called Bharadvaja. According to another account, Bharadvaja blessed Bharata with a son named Bhumanyu.[10] Bharata ruled for twenty-seven thousand years, and therefore, the kingdom that he inherited and expanded came to be known as Bhārata, named after him.[11]

Abhijñānaśakuntalā[edit | edit source]

Statue of Abhijñānaśākuntalam book at Kalidas Dih in the Uchchaith village of the Madhubani district in the Mithila region of Bihar

According to a dramatised version of the events by the poet Kalidasa, the king Dushyanta married Shakuntala on his hunting expeditions in forests. He was captivated by Shakuntala's beauty, courted her in royal style and married her. He then had to leave to take care of affairs in the capital.[12] She was given a ring by the king, to be presented to him when she was ready to appear in his court. Shakuntala gave birth to her child who was named Sarvadamana by the sage Kashyapa. Surrounded only by wild animals, Sarvadamana grew to be a strong child and made a sport of opening the mouths of tigers and lions and counting their teeth.[13][14]

Children[edit | edit source]

Bharata had a son named Bhúmanyu. The Adi Parva of Mahabharata tells two different stories about Bhúmanyu's birth. The first story says that Bharata married Sunanda, the daughter of Sarvasena, the King of the Kashi kingdom and begot upon her the son named Bhumanyu.[15] According to the second story, Bharata had three wives, and nine sons from them. But these sons were not as their father and incapable of being his successor. Seeing Bharata's dissatisfaction, his wives in wrath slew all of their sons. Then Bhúmanyu was born out of a great sacrifice that Bharata performed with the help of the sage Bharadvaja.[16]

The Skanda Purana gives another account of the adopted son of Bharata. When Angiras' son, Utathya's wife Mamata was pregnant, Utathya's younger brother Brihaspati moved by desire sought Mamata. But the child in her womb obstructed the deposition of Brihaspati's semen. Instead the child was delivered by Mamata. Mamata and Brihaspati started to quarrel over the guardianship of the child. At last they left the infant boy abandoned. The Maruta gods adopted the boy and named him Bharadvaja. When the wives of Bharata killed all their sons, the Marutas gave Bharadvaja to Bharata. Bharadvaja, also known as Vitatha, became the king.[17]

See also[edit | edit source]

Notes[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (Complete). Library of Alexandria. ISBN 9781465526373.
  2. ↑ An Introduction to Epic Philosophy: Epic Period, History, Literature, Pantheon, Philosophy, Traditions and Mythology. Cosmo Publications. 2004. ISBN 9788177558784.
  3. ↑ "The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section LXXIV". www.sacred-texts.com.
  4. ↑ "The Mahabharata in Sanskrit: Book 1: Chapter 69". www.sacred-texts.com.
  5. ↑ www.wisdomlib.org (11 April 2009). "Bharata, Bhārata, Bharatā, Bharaṭa: 44 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  6. ↑ Apte, Vaman Shivaram (1959). "भरतः". Revised and enlarged edition of Prin. V. S. Apte's The practical Sanskrit-English dictionary. Poona: Prasad Prakashan. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  7. ↑ Buitenen, J. A. B. van (1973). "Introduction". Mahabharata Book I: The book of beginnings. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226846637.
  8. ↑ Julius Lipner (2010) "Hindus: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices.", p.23
  9. ↑ Vyasa, Dwaipayana (24 August 2021). The Mahabharata of Vyasa: (Complete 18 Volumes). Enigma Edizioni. p. 2643.
  10. ↑ www.wisdomlib.org (28 January 2019). "Story of Bharadvāja". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  11. ↑ www.wisdomlib.org (28 January 2019). "Story of Bharata". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  12. ↑ Kālidāsa. (1984). Theater of memory : the plays of Kālidāsa. Miller, Barbara Stoler. New York: Columbia University Press. pp. 109, 122. ISBN 0231058381. OCLC 10299417.
  13. ↑ Ganguly 2006, pp. 130–132.
  14. ↑ Macfie, J. M (1993). Myths and Legends of India. New Delhi: Rupa & Co. p. 323. ISBN 978-81-7167-131-1.
  15. ↑ "The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section XCV". www.sacred-texts.com. Archived from the original on 16 January 2010.
  16. ↑ "Bharata's sons". mahabharata-resources.org.
  17. ↑ Bhagavata Bhagavata Purana Skandha IX Chapter 20

References[edit | edit source]

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