Bharata
/ˈbʱaː.rə.t̪ə/noun
A traditional Sanskrit name for India, especially in the official name Bhārat Gaṇarājya, and the name of several legendary figures and dynasties.
Did you know?In the Mahabharata, Bharata is the legendary king whose descendants give their name to the epic itself and, traditionally, to the land of Bhārata.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰer-
“To carry, bear, or bring; a widely accepted ancestral root connected with Sanskrit bhṛ.”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
bhárata / Bhārata
“A name associated with the Bharata people and with figures named Bharata; traditionally linked to the verbal root bhṛ, “to bear.””
Epic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Bhārata
“The realm or lineage of Bharata, particularly the dynastic world celebrated in the Mahābhārata.”
Ancient and Medieval India
Sanskrit
Bhārata-varṣa
“The land or region of Bharata; varṣa means a territorial division or region.”
19th–20th Century
English
Bharat / Bharata
“A Sanskrit-derived name for India used in English, scholarship, and discussions of Indian national identity.”
Modern English
English
Bharat
“The constitutional Hindi/Sanskrit-derived name used alongside “India” in the official designation Republic of India.”