Bharata (son of Rishabha)

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Bharata ( Sanskrit : भरत bharata = 'the valued'), sometimes also Bharata Chakravartin , has mostly legendary features and, according to Jain tradition, was one of the first kings of India. He received the honorary title of chakravartin , which in the Indian religions means an ideal world ruler who - based on the Dharma - rules his kingdom responsibly, ethically and kindly.

Lore

There are both Hindu and Jain lines of tradition about a mythical king with the name Bharata, some of which touch, but some of which are also different. According to Jain legends, Bharata was the eldest son of King Rishabha and his wife Yasaswati (or Nanda or Sumangala ) and the half-brother of the Jain Tirthankara Bahubali . In the middle of his life, Rishabha decided to become a non-dispossessed and non-violent ascetic and divided his empire among his eldest sons - Bharata received the old heartland with the capital Ayodhya ; Bahubali (also called Gomateshvara) received the southern part with the capital Podanpur. A dispute broke out between the two, which almost resulted in a fratricidal war, but was decided by a wrestling match, from which Bahubali ( bahu = poor, bali = strong) emerged as the clear winner. However, he renounced the royal dignity and decided - like his father - to live an ascetic and non-violent life. Bharata became the sole ruler - the name 'Bharata' for India goes back to him.

At the end of his life he attained moksha , i.e. H. enlightenment or omniscience and thus liberation from the cycle of rebirths ( samsara ).

Bharata statue on Chandragiri Hill in Shravanabelagola

Representations

There are no depictions of Bharata in either traditional Hindu or Jain art . Only in the Hindu miniature painting of the 16./17. He sometimes appears in the 20th century.

In the South Indian Jain cult site of Shravanabelgola there are two opposite hills; While the monumental statue of Bahubali / Gomateshvara stands on Vindhyagiri Hill , there is a much smaller statue on Chandragiri Hill , which is commonly referred to and revered by the people as Bharata .

literature

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