Bharata (Mahabharata)
Bharata (Sanskrit: भरत, romanized: Bharata) is a legendary emperor featured in Hindu literature. He is a member of the Chandravamsha dynasty, and becomes the Chakravarti (Chakra possessing emperor). He is regarded to be the ancestor of the Pandavas, the Kauravas, Brihadhrata, and Jarasandha. The Bhāratas, a prominent historical tribe mentioned in the Rigveda, are regarded in Hinduism to be the descendants of Bharata.
| Bharata | |
|---|---|
Painting of Bharata, Raja Ravi Varma | |
| Predecessor | Dushyanta |
| Successor | Bhumanyu |
| Texts | Mahabharata |
| Personal information | |
| Parents | Dushyanta (father), Shakuntala (mother) |
| Spouse | Sunanda Two unnamed wives |
| Children | Bhumanyu, Bharadvaja (adopted) |
| Dynasty | Chandravamsha |
The legend of Bharata is featured in the Adi Parva of the Mahabharata, where he is mentioned as the son of Dushyanta and Shakuntala. The story of his parents and his birth is related in Kalidasa's famous play, Abhijñānashākuntala.
According to popular tradition, Bhārata, the traditional name of the Indian subcontinent, is named after Bharata.
Many depictions call him as Digvijaya Chakravartin Samrāj Sarvadamana Bharata (Sanskrit: दिग्विजय-चक्रवर्तिन्-सम्राज्-सर्वदमन भरत, romanized: digvijaya-cakravartin-samrāj-sarvadamana bharata, lit. 'The World-conquering Bharata, who is victorious wherever he goes, whose chariot wheels are always turning, who rules over Kings'; Sanskrit pronunciation: [d̪ɪg.ʋɪ.dʑɐˈjɐ tɕɐk.ɾɐ.ʋɐɾˈt̪ɪn̪ s̪ɐmˈɾɑːdʑ s̪ɐɾ.ʋɐ.d̪ɐ.mɐˈn̪ɐ bʰɐ.ɾɐˈt̪ɐ]).