BHARAT

 Today I Mou am starting my blog with blessings of lord SHIVA to share our history which was told as story or myth till now. May be it  is myth but I believe that it is our true and ancient history. But very few people knows about it. Via this blog I want to share our magnificent and glorious history with a huge number of people who are interested to know and gather knowledge.

So today I am starting this blog by the history behind the name of our country "Bharatavarsha" by following Kashidashi Mahabharata.

Maharaj Bharat

Maharaj Bharat :

Our motherland is "Bharat". The name Bharat came from a great emperor called "Maharaj Bharat" who was the son of Shakuntala and king Dushmanta. Bharat was the first king who unite the whole land. He wisely ruled and convert small kingdoms into one land or one kingdom called Bharatbhumi later Bharatavarsha. He did so many good works and yagya and other things. He was kind hearted and brave king. His bravery was also praised by Devatas. Also his clan was named by his name called 'Bharat clan'.

Here I am going to talking about his birth history. How he was born at the place of Shakuntala (who was his mother) and became a great king.

Shakuntala

Shakuntala Dushmanta :

Once Raja Dushmanta went to mrigaya (hunting). He was very brave, handsome and talented king of Hastina Nagar. After so many hunt in several forests, he went to a forest named 'Hiranya' which was very beautiful place. Various plants contained fruits, Flowers, birds, butterflies, bees were there. When wind blew fresh flower rain happened from the trees. That forest was for the saints. At that forest saints were always read 'Veda', did yagyas and other spiritual works. In one word that forest was peaceful and spiritual forest. At that forest Raja Dushmanta saw an ashram and ordered his soldier not to came near the ashram. He went to the ashram only with his priest. That ashram was Sage Kanwa's ashram. But at that time Sage Kanwa was not there, only his daughter Shakuntala was there. She attended Raja Dushmanta with respect. Dushmanta was mesmerized by her beauty and immediately fall for her. He asked "who you are?" Shakuntala said she was daughter of Sage Kanwa. But Dushmanta didn't believe her and said it couldn't be possible because she was too beautiful compare to a saint's daughter and Sage Kanwa was Brahmachari and he asked her the truth. Then Shakuntala became ready to tell the truth and said the story of her birth and adoption.

Apsara  Menaka

Brahmarshi Vishwamitra

Vishwamitra Menaka Love :

Shakuntala said her biological parents were Brahmarshi Vishwamitra and Apsara  Menaka. Once Devatas were frightened by rshi Vishwamitra's tapasya. Devraj Indra scared that Vishwamitra could take his throne. Then he sent Apsara Menaka to break Vishwamitra's meditation. At first Menaka became very scared because Vishwamitra was so powerful. He even created a river named Kaushiki (now Kosi River) and did so many powerful works and killed many powerful persons. Even Devraj Indra became so scared by him. But Menaka couldn't say no to Devraj Indra, so she asked for the help of Pavan Dev (Wind) and Kamdev. Indra gave her permission to take their help. Then three of them went to Vishwamitra's place.

Vishwamitra and Menaka

At Hemanta mountain where Vishwamitra sat for tapasya, three of them came. First Menaka's cloth blew to Vishwamitra's place by wind and when she went to took her cloth Vishwamitra looked at her and Kamdev acted at that time. Vishwamitra fall in love with Menaka and broke his tapasya.

 

Sage Kanwa with baby Shakuntala 

Shakuntala Birth and Adoption :

After a long time Menaka returned to heaven. On the way in a forest she gave birth to a beautiful daughter and left her at that forest. At that time Sage Kanwa came to the forest for meditation. He saw a baby girl surrounded by birds at that deep forest left alone. So he took her and raising her as his daughter. She was surrounded by Shakuns so he gave her the name Shakuntala and became her father.

Shakuntala and Dushmanta

Shakuntala Dushmanta Marriage :

After listening her story Dushmanta asked her to marry him and became his wife. After heard that proposal Shakuntala became shy and said she will marry him when her father (Kanwa) returned. But Dushmanta asked her to marry him immediately before her father's return because it took so much time to return her father and Dushmanta could not wait long time. He said to do Gandharva marriage. He also said after returned his capital he will sent people to bring her with respect. He also promised her that their son will be the next king after him. Then Shakuntala agreed. After marriage Raja Dushmanta went to his capital with his soldiers and became scared inside about Sage Kanwa.

Sage Kanwa

Sage Kanwa's blessings :

After some time Sage Kanwa returned to his ashram and listened all the incidents from Shakuntala. He smiled and said he forgave her for neglecting his concern about her marriage and he also forgave Raja Dushmanta for her, and asked her for getting blessings. 

Bharat

Bharat Birth :

After some time Shakuntala gave birth to a son and named him 'Damanak' (later renamed as Bharat). Damanak was very brave and handsome in his childhood. He became six years old and his father didn't know about him. Then Sage Kanwa told Shakuntala that your son became six years old and basically he was a prince, so now you should went to king's place with your son. And with one sishya (follower) he sent Shakuntala and her son to Raja Dushmanta's palace.

Raja Dushmanta, Shakuntala and Bharat

Shakuntala Bharat at Dushmanta's Palace :

At Hastina Nagar which was Raja Dushmanta's capital Shakuntala came with her son and went to meet Dushmanta. Dushmanta sat on throne with his ministers, Shakuntala came and introduced her son and asked Dushmanta to recall his memory and described all incidents. The ministers (or sabhasad) of the king became surprised. Then king smiled and said that he didn't know the lady. He called her tapaswini and denied everything. Firstly Shakuntala ashamed and became very angry on Dushmanta. Later she controlled herself and said, nobody knew about their marriage but Dharma, Deva-Devi, Sun-Moon, Wind-Fire-Soil-Water-River witnessed everything. How could Dushmanta made them wrong, how could he refused their knowledge, how could he not scared of Karma and Dharma. Then raja said, Shakuntala was daughter of Vishwamitra who was Kshatriya in his earlier life then became Brahma Rishi or Brahmin later as he was greedy and her mother Apsara Menaka didn't have any good character so by followed her parents she also hadn't good character and that child was not his child. Then Shakuntala told that raja was not right and he spoke rubbish about her parents as Apsara Menaka was worshiped by Devas and stayed in Devlok as bad person could not stay in Devlok and Brahmarshi Vishwamitra was known by everyone that he was Maha Rishi. Her mother was stayed in heaven and raja stayed at world its like how much larger is Sumeru than mustard seed, its like Heaven and Earth compared. Shakuntala also said that she was too powerful than any normal human as her parents were such powerful, she could fly to everywhere like Indra-Yama- Kuber bhavan or any place of the universe. But she forgave Dushmanta for his rubbish words as he was her husband and she went from there. 

Akashvani :

At that time a voice came from sky that Shakuntala was right and Dushmanta was wrong. The voice also said that Shakuntala was very pure lady and the son was Dushmanta's. The voice said that raja should accept Shakuntala and her son who would become very great king in future and renamed him to "Bharat". Bharat would brought light into their clan and their clan would be known as Bharat clan and also the land would be called "Bharat Bhumi" (Bharatavarsha). 

Shakuntala Dushmanta Bharat Reunion :

After this Akashvani everyone knew the truth. King became very shameful for not telling truth and accepted his lies and told that he was scared of society. Then he took Shakuntala's hand and asked for forgiveness and took their child on his lap and kissed him again and again. Then Dushmanta made Shakuntala his chief queen. A long time he ruled the land and when he became old he gave the throne to Bharat and went to Tapoban.

Bharat became the Maharaja (king) of the Earth and did so many good works and earned huge respect from the people as his land named by his name "Bharat Bhumi" or "Bharatavarsha".

Reference : -  Kashidashi Mahabharata