Bharata (Ramayana)

Bharata (Sanskrit: भरत) is a figure in the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana. He is the son of Dasharatha, the king of Kosala, and Kaikeyi, the daughter of King Ashvapati of Kekeya. He is a younger half-brother of Rama. He rules Ayodhya as its regent while Rama is banished from his kingdom, and fights to rescue his wife Sita, kidnapped by Ravana.

This article is about a figure from the Ramayana. For a figure from the Mahabharata, see Bharata (Mahabharata). For other uses, see Bharat (disambiguation).
Bharata
Bharata places Rama's paduka (sandals) on the throne.
TextsRamayana and its other versions
Personal information
Born
Ayodhya
Parents
Siblings
  • Rama (half-brother)
  • Lakshmana (half-brother)
  • Shatrughna (half-brother)
  • Shanta (half-sister)
SpouseMandavi
Children
DynastyRaghuvamsha--Suryavamsha

He is married to Mandavi, daughter of Kushadhvaja, with whom he has two sons – Taksha and Pushkala.

In the Ramayana, Bharata is presented as a symbol of dharma. He is regarded as an incarnation of Panchajanya, the divine conch of Lord Vishnu, while Rama is regarded as the incarnation of Vishnu himself.

Today, Bharata is mostly worshipped in Kerala. One of the few temples in India dedicated to him is the Koodalmanikyam Temple.

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