Talk:Lunar Dynasty: Emperor Bharata
By Vishal Agarwal
Several millennia ago, in northern India, there ruled King Duṣyanta of the Puru dynasty.[1] One day, while hunting in the forest, he lost his way and came upon the āśrama of ṛṣi Kaṇva, who happened to be away at that time.[2]
Kaṇva’s daughter, Śakuntalā, welcomed the king into the āśrama and offered him food, water, and rest. During his stay, King Duṣyanta fell in love with her, and the two were married. Before returning to his capital, the king said to Śakuntalā:
- “When your father returns, come with him to my capital. Keep this royal ring that I wear. By showing it to the guards, you will gain entry to the palace, and I shall recognize you by it. Then we will solemnize our marriage publicly.”
When ṛṣi Kaṇva returned, Śakuntalā, lost in thoughts of her husband, failed to notice his arrival. Offended by her inattention, Kaṇva uttered a curse:
- “May he, about whom you are thinking, forget you.”
When Śakuntalā explained that she had been thinking of her husband, ṛṣi Kaṇva regretted his words and advised her to go to Duṣyanta before the curse took full effect.
On their journey to the capital, they stopped by the river Gaṅgā. While bathing, the ring slipped from Śakuntalā’s finger and was swallowed by a fish. Upon arriving at the palace, Śakuntalā found that the king, affected by the curse, had no memory of her. Lacking the ring as proof of their marriage, she was turned away in sorrow.
Later, Śakuntalā gave birth to a son named Bharata, who displayed extraordinary courage from a young age. He was known to play with lions, even tying them to trees and counting their teeth.
One day, a fisherman caught the fish that had swallowed the ring. Upon finding the jewel inside, he took it to the market, where onlookers accused him of theft. The royal guards brought him before King Duṣyanta, who, upon seeing the ring, immediately regained his memory. Remembering Śakuntalā, he set out to find her and discovered her living with Bharata. Overjoyed to meet his wife and brave son, the king brought them back to the palace.
After Duṣyanta, Bharata ascended the throne. He became a just and powerful ruler, said to have united the lands corresponding to modern-day India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal into one kingdom. His realm was called Bhārata in his honor.
King Bharata later deemed his nine sons unfit to rule and instead invited Bhūmanyu, the son of ṛṣi Bharadvāja, to succeed him. This decision reflected his deep concern for the welfare of his people. The subjects of his vast kingdom came to be known as Bhāratīya, a name that continues to denote the people of India.