MAARKANDEYA presents MAHAABHAARATHAM

     @@@ contact me @@@ 
W E L C O M E

"After praying to Naaraayana, Nara, Sarasvathi and Vyaasa, then one should read the Jayam."

DEDICATED TO MY DEAR NIECE VYSHNAVI KRISHNA

MENAKA
(The N in this name is pronounced like 'n'in 'nut'.)

This picture shows the divine damsel Menaka,seducing the sage Vishvaamithra.

She was sent by the King of the Gods Indra to destroy the penance of the sage. The result was the later's falling into her trap giving birth to a girl named Shakunthala who later became wife of king Dushyantha and begot a son named Bharatha ,by whose name the dynasty of Kouravas and Paandavas became popular as Bhaaratha-vamsha ( Bhaaratha=of Bharatha,vamsha=lineage). As a grammatical derivation, all Bharatha's descendants were called Bhaaratha's.

Some people get confused that it was after his name that India was known as Bhaarath. True, that ruler was named Bharatha too, but he was entirely different and more earlier by many ages. That Bharatha was one of the the sons of Rishabha, an earlier ruler of this country. This was clearly written in Vyaasa's another work, Bhaagavatham.

To confuse us, one more Bharatha was well known. But, he comes in the Raamaayana, the brother of its hero Raama. This Bharatha's name has nothing to do with the name of this country.

"After praying to Naaraayana, Nara, Sarasvathi and Vyaasa, then one should read the Jayam."

DEDICATED TO MY DEAR NIECE VYSHNAVI KRISHNA