Shloka 131
भरतादू भारती कीर्तियेनेदं भारतं कुलम् । अपरे ये च पूर्वे वै भारता इति विश्रुता:,भरतसे ही इस भूखण्डका नाम भारत (अथवा भूमिका नाम भारती) हुआ। उन्हींसे यह कौरववंश भरतवंशके नामसे प्रसिद्ध हुआ। उनके बाद उस कुलमें पहले तथा आज भी जो राजा हो गये हैं, वे भारत (भरतवंशी) कहे जाते हैं
bharatād ū bhāratī kīrtye nedaṃ bhārataṃ kulam | apare ye ca pūrve vai bhāratā iti viśrutāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: From Bharata, through his renowned fame, this lineage came to be known as the Bhārata clan. And those kings who were earlier, as well as those who came after in that same family, became celebrated by the name ‘Bhāratas’—descendants of Bharata. In this way, the identity of the land and the dynasty is tied to the exemplary reputation of a righteous ancestor, showing how fame grounded in virtue shapes collective memory and political legitimacy.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A dynasty’s and even a land’s enduring identity can arise from the kīrti (renown) of a foundational ancestor; fame rooted in worthy conduct becomes a moral and political inheritance for later generations.
Vaiśampāyana explains the etymological and genealogical basis for the name ‘Bhārata’: the lineage is called Bhārata because it descends from King Bharata, and successive kings of that family are known as Bhāratas.