INDIA THAT IS BHARAT

INDIA THAT IS BHARAT

उत्तरं यत्समुद्रस्य हिमाद्रेश्चैव दक्षिणम् ।

वर्षं तद् भारतं नाम भारती यत्र संततिः ।।

WE PROUDLY LOVE OUR MOTHERLAND

INDIA  derives its name from Indus,(Sindhu in Sanskrit).Sindhu was called Hindu by Persians and thus all people living on the east of Sindhu were known as Hindus collectively. The Republic of India is officially known as Bharat in Hindi and Bharatam in Sanskrit after Bharata a great king of ancient India .Vishnu Puran defines the extent of our country as under; It is one of the oldest civilizations in the world

"The country (varṣam) that lies north of the ocean and south of the snowy mountains is called Bhāratam; there dwell the descendants of Bharata."-Vishnu Purana- 2.3.

Let us understand who this majestic king was and when he ruled our motherland

 Bharata son of  the famous king Dushyanta is considered as the founder of a new dynasty called the Bharata dynasty.The Bharatas  find mention in the Rig-veda,

( Mandala -3 ) attributed to the great seer Vishwamitra.

The Bharatas  are said to  have taken part in the Battle of the Ten Kings, where they  defeated their enemies. Thus they were  the victors in the early power-struggles between the various Aryan and non-Aryan tribes ( RV.- VII/8 ) and  conclusively established their supremacy.

Bharata succeeded his father Dushyanta as the valiant and mighty sovereign who   ruled  the country with great skill, and treated his subjects like a father treats his children. He was very expert and wise, and he showed his people by himself setting an example how to perform their duties according to their inbred qualities and activities. Protecting and leading the people of his kingdom King Bharata ruled with strength and compassion.

Young Bharata was an unconventional ruler. He ruled his empire more like a democracy giving control to his citizens. This could also be a necessity to rule a large territory which contained almost the whole of present day India. king Bharata's conquests are described to have stretched over all of modern India, from the sea to the Himalayas  and  present day Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, as well as the ancient Gandhara region of Afghanistan.

He was renowned for his valour, courage and strategem. The story of his heroism and physical strength is described in the Mahabharata in the following words;-

“While only a child (living) in the forest, he achieved feats incapable of being achieved by others. Endued with great strength, he speedily deprived the very lions, white as snow and armed with teeth and claws, of all their prowess, and dragged them and bound them (at his pleasure). He used to check tigers also, that were fiercer and more ruthless (than lions), and bring them to subjection. Seizing other beasts of prey possessed of great might, and even huge elephants, dyed with red arsenic and spotted with other liquid minerals by their teeth and tusks, he used to bring them to subjection, causing their mouths to become dry, or obliging them to fly away ( Mbh VII-/68)”

He is supposed to have united all warring ancient clans (in the central Asia) under one banner either by friendships and accords or by  winning over  them in battles. Under his leadership  the country was united  and a vast empire was brought under a central rule.    India (Bharat) first became substantially united around 3000 BCE, by emperor Bharata -The country  was later named after him as Bharat.

King Bharata was very handsome, with thick curly hair on his head  and was very conscience of his personality and composure. His wife Sunanda ,the daughter of  Kasi king Sarvasena,  was respected and loved  by her subjects to whom she  was  fully devoted . They had no children as none  of the children born to them had survived. And thus king Bharata put a commoner , by the name of Vitatha , on the throne as his successor . He did so because he believed that a ruler should be brave and just so that he can defend his country and be just to his subjects. He gave little importance to the privileges that accrued from and by the virtue of birth. Karma (action) was more important for him than birth

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