Why India is called" Bharatha"?

Our constitution starts with “India, that is Bharat”. India was the name the Greeks used to describe us while Bharat or Bharatvarsha was the name used by the natives.

INDIA etymology:

The name India is derived from the river Sindhu which flows in the north west of the country. The Greeks used to call us Indoi meaning the people of the Indus.

BHARAT etymology:

The name Bharat is derived from the legendary king Bharat who was ancestor of kauravas and pandavas; son of King Dushyanta and Shakuntala.

Birth of Shakuntala

Indra scared by the penance of Viswamitra sent Menaka to disturb him. Enchanted by Menaka’s beauty Viswamitra penance was broken. Viswamitra and Menaka gave birth to a beautiful baby girl but since Menaka was a nymph she left the baby girl in the forest and went away.

While moving through the forest Rishi Kanva 's eyes fell upon this baby which was protected from all sides by the the bird Shakunt. On seeing the baby rishi Kanva took her with him and named her Shakuntala meaning one who is protected by bird Shakunt.

Love story of Dushyant and Shakuntala

Once King Dushyant while roaming in the forest during hunting came across a beautiful lady. He fell in love with her and asked for her hand in marriage. Shakuntala hesitated as rishi Kanva was not around but upon insistence of Dushyant she agreed and both were married and their marriage was consummated.(Gandharva Vivah)

After spending few days at the Hermitage, Dushyant forbade goodbye to Shakuntala and gave her a ring. He said that this ring is the mark of our marriage and whenever she feels the need to come to my kingdom she can join him as one of his Queens.

Curse of Rishi Durvasa

As the days passed, Dushyant got engrossed in affairs of his state. One day Shakuntala was lost in the thoughts of Dushyant when a rishi Durvasa visited her hermitage asking for alms. She hardly noticed the rishi who lost his temper and cursed her that the person in whose thoughts you are lost will forget you. Shakuntala asked for forgiveness, hence the rishi said the person will remember her only if she can show him something which he had gifted her.

As Shakuntala got pregnant she was taken accompanied by other rishis to the King. The king refused to acknowledge her as his wife which broke her heart. She remembered the curse of the rishi and searched for the ring he had given her. To her horror, the ring was not in her hand. It was lost in the lake in which she had stopped during the journey for quenching her thirst.

Dismayed, the rishis and Shakuntala went back and she gave birth to a boy in the Hermitage.

After sometime, a fisherman brought a fish to the royal court in whose stomach he had found a ring. The King glimpsed the ring and his memories came right back. He went back to Shakuntala's hermitage while moving through the forest he saw a small child riding a Lion. He came to know it was his son and was named Bharat or the cherished one.

Bharat became the chakravartin samrat of whole of India.

On his name our land came to be known as bharatvarsha or Bhartha.

And I would like to give the best explanation on naming of Bharatha.

‘Bharat’ comes from Sanskrit and is the most ancient term of the three, with references in the Hindu Puranas and the Mahabharata to ‘Bharatvarsa’ and with a reference to a Bharata tribe in the Rigveda.

The Puranas describe ‘Bharat’ as a geographical entity between the Himalayas in the north and the seas in the South, politically divided into various smaller territories, but yet referred to together. 

The ‘Bharatvarsa’ of the Puranas, thus, contained the same plurality in caste, religion, culture, language and lifestyle, as the ‘Bharat’ of today.

This unity in diversity brings to mind the most beautiful interpretation of Bharat that I came across.

It derives itself from the name of the dance form ‘Bharatnathyam’ – ‘Bha’ from Bhavamor expression, ‘Ra’ from Ragam or melody, and ‘Ta’ from Thalam or rhythm.

This interpretation renders a beautiful imagery of harmonious diversity, offering a glimpse of what ‘Bharatvarsa’ might have meant to people in ancient times.

Thanks for reading!