Bha-Ra-Tha…
Friday, August 14th, 2015
What does the name “Bharath’ stand for? … and what are the different subtle connations of the term – Bharath. Bhagawan enumerates on the subject, explaining the greater significance.
“Great men, renowned in all the continents of the world
Are the children of this soil, they are the issue of Mother India.
Bharath is the great Battle field where the foreign invaders
Were put to rout and Independence was won.
Ages old Indian erudition is famous throughout the world
And Mother India’s wisdom and skill have won encomiums.
Glory be unto this land, Bharath.
Bharath is the holy land wherein flourished, since time immemorial
The fine arts – Music, Literature and all the branches of Science.
It is the land of the wise, the erudite,
The highly skilled and talented men and women.
Bharath is the blessed land of birth of Sages and Saints.
Born on this land of Bharath -
so sacred, so holy, so noble, so evolved and enlightened
You are duty bound to guard the riches of righteousness.
Oh! Devotees, the responsibility rests squarely on your shoulders”.
It is the duty of each one of us to know about our country which is called Bharath. But why is it called so?
According to History because Prince Bharatha, the son of Shakuntala and Dushyanta ruled the country, it is called Bharath. Some say that since Bharath, the younger brother of Rama ruled the country, it is called Bharath. Yet some others say since King Jada Bharath ruled the country, it is called Bharath. But one must note that the name ‘Bharath’ must have been in existence before the birth of these people.
The word ‘Bharathi’ is found in the Vedas, further is it not the name for the Goddess of Learning Saraswathi who represents the power of speech and wisdom as well. So Bharath is a land of wisdom. Bharatheeyas are wisdom loving people. The term Bharath is constituted of BHA + RATH meaning Wisdom and Love. It also means BHA – God, RATH – loving; Bharatheeyas are God loving and wisdom loving people. Bharath also means one who can experience and manifest knowledge of the self and revel in it.
It also means BHA = Bhava (feeling), RA = Raga (melody), THA = Thala (rhythm). Bharatheeyas observe the harmonious blend of feeling, melody and rhythm. It is nothing but harmony of thought, word and deed. It is the very essence of Indian music and life as well. Bharatheeyas are God loving people, Wisdom loving people and people who possess all types of strengths namely Atmic, Intellectual and Physical. God loving means loving and praying to God enshrined in everyone and in everything. The foremost faith of Bharatheeyas is “Isavasyam Idam Sarvam”.
Yet there is another name for our country and that is HINDUSTHAN. Sthan = Place, Hin = violence, Du = distant, those who keep themselves away from violent activities. Hence our people have Fear of Sin. What is Sin? To hurt others, to entertain harmful feelings in thought, word and deed is sin.
Hence Swami says Bharatheeyas believe in “Help Ever, Hurt Never”, “Love All, Serve All”. Sage Veda Vyasa who authored the eighteen Puranas, the sacred texts for Bharatheeyas summarized the entire essence of the eighteen texts in two words as described below -
Bharath – the ancient and eternal
“Ashtadasha Puraneshu Vyasasya Vachanadvayam
Paropakarah Punyaya Papaya Parapeedanam”
What are the qualities cultivated because of love of God and fear of sin? Love of God means love of truth, love for God in everyone. Fear of sin means being non-violent in thought, word and deed, thereby experience peace. Where there is love of God there will be fear of sin. It is these values that foster social morality. These three principal values refine mankind – refinement of man means culture. Culture is the removal of bad tendencies and implantation of the good.
II Samastha Lokah Sukhino Bhavantu II
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