Bharata (Ramayana)

Bharata (Sanskrit: भरत, romanized: bharata) is a character in the ancient Indian epic Ramayana. He is the son of Dasharatha, the virtuous king of Ayodhya, and Kaikeyi, daughter of the king of Kekeya. He is a younger half-brother of Rama and rules Ayodhya while Rama is banished from the country and fights to recover his wife Sita, kidnapped by Ravana.

This article is about character from Hindu Epic Ramayana. For other uses, see Bharat.

Bharat
Bharata places Rama's Paduka (Footwear) on the throne
Devanagariभरत
Sanskrit transliterationBharat
AffiliationAvatar of Panchajanya
TextsRamayan and its other versions
Personal information
Born
Ayodhya
Died
Sarayu River, Ayodhya
Parents
Siblings
SpouseMandavi
Children
DynastyRaghuvanshi--Suryavansha

He is married to Mandavi, daughter of Kushadhwaja, with whom he has sons – Taksha and Pushkala.[1]

In the Ramayana, Bharata is presented as a symbol of dharma. He is also an incarnation of Shankha, the divine weapon of Vishnu, while Rama is the incarnation of Vishnu himself.[2]

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

Etymology

According to Monier Monier-Williams, bharata in Sanskrit means "one to be [or being] maintained".[3]

Depictions of Bharata
  • Bharata meeting exiled Rama, Lakshmana, Sita and Hanuman
  • Bharata faints during his father Dasaratha's cremation

See also

References
  1. Ramayana – Conclusion, translated by Romesh C. Dutt (1899)
  2. Naidu, S. Shankar Raju; Kampar, Tulasīdāsa (1971). A comparative study of Kamba Ramayanam and Tulasi Ramayan. Shank. University of Madras. pp. 44, 148. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
  3. Monier Monier-Williams, भरत, Sanskrit English Dictionary with Etymology, Oxford University Press, page 747

Further reading
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