Bharat | |
---|---|
Bharata places Rama's Paduka (Footwear) on the throne | |
Devanagari | भरत |
Sanskrit transliteration | Bharat |
Affiliation | Avatar of Panchajanya |
Texts | Ramayan and its other versions |
Personal information | |
Born | Ayodhya |
Died | Sarayu River, Ayodhya |
Parents |
|
Siblings |
|
Spouse | Mandavi |
Children | |
Dynasty | Raghuvanshi--Suryavansha |
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.
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 Sudarshana Chakra, 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.
According to Monier Monier-Williams, bharata in Sanskrit means "one to be [or being] maintained".[3]