Historical Interpretations of the Name 'Bharat'

Discourse of Sathya Sai Baba during the Summer Course in Spirituality and Indian Culture
held for College Students at Brindavan, Whitefield, Bangalore District in May/June 1974
Published by Sri Sathya Sai Books and Publications Trust
Web posted at Jun 20, 2002

Like the rats, while being unable to give up the desire to get at the fried rice in the cage enter the cage and get trapped in it, men unable to give up the attraction of the sensory desires get caught in them and in consequence miss the great bliss which they can enjoy by realising Brahman.

Pavitratma Swarupas, students! There are three words, Bharata, Bhaarata and Bhaarati which we must examine in the first instance in the context of the meaning given to them by our historians. Later, we will see what kind of support we get for such meanings from our Sruthis and Smruthis. Our ancient historians, on some occasions, expressed the view that the name Bharat has been derived from the name Bharata, son of Sakuntala. Yet, on other occasions, they said that the name Bharat has been derived from the name of king Manu who was also called Bharata.

In some places, historians have expressed the view that the name Bharat is synonymous with the name Jambudwipa. In other places they have taken the meaning of the word Bharata as 'Yodha' or one who can fight and in that way they concluded that this name refers to Kshatriyas only. Amarasimha got support from the statement 'Lokayam Bharata Varshaha' and took the view that the name Bharata refers to the entire world and not any one particular country. Further, just as when one is worshipping a Goddess, one uses the name of the Goddess in order that his desire may be fulfilled, some historians have regarded the name 'Bharat' as if it arose from the name of the Goddess 'Bharati'. In addition to this, just as Buddhism, Jainism, Islam etc., are religious names named after various individuals who first propagated them, so also they thought that Bharata was a specific name of a religious leader and that the name for this country arose from such a name. We also have various names like Dvaita, Advaita, Visishta Advaita for the schools of philosophy propounded by great teachers who originated them. Some have taken Bharata to mean a school of philosophy prominent in this country.

However, the historians who have given all these interpretations never associated the name Bharata with the Vedas. On the contrary, mostly they have taken the view that Bharata is not a word which has any connection with the Vedas. They have been arguing that Bharata also signifies fire. They have been preaching Agni Bharata and they have been establishing the identity of fire and Bharat. This fire was looked upon by them as something which arises in a Yagna or a ceremony and they thought that Bharata was a name appropriate to the fire that is generated in the Yagna. But when we ask what explicit connection there is between Agni that is generated in a Yagna and Bharat, we come to the conclusion that there is no connection at all. But they argued that there is a connection between the priests and Bharata. They have established further that there is a particular class of people called Bharatas among the Aryans.

This class of Aryans who were then called Bharatas were living on the banks of river Saraswati and were worshipping it as a Goddess and because they were worshipping the river as Goddess Saraswati, they propagated the view that Bharata is an alternative name for Saraswati. This group of Aryans were worshipping Agni in addition to worshipping Saraswati and hence they said that Agni is also an alternative name for Bharata.

However, all these theories and ideas do not seem to have sufficient support behind them. These are worldly usages and names given in the common daily context and if we accept what is in use in daily life as our primary authority how can it have any basis in the Veda? The historians gave a great deal of importance to the common usage of these words and they built theories based on their own ideas. Their decisions were based mainly on the common usage of this word. We have the authority of the Rigveda to say that the principal priests or the Rithwicks have been called by the name Bharata. In this context, our Sruthis have recognised the Rithwicks by their power of Mantras and the fact that the Rithwicks were generating fire in the Yagnas. Since Agni has been generated by the Rithwicks, Agni has been regarded as the daughter of the Rithwicks. Thus Agni which is regarded as Bharata is also the child of the Rithwicks. Because Agni or Bharata has come out as a result of the power or strength of the Rithwicks, there is an alternative name for this and that is 'Sahasa Sad Putraha'.

Having said that Agni is generated by the power of the Rithwicks, we should ask ourselves about the process by which the Rithwicks thus generated fire. We know that the Rithwicks had the power, through the Mantras and through their continual thought of God, to generate the fire. That is why the Rithwicks, Agni and the Purohit have also got the name Bharata. You may like to know the significance of calling the Rithwicks by the name Bharata. The justification for calling the Rithwicks by the name of Bharata is that at the time of generating the fire, they are thinking of God in many ways and concentrating on God. Therefore, since they are completely merged with God and enjoying the bliss of divinity, they are called Bharata. In this context, our Sruthis have taken the three words Bharata, Bhaarata and Bharati and have synthesised the three names with Ida, Saraswati and Bharati.

In this context, they had taken these three Ida, Saraswati and Bharati as the three aspects of God and have been teaching that these three aspects relate to the whole world. This is what the Veda has been teaching. Bharata has been used also for Vayu and Indra. In the earth, there is Agni and in the space, there is Vayu and in the sky there are sun's rays and by using Agni, Vayu and the sun and in identifying these three as phases of Bharata, the Veda has been teaching that this Goddess pervades Bharati and the entire world. We should regard these three, Ida, Saraswati and Bharati as three phases of one and the same divine aspect. They are not distinct and a simple phase cannot be regarded in isolation. This has been taught by our Veda.

By looking at what is commonly seen from a worldly view and to say that a particular thing is air or sun's rays and to mention them in isolation is only common unsophisticated practice. You will notice that even if any one of the three is absent, it is not possible to recognise the existence of the other two. If there is no sun, there is no air and fire. If we do not have air, we shall not be able to comprehend the meaning of fire or sun's rays. If there is no fire there is no possibility of getting our air or sun. Therefore, fire, air and sun are inseparable aspects of Bharat and always go together. While the Sruti teaches the oneness and yet sometimes talks of Agni in an isolated manner, there is a meaning for this. When we talk of nature of Prakriti, we usually mean the gross appearance of the created world. In addition to this, the subtle appearance of ourselves is also included in the word Prakriti. In this subtle aspect of Prakriti, if there is no fire, then the body will perish. It is only through fire that there is a possibility of water coming up for us. In every body, air is present in the form of Prana or life. If air which takes the form of life is not present in our body, then the entire life becomes extinct. In the aspect of fire and that of air or Vayu, the sun takes the place of the heart and if the heart is missing, even if one is leading a life for outward purposes, it is equivalent to death. Therefore, if there is no Agni, Vayu and sun, we cannot recognise human life. In this context, in order that we may understand human life in its fullest aspect, it is right to use the word Bharata for all that which encompasses humanity.

This fact which is contained in what I have just said has been explained to you several times by me with the use of many analogies. In understanding the relationship between space, mind and the sun if we compare our mind to the moon, our eyes and vision to the sun and our spiritual heart to space or the sky, the thoughts that pass our mind are like clouds that fill the space. There is truth in our recognising our ideas and thoughts as clouds as these ideas of ours are not something which are permanent. They are continually changing and taking different shapes. Sometimes these ideas come to us as thick clouds and they take some uncommon shapes and forms. They keep on changing from time to time. It is common experience that the clouds take different shapes while they are formed. Sometimes we feel that the clouds that are gathering take the form of a deer while at other times we feel that they take the form of a fox but no sooner do we see the particular form, the cloud begins to break up and re-gather in a different form. The clouds thus continually change their form. The breeze that is blowing is responsible for this changing form of the clouds and their breaking up. This air or breeze can be compared to a kind of desire which breaks up the thoughts which are the clouds in your mind. The cloud of thoughts is being formed because of desires and it is also because of the very same cause namely the desires. The desires themselves are responsible both for the gathering and the breaking of the thought clouds.

When we ask ourselves a question regarding any possible connection between the sun, the moon and the desires that we have, we come to the conclusion that there is no connection at all. In the analogy, when sometimes very thick clouds are formed and these clouds are so thick with thoughts and desires, we say that they often hide the sun and the moon, in this case the mind and the intelligence. In the same manner, although in the case of young students, the mind and the intelligence are fresh and bright, because there are unnecessary and unreasonable thoughts or ideas in the form of thick clouds, the mind and the intelligence are not able to function properly and it is in this context that it is said that 'love is blind'.

When we do not enquire into whether what is happening is right or wrong, we should realise that it is the result of our mind and intelligence being hidden by the thick and unreasonable clouds of evil thoughts. We take to the wrong path because our mind and intelligence are clouded by dark and unreasonable thoughts. Although our intelligence is capable of distinguishing between right and wrong, we do the wrong thing because of the illusion that our mind is suffering from. For us to think that at times we have the power to distinguish between right and wrong and that at other times, this is not there is not right. If this Prajnasakti or the divine capacity to discriminate is not there, our ability to eat, sleep, hear etc., will be completely absent. This Prajnasakti is an aspect of the trinity and the trinity itself is 'Agni', 'Vayu' and 'sun' and our mind is made up of these three.

In the Bhagavad Gita also it is said that Buddhi is the best manifestation of God in man. Not only that, through the Gita it has also been explained that everywhere are present the Lord's feet and the Lord's hands and this is what the Lord proclaims about himself in the Gita. In this context, we should realise that the Bhagavad Gita is the essence of all Upanishads. The Upanishads themselves have come as the ultimate of the Vedas and therefore we come to the conclusion that the Vedas, the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanishads are intimately and inextricably connected with each other. I often say that "Gita is God's messenger, Gita is the mother of the world. Gita is the support on which one can lean while leading his family life. Gita is also the essence of Sri Sai. One can also say that Gita is the mother Sai".

Having said that Gita is the mother Sai in relation to the commentaries of the Vedas, we may come to the conclusion that the name Bharata applies to the entire universe and the entire humanity. There is an important thing that we must understand today and that is the word Bharata is not narrowly confined in the context of any one particular country or a particular group of people. In future and as time goes on, you will be able to recognise the truth that the word Bharata relates to the entire world. You are not likely to understand fully the aspect of Bharata with today's discourse alone. Today's discourse is of the nature of an introduction or a foundation and simply consists of what the historians had said about this word. In fact, the entire meaning of life depends on what the historians make out of it. As time goes on, you will be able to learn whether the picture given by the historians is a true, full and complete picture or not.

It is true that the words of the historians have an authority but in the context of comparison and relative assessment, the words of the Vedas have a much greater authority for everyone. Depending very heavily on the authority or Pramana which we get from the Vedas, life has been going on in accordance with such an authority from time immemorial whether knowingly or unknowingly. In fact, in this country whatever task we undertake or whatever work we do, whatever Karma we indulge in, our ancestors have always relied on the Vedapramana.

In the word Pramana, the part 'Pra' means beginning and the part 'Mana' means a measure. It is customary for Indians to prescribe a measure for everything. If we have to measure cloth, we use the unit of a meter. If we want to measure milk we use the unit of a litre and similarly for everything there is an appropriate measure or a unit. In order to measure the human nature or what is important in life, there is only one unit and that is what arises form the Vedas. For instance, if one individual goes and asks another individual about something and if the other person says that he does not know the answer, there will be no further questions. On the other hand, if an answer is given there will be a volley of further questions as to how he knows the answer and what the evidence is for such an answer. Therefore, all things that you do not know are such that they have no measure. Only things which you know are describable in terms of a measure. If your ideas or thoughts about something are such that you cannot describe in terms of a measure, then it means you do not know the thing.

Divyatma Swarupas! The culture of Bharat has been based on the authority derived from the Vedas. Whether it is in the worldly aspect or not, whether it is an ancient thought or a modern thought, you should understand that in your heart you should permanently imprint three aspects. These are 'Do not believe the world that you see', 'Do not forget God' and 'Do not fear death'. The world here refers to the material world. If you are afraid of death, it is not going to leave you. In fact the more you are afraid of death, the quicker will it come looking for you. Death is like a money. If we run, the money runs after us but if we stand where we are, the money will also stand still. If we are afraid of death, it will come in search of you and will meet you and take you early.

There is a small story which I usually narrate to illustrate this aspect. On one occasion, the epidemic of Cholera struck one village and at the entrance to this village, there was the house of the doctor. He was watching as the Goddess of the disease Cholera was entering the village. He asked the Goddess where she was going. The Goddess replied that she was going into the village to take a certain number of lives. The doctor became very friendly and even invited the Goddess to have a cup of coffee. The doctor agreed that the Goddess of Cholera will take about hundred and fifty lives. After some time, the Panchayat president of the village came to the doctor and asked him to certify that two hundred and fifty persons had been killed by the Cholera disease. The doctor was surprised that even the Goddess had not honoured the commitment by which she was to take only hundred and fifty lives. When the Goddess of Cholera was returning, she again met the doctor and the doctor asked why she had overstepped her commitment and extracted two hundred and fifty. To this the Goddess replied that she struck to her word and had taken only hundred and fifty lives but that the other hundred people died because of fear of death and she was not responsible for their death. In a lighter vein, this shows that one should not be afraid of death as death will surely overtake you one day or other. You must develop the capacity to forget the material world, not to forget God and not to fear death.