Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c18.71

c18.71

Next, there is a story about the famous Paurava king, Duṣyanta’s son Bharata, and Bharadvāja.⁴ Bharata had three wives and sons by them; they killed their sons because he was disappointed in them, and he was thus bereft of heirs. In order to obtain a son he performed many sacrifices and lastly made an offering to the Maruts; they gave him⁵ Bṛhaspati’s son Bharadvāja as an adopted son. Bharadvāja thus became a kṣatriya; he did not succeed Bharata, but begot a son named Vitatha; Bharata then died. Bharadvāja afterwards consecrated Vitatha as the successor, and then either died or departed to the forest.⁶ This is a very remarkable