Bharat

 Bharat (भारत)

Do you know, why our country is named Bharat? 

There were two kings named Bharat as per Hindu mythology. One was the eldest son of Rishabhdev/nath; and another was the son of Dushyant-Shakuntala. 

Svayambhu Manu and Shatarupa, the first couple created by Brahma, produced five Children, three daughters (Akuti, Prasuti and Devahuti) and two sons (Priyavrata and Uttanapada).

Prasuti was married to Daksha who had thirteen daughters, all married to Kashyapa. One of them was Aditi gave birth to twelve Adityas. One of them was Vivasvan (Sun). His son was Vivasvan Manu. His son was Ikshvaku. Ikshvaku dynasty was known as solar dynasty in which large majority of Jain Tirthankars, King Trishanku, King Bhagirath, King Raghu and Lord Rama were born. 

Agnitra was son of Priyavrata. His son was Nabhi. Rishabhdev/nath was Nabhi’s son. Jain identified Rishabhnath as their first thirthankar. He was worshiped during Indus-Saraswati civilisation and the new year day and calendar of most of the religious events of ancient India were designed linking Sun’s position in the constellation Taurus (Rishabh), the vernal equinox. He had hundred sons, the eldest of them was Bharat. Bharat ruled the kingdom for many years. After distributing his kingdom amongst his sons Bharat went and lived in a Ashram where he rescued a new born deer when her mother died. He was attacked to the deer. When he died, his mind was on the deer, therefore, was born as deer in second birth and in the third birth born as Jada Bharata and obtained salvation.

Another Bharat was a son of King Dushyant of Lunar dynasty. All know the love story of Bharat and Shakuntala. You know the story of Ansuya the daughter of Devahuti (youngest daughter of Manu) and Kardarma, married Sage Atri. The couple had three sons with the amsha of trinity Gods Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. They were Moon (Soma), Datta (Guru Datta) and Durvasa respectively. The descendants of Moon were Puru and Kuru, in which King Dushyant was born. Shakuntala was the daughter of Vishwamitra and Menaka, fell in love with Dushyant. The son of Dhushyant and Shakuntala was King Bharat. His discernments were the Kauravas and Pandavas. Sage Vishwamitra, Lord Parshuram, Lord Krishna were born in lunar dynasty. 

Therefore, there were two Bharats claiming for the name of the country. Somebody must had thought wisely, took a grammar book and applied the rule A+A is aa, and named the country Bharat (भारत) merging the Ganga-Yamuna culture of Solar and Lunar dynasty together.😊

If you have the third claimant, please raise the objection. 😜

Punamchand

3 November 2020

1. Roots by Kadambi Srinivasan