Dushyanta, the great king of Hastinapur, had a great passion for hunting. One day, he went to the forest for hunting. He was surprised to find a small boy in the forest. The boy was playing with a lion’s cub. He fearlessly held open the mouth of the cub and said, “O king of the jungle! Open your mouth wide so that I may count your teeth.” Dushyanta was surprised by the child’s bravery. He went up to the boy and asked him about his name and his parents. The little boy replied that he was Bharata, the son of king Dushyanta and Shakuntala. The king was shocked to hear this. He suddenly remembered that he had once married a girl named Shakuntala and left her in the forest. Later, he had forgotten all about her because of sage Durvasa’s curse. He felt sorry for having forgotten Shakuntala. Later, Shakuntala came there and Dushyanta realised that Bharata was his son. He hugged Bharata lovingly. Dushyanta took Shakuntala and Bharata along with him to Hastinapur. Later, Bharata grew into a great king. He is still remembered for his bravery. Later, India was named ‘Bhaarata’ after his name.
BHARATA, THE BRAVE
