Shloka 96
समन्तपञ्चक-आख्यानम् तथा अक्षौहिणी-प्रमाणनिर्णयः
Samantapañcaka Narrative and the Measure of an Akṣauhiṇī
शकुन्तलायां दुष्यन्ताद् भरतश्नापि जज्ञिवान् यस्य लोकेषु नाम्नेदं प्रथितं भारतं कुलम्,इसी पर्वमें अत्यन्त प्रभावशाली दैत्य, दानव, यक्ष, नाग, सर्प, गन्धर्व और पक्षियों तथा अन्य विविध प्रकारके प्राणियोंकी उत्पत्तिका वर्णन है। परम तपस्वी महर्षि कण्वके आश्रममें दुष्यन्तके द्वारा शकुन्तलाके गर्भसे भरतके जन्मकी कथा भी इसीमें है। उन्हीं महात्मा भरतके नामसे यह भरतवंश संसारमें प्रसिद्ध हुआ है
Śakuntalāyāṃ Duṣyantād Bharataś cāpi jajñivān, yasya lokeṣu nāmnedaṃ prathitaṃ Bhārataṃ kulam.
From Śakuntalā, by King Duṣyanta, Bharata too was born—he whose very name became renowned throughout the worlds, so that this lineage came to be celebrated as the Bhārata dynasty. In this section, the epic also recounts the origins of many powerful beings—Daityas, Dānavas, Yakṣas, Nāgas, serpents, Gandharvas, birds, and other diverse creatures—and it narrates Bharata’s birth in the hermitage of the great ascetic Kaṇva, grounding the fame of the dynasty in righteous kingship and sacred lineage.
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes how righteous lineage and exemplary kingship generate enduring fame: Bharata’s renown becomes so widespread that the entire dynasty is identified by his name, highlighting the ethical ideal that a ruler’s virtue can define a family’s legacy.
The text states that Bharata was born to Śakuntalā and King Duṣyanta, and that his name became famous across the worlds, giving the dynasty its celebrated designation ‘Bhārata.’ The surrounding section also frames this within broader origin accounts of various beings and the setting of Kaṇva’s hermitage.