Shloka 32
आदि पर्व, अध्याय 96 — काश्यकन्याहरणं, शाल्वसमागमः, अम्बावचनं च
Kāśī princesses taken; encounter with Śālva; Ambā’s declaration
ततो5स्य भरतत्वम् । भरत: खलु काशेयीमुपयेमे सार्वसेनीं सुनन्दां नाम । तस्यामस्य जज्ञे भुमन्यु:,आकाशवाणीने भरण-पोषणके लिये कहा था, इसलिये उस बालकका नाम भरत हुआ। भरतने राजा सर्वसेनकी पुत्री सुनन्दासे विवाह किया। वह काशीकी राजकुमारी थी। उसके गर्भसे भरतके भुमन्यु नामक पुत्र हुआ
tato 'sya bharatatvam | bharataḥ khalu kāśeyīm upayeme sārvasenīṃ sunandāṃ nāma | tasyām asya jajñe bhumanyuḥ |
Then he came to be known as Bharata. Indeed, Bharata married Sunandā, the Sārvasenī princess of Kāśī. Through her, a son named Bhumanyu was born to him. The tradition explains that a heavenly voice had spoken of the child’s being ‘to be borne and nourished’ (bharaṇa–poṣaṇa), and therefore the boy received the name Bharata—linking his identity to the duty of sustaining and protecting.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage links royal identity with responsibility: the name ‘Bharata’ is explained through the idea of bharaṇa–poṣaṇa—supporting and nourishing—suggesting that a ruler’s dharma is to sustain, protect, and foster the people and the realm.
Vaiśaṃpāyana narrates that the king became known as Bharata, married Sunandā of Kāśī (daughter of Sarvasena), and had a son named Bhumanyu. A traditional note adds that a heavenly voice connected the child’s naming with the duty of being ‘borne and nourished.’