How Did Bharata Varsha Get Its Name?

In the earlier episode, we started exploring the concept of Triloka on the surface of the Earth.

From the equator to the Himalayas - Bhuloka.
From the Himalayas to Mongolia - Antariksha.
Above Mongolia, the Siberia - Swargaloka.

This is like a reflection of the Divya Triloka:
Bhumi - Swarga in the sky,
and Antariksha in between.

Siberia was not uninhabitable as it is today till about 20,000 years ago. James Haile at Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia, through DNA studies of permafrost in northern Siberia, has established that a rich and diverse plant and animal community thrived in Siberia. Some of the animals were elephant-like woolly mammoths, woolly rhinos, and reindeer.

Our scriptures also talk about Nandana Vana or Nandanodyana of Swarga Loka. Another important point is that, from a Vastu perspective, if you look at it, we associate the northeast direction with gods, Ishana. From India, Siberia is in the northeast.

In the same way, we said that Asuras belonged to Africa. In Vastu, also the direction associated with Asuras is Nirrti or southwest. Africa is to the southwest of India.

So, if you look at the Vedic corpus from a spiritual perspective, you should see the Triloka as Bhumi, Antariksha, and Swarga, which is the sky. If you look at the Vedic corpus from a historical perspective, you should see the Bhuma Triloka as Bharata Varsha, Central Asia, and Siberia, representing Bhumi, Antariksha, and Swarga on the surface of the Earth.

The Divya Trilokas are connected to Divya Devas, and Bhuma Trilokas are connected to Bhuma Devas. Brahma Loka, Vishnu Loka, and Indra Loka exist on the surface of the Earth, also spread over Eurasia. This also we have seen. They are called Trivishtapas.

What is the proof of this? In the Mahabharata, Shanti Parva, Bharadwaja asks Bhrigu, 'Where is Paraloka?' Bhrigu says Paraloka is to the north of the Himalayas.

Paraloka is to the north of the Himalayas. It is Swarga Sadrusha, similar to Swarga, a region of high quality. There is no untimely death there. There are no diseases there. This is the Vayuloka and Swarga on Earth.

So, in the scriptures, wherever you see that a certain sage visited Swarga, it means that he visited Siberia. Not that alone, he would have visited the real Divya Swarga also. A reflection of that would have happened as a visit to Siberia.

Latitude 33° North to 40° North – this is the Antariksha Loka on the surface of the Earth, inhabited by the Upa Devatas called the Devayonis.

विद्याधरोऽप्सरोयक्षरक्षोगन्धर्वकिन्नराः । पिशाचो गुह्यकः सिद्धो भूतोऽमी देवयोनयः

Meru is the Pamir Mountains. Below this, up to Himachal Pradesh, from where River Ravi or Iravati originates, this is the Antariksha Loka, the natural habitat of Devayonis or Upa Devatas.

Our Bharata Varsha has four names:
भारतवर्ष
नाभिवर्ष
आर्षभवर्ष
हैमवतवर्ष

How did Bharata Varsha get its name?

There are four sources:

1. The son of Swayambhuva Manu was Agnidhra. His son was Nabhi. His son was Rishabha. His son was Bharata. Before Rishabha left for the forest, taking up Vanaprasthashrama, he gave the land called Haimavatavarsha to Bharata, and it became known as Bharatavarsha thereafter.
   'Tasmattu Bharatam Varsham.' Also, Nabhi Varsha after his grandfather and Arshabha Varsha after his father.

2. Another Bharata: As per page 56 of Indra Vijaya, Bharata was the son of Dushyanta and Shakuntala. 'Tannamna Desha Eshosti.' The name Bharata is after this Bharata. This Bharata did 78 Ashwamedha Yagas on the banks of the Yamuna and 55 Ashwamedha Yagas on the banks of the Ganga. He became an emperor.

3. The third Bharata: As per page 59, quoting Rigveda mantras, as per the Veda, Bharata is Agni. The ruler of Swarga is Indra. The ruler of Antariksha is Vayu. In the same way, the ruler of Bhumi is Agni. In the Bhauma Triloka, Bhumi is represented by Bharatavarsha, the ruler of which is Agni. Bharata is another name of Agni.

4. The fourth: The Indian concept is the Vedic concept. We Indians believe that Agni is the whole and sole source of energy and life. When we cultivate, it is the energy from the land that gets converted into food. That food, when we consume, becomes heat in our body and sustains the body. This becomes the life force in the body. This Agni is the ruler. He does Bharana of everything. He is the protector and nourisher of everything.

We, as a culture, are givers. We do not just make food for ourselves. We always look out for someone to share it with. We are disappointed if someone does not turn up every day, whose hunger we can satisfy. This is the nature of Agni. Agni is the carrier and provider even for Devas. He just takes and hands over.

We Indians alone have this understanding that it is a divine power controlling everything from inside. Call it Vishnu, Shiva, Durga, Agni – whatever you want. We alone recognize this Bharana aspect of the divinity. So, the land where we live is Bharata Varsha because we alone recognize this universal rulership aspect of the supreme divine power.

Knowledge Bank

What does suta stand for?

Suta is the name of a mixed-varna caste in which the mother is a Brahmin and the father is a Kshatriya. Due to a defect at the Suti (सूतिः) where soma juice is extracted during king Prithu's yajna, varna-sankara resulted. Charioteers are also called Sutas.

What is special about the lizards at Devuni Kadapa temple?

There are impressions of two lizards on the roof of the mukha mandapa of Ammavari shrine. Sins will be washed off if you touch those lizards.