There are three Bharatas. One Bharata is the son of Rsabhadeva. Another Bharata is the son of Maharaja Dusyanta. Another Bharata is the younger brother of Lord Ramacandra

Expressions researched:
"three Bharatas"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

There are three Bharatas. One Bharata is the son of Ṛṣabhadeva. Another Bharata is the son of Mahārāja Duṣyanta. Another Bharata is the younger brother of Lord Rāmacandra. Out of these three Bharatas, the son of Ṛṣabhadeva is the person after whose name this planet is called Bhāratavarṣa.

Lecture on BG 16.6 -- Hyderabad, December 13, 1976: Formerly the kings of Bhāratavarṣa, India, they used to kill these uncivilized men. Bad example. They did not follow the Vedic civilization, so the king's order was that they should be killed. If they are too much prominent... Just like they are hunting in the forest. So these... There is history among, about King Bharata, King Bharata, under whose name this planet is called Bhāratavarṣa. No, not that Bharata. There are three Bharatas. One Bharata is the son of Ṛṣabhadeva. Another Bharata is the son of Mahārāja Duṣyanta. Another Bharata is the younger brother of Lord Rāmacandra. Out of these three Bharatas, the son of Ṛṣabhadeva is the person after whose name this planet is called Bhāratavarṣa. So another Bharata was the son of Mahārāja Duṣyanta. He was very powerful, supposed to be or partial incarnation of God. So in his life he would not allow the uncivilized men to exist. He was king. He used to kill them. Why uncivilized men? Even the kṣatriyas, if they are not ruling properly according to the kṣatriyas... Kṣatriyas are supposed to be the ruler of the world. But if they are deviating from their duties, Paraśurāma, the brāhmaṇa, would kill them. On the whole, in the Vedic civilization everyone should be in order. That was the set-up.

Nobody can act independently, killing the human civilization. That was not possible. Mahārāja Pṛthu was personally checking whether people were following the varṇāśrama-dharma. A brāhmaṇa must follow the brahminical rules and regulation. Otherwise he would not be allowed to call himself a brāhmaṇa. Similarly, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, śūdras. This is called secular state. Secular state does not mean everyone is irresponsible. You must be responsible for your particular type of duty, and the government has to see it, that everyone is doing that. That is secular state. Lord Rāmacandra, when He returned from the forest... In His absence Bharata was ruling, and when Bharata requested Lord Rāmacandra to take charge of the kingdom, Lord Rāmacandra was ready but He first of all examined whether the citizens were following the varṇāśrama-dharma. When He was satisfied that the citizens were following the varṇāśrama-dharma, then He took charge of the kingdom and began to maintain them just like father.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

There are two, three Bharatas in the history of Vedic literature.

Lecture on SB 2.1.1-5 -- Boston, December 22, 1969: "Bhārata" because Parīkṣit Mahārāja happened to be a descendant of the Kuru dynasty. The Kuru dynasty was begun from King Bharata, Bharata. There are two, three Bharatas in the history of Vedic literature. One Bharata is Lord Rāmacandra's brother, younger brother. His mother, Bharata's mother, wanted to make Bharata king. Therefore, by palace diplomacy, Rāmacandra was sent to the forest. But His brother Bharata declined, "No." His mother wanted that "My son should be king." There were three wives of Mahārāja Daśaratha. So this is one Bharata. He was faithful to His brother, but by His mother's diplomacy Lord Rāmacandra was sent to the forest. So this is one celebrated Bharata. Another Bharata is the forefather of the Kuru dynasty. His name is also Bharata. And another Bharata was the son of King Ṛṣabhadeva, by whose name this planet is called Bhāratavarṣa. This whole planet is called Bhāratavarṣa. So he is addressing Parīkṣit Mahārāja as the descendant of King Bharata, Bhārata." He bhārata. You have to talk and hear about sarvātmā, the Supersoul who is sitting in everyone's heart, Bhagavān, the Personality of Godhead, full with all opulences." Bhagavān, this word, every word, suggests volumes of meaning. And Hari: "who can take away all your sufferings." Īśvara: "and He is the controller, supreme controller."

There are two, three Bhāratas. So Śakuntalā's son was Bhārata, and Rāmacandra's brother was Bhārata, and the Ṛṣabhadeva's son was Bhārata. But from the sastric information we understand this Bhārata-varṣa is meant from the name, from the name of Ṛṣabhadeva's son Bhārata.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Delhi, November 28, 1975:

Guest (1): Your good sir, if you describe the following of Bhārata Mahārāja, Bhārata-varṣa. I'd like to be enlightened on that, how the Bhārata-varṣa is derived.

Prabhupāda: Bhārata, Bhārata Mahārāja, yes.

Guest (1): You have very named... I couldn't get it. I feel, personally for myself, that the Bhārata was the new vision of the self as the fulfiller, and from that, it has been derived.

Prabhupāda: There are two, three Bhāratas. So Śakuntalā's son was Bhārata, and Rāmacandra's brother was Bhārata, and the Ṛṣabhadeva's son was Bhārata. But from the sastric information we understand this Bhārata-varṣa is meant from the name, from the name of Ṛṣabhadeva's son Bhārata.

Guest (1): Name of?

Prabhupāda: Bhārata.

Guest (1): And you say it has been derived from the twelfth son, Bhārata.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He had one hundred sons. The eldest son's name was Bhārata.