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THE STORY OF BHARATA AND BĀHUBALI
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Dusyanta and Sakuntalā is found. (I. 62-69). This Bharata was the Cakravarti according to the Mahābhārata and the name of our country Bhāratavarsa is due to this Bharata and not due to Bharata the son of Rsabha (I. 69, 49).
Visnupurāna and Srimadbhāgavata Purana :
The Vedic version of the story is found in the Visnu (VP) and the Bhāgavata (BP) Purānas. According to VP (4. 2. 11) and BP (9.6.4) the dynasty of Īksvāka, who was born through nose of Manu when Manu sneezed. According to VP sons and grandsons of Īksvāku were the kings of Uttarăpatha and Daksināpatha (VP. 4.2.12-14). But BP (9.6.5) says that the kingdom was divided as Eastern, Western, Central and the rest (Southern) amongst them. In this dynasty Rsabha is not mentioned.
Story of Rsabha is mentioned in VP. (2.1) with reference to the dynasty of Svayambhū Manu, who had two sons, Uttānapāda and Priyavrata. Priyavrata's son was Agnidhara and his son was Nābhi whose wife Marudevi gave birth to Rsabha whose 100 sons were Bharata and others. Here Bāhubali etc. are not mentioned. Same is the case with BP (4 and 5).
The kingdom of Bharata was formerly called Ajanābhakhanda but it took its new name Bhāratavarsa from the time of Bharata, its king. (VP. 2.132; BP. 5.7.3).
Rsabha is accepted by both the Purānas as an incarnation of God as a naked ascetic. The purpose of the incarnation is mentioned as the establishment of the heretical Ārhaddharma (Jainism) opposing the Vedas in order to conquer the Asuras who could not be conquered by the Suras (gods) because of their faith in Vedas. The Asuras followed the Arhaddharma propounded by Rsabha and opposed the Vedas and so were conquered by the Suras. (VP. 3.17, 18; BP 5. 3.17
ff).
T
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The story of Bharata as a son of Rsabha is also found in both the Purānas. Bharata first becomes a king but due to his extreme devotion to God he renounced the kingdom and became a Parivrājaka and resided at Pulahāśrama
ra) and due to his attachment to a deer which was saved by him from drowning in the river he took his next birth as a deer, also devoted to the God. And in his next birth he became a Brāhmin who in order to devote himself to God and nothing else behaved like a mad, foolish, blind and deaf man (Ātmānam unmatta-jada-andha-badhirasvarūpena darśayāmāsa-BP. 5.9.3.; Atmānam darśayāmāsa jadonmattākrtim jane VP. 2. 13. 44). And so he had to suffer hardship as Paramahamsa and at last he was liberated (VP. 2. 13-16; BP.
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