Bharat
/ˈbʱaː.rət̪/noun
A traditional Sanskrit name for India, used officially alongside India in the Constitution of India.
Did you know?The name Bharat is linked to the Bharata people mentioned in the Rigveda and to King Bharata, the legendary ancestor whose name appears in the Mahabharata, meaning “the great story of Bharata.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bher-
“To carry, bear, or bring; traditionally proposed as the distant root behind Sanskrit bhar-.”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Bharata
“The Bharata people or their associated lineage; the name appears in early Vedic tradition.”
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Bhārata
“Relating to the Bharatas; later associated with the legendary King Bharata and his descendants.”
c. 400 BCE–400 CE
Sanskrit
Mahābhārata
“The great account or epic of the Bharata lineage.”
1950
Modern English
Bharat
“A constitutional name for the Republic of India, used alongside India in English and Indian languages.”