History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c95.130

v7.c95.130

²⁴⁸³ The Viṣṇupurāṇa II. 1 32 agrees with Vāyu 33. 50-52. In the Śākuntala (Act. VII) Kālidāsa makes a character state that Śakuntalā's son called Sarvadamana in the hermitage of Kaṇva would become known as Bharata (इहायं सत्त्वानां प्रसभदमनात्सर्वदमनः पुनर्यास्यत्याख्यां भरत इति लोकस्य भरणात्). It is likely that in Kālidāsa's days Śakuntalā's son had not been probably connected with the name Bhāratavarṣa, otherwise there would have been nothing to prevent the poet from adding another prophecy about him that a varṣa would be named after him Pāṇini speaks of prācyas and Bharatas (II. 4. 66, IV 2. 113) The Bharatas were an ancient people mentioned several times even in the Ṛgveda, vide III 33. 11-12 The Bharatas are spoken of as grāma i. e. a group or sangha, to have crossed the confluence of the rivers Vipāś and Śutudrī (modern Beas and Sutlaj), III. 23 2 (Bharatas are said to have produced Agni by attrition), III. 53. 12 (where the prayer of Viśvāmitra is said to have protected Bhārata-jana). Agni is styled Bhārata in several verses (as in Ṛg II. 7. 1 and 5, IV 25 4, VI. 16 19 and 45). It is stated in the Ait Brāhmaṇa (39. 9) that Dīrghatamā Māmateya crowned Bharata Dauṣpanti (Dauṣyanti) by the Aindra Mahābhiṣeka, that Bharata thereon conquered the earth all round, performed many Aśvamedha sacrifices and then five ślokas are quoted stating that Bharata made gifts of innumerable elephants in Maṣṇāra country, that he performed sacrifices on the banks of the Yamunā river and on the (*Continued from last page*) Ganges; the last verse (the 5th) says 'महाकर्म भरतस्य न पूर्वे नापरे जनाः। दिवं मर्त्य इव हस्ताभ्यां नोदापुः पञ्चमानवाः॥'. Vide Śatapatha Br. XIII. 5. 4. 11-13 (for Bharata Dauṣpanti born of Śakuntalā, where four gāthās are quoted about him, three of which are almost the same as in Ait. Br. and it is added that he attained the same sway or eminence that belongs to the Bharatas in its times The Atharvaveda frequently refers to Himavat (as in V. 2. 8, XIX. 39. 1) and it is said that Kuṣṭha plant is found in the north and is taken to the east from Himavat and that (Atharva VI. 24. 1 and 3) all rivers flow from Himavat and join the ocean (Sindhu) The महाभाष्य on Pāṇ. II 4. 66 remarks that Bharatas are not found in any countries other than those in the east.