Word

Bharata, king

Sanskrit

भरत

IAST

bharata

In General

A prominent king of Chandra Vamsom, the Lunar dynasty. He was son of King Dusyanta and Sakuntala. His name was Sarvadamana, but people loved to call him Bharata, the most successful and respected of the entire Bharat. The love story of Dushyanta and Sakuntala form the main plot of Abijnanasamskrutam, a drama by Kalidasa. The story was originally said in M.B. (Adi Parva).

Genealogy: Descending in order from Visnu – Brahma - Atri – Candra – Budha – Pururavas – Ayus - Nahusa - Yayati – Puru - Janamejaya - Pracinva - Pravira - Namasyu – Vitabhaya – Surtdu – Bahuvidha - Samyati - Rahovadi – RaudraSva - Matinara – Santurodha – Dusyanta - Bharata.

Purana

The story of Sakumtalam: Once, while King Dusyanta was hunting in the forests he hit a fawn with his arrow. The fawn fled to the ashram of Kanva Muni and the king followed. On reaching the ashram grounds he saw Sakuntala watering the plants helped by her companions. Dusyanta and Sakuntala fell in love with each other at the first sight. They married according to the Gandharva tradition; before leaving the ashram the king gave his beloved a signet ring with royal marking. Shakuntala became pregnant and was always in thought of her husband. One day the arrogant Sage Durvasa came to the ashram. As usual Sakuntala was in deep thought of Dushyanta and did not notice the sage coming to the ashram. Durvasas mistook her as disrespectful and cursed her saying that she would be forgotten by the man of whom she was thinking then. Kanva Muni who was absent during the period returned to the ashram came to knew about everything, sent the pregnant Sakuntala to the palace of Dusyanta.

On the way to the royal palace Sakuntala lost the token ring the king had presented her. On reaching the palace, the King Dusyanta do not recognized her owing to the curse of Durvasa; unfortunately Shakuntala had nothing to prove her relationship with Dushyanta, as she had lost the only evidence, the signet ring. While Sakuntala was returning deeply grieved, Menaka, her mother took her and left her in the ashram of Sage Kashyapa and there she delivered a son. Mean while the king got the signet ring he gave to Sakuntala by chance and remembered the beautiful girl he had an affair in Kanva ashram. He searched for her everywhere but in vain. Meanwhile the son of Sakuntala grew brave and fearless and he could subdue even the wildest of animals around the Kashyapa ashram. Kashyapa, therefore, named him Sarvadamana. Once, when Dusyanta was returning home after visiting Indra he saw Sakuntala and recognized her. Dushyanta apologized and took her and the boy to his palace. This was the boy who later on became famous as Bharata.

Bharata ruled over his land for twenty seven thousand years and the land was, therefore, called Bharata (Sloka 96, Chapter 2, Adi Parva, M.B.). After ruling the land ideally he left for the forests entrusting the land to his son, Vitatha.