half-brother of Rama

1. The second brother of Lord Ramachandra. When Bharata's mother, Kaikeyi, obliged her husband to send Rama into exile and give the throne to Bharata instead, Bharata placed Rama's shoes on the throne and ruled as His representative until Rama returned. 2. The eldest son of Rishabhadeva. He was close to achieving pure love of God but became attracted to a helpless deer and so himself had to be born a deer. Then once again he was born as the seemingly dull brahmana Jada Bharata. In this third life he instructed King Rahugana and achieved ultimate perfection. 3. The son of Dushmanta (Dushyanta) and Sakuntala.

In the Hindu epic Ramayana, Bharata (Sanskrit: भरत, IAST Bharata) was the second brother of the main protagonist Lord Rama, and the son of Emperor Dasaratha and Kaikeyi of the Solar Dynasty. It is said that after Rama, he was the symbol of dharma and idealism. A few commentators, however, deem Bharata to be even greater than Lord Rama himself in virtue.

Bharata according to Hindu legend was the first king to conquer all world as known to the Vedic Aryans, uniting it into a single entity which was named after him as Bharatavarsha.

In the Bhagavata purana, Bharata was the eldest of a hundred sons of a saintly king by the name of Rishabha Deva, who ruled over the earth. When Rishabha Deva became old he entrusted the rule of his kingdom to Bharata and retired to the forest to perform tapas.