Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism

37 Bhäratïya Jänatä Party

teachers advocating it have different

understandings of its precise content.

Some seem to favour a spiritual inter-

pretation, i.e. an inner surrender to

God; others adopt a more ritualistic

understanding, an insistence on a rou-

tine of rituals performed daily in front

of a consecrated image, pilgrimages to

holy places and such like. Within bhakti-

märgathe importance of the spiritual

master (GURU) is generally stressed as

mediator of God’s saving grace. With

the growth of the theistic traditions in

India (VAIÆŒAVISM, ŸAIVISM, ŸÄKTISM

and others) the bhakti-märgabecame

the predominant path in Hinduism.

Bhämatï

Commentary on Ÿankara’s BRÄHMA-

SÜTRABHÄÆYAby VÄCASPATIMIŸRA.

Bhandarkar, Ramkrishna

Gopal (1837–1925)

One of India’s foremost early ‘modern’

Indologists, trained both in the Hindu

pandit tradition and at Western univer-

sities. He had a brilliant academic and

public career as professor of Sanskrit at

Elphinstone College in Bombay, the

Deccan College in Poona, a member of

the syndicate and later vice-chancellor

of the University of Bombay, member of

the Viceroy’s Legislative Council,

knighted in 1911. At the occasion of his

80th birthday in 1917 the Bhandarkar

Oriental Research Institute was official-

ly inaugurated. It became home to the

critical edition of the Mahäbhärata, the

largest editorial enterprise ever under-

taken. His collected works comprise

over 2,000 pages, containing text edi-

tions, translations, textbooks and

monographs such as his celebrated

Vai•æavism, Ÿaivism and Minor

Religious Systems (1913). He was also

an active member of the PRÄRTHANA

SAMÄJ, a religious and social reformer,

supporting the remarriage of widows

and arguing that many orthodox cus-

toms had no basis in Hindu tradition.

Bhäradväja (4000 BCE?)

A vedic ØÆIto whom many hymns are

attributed. Son of BØHASPATIand father

of DRONA, the teacher of the PÄŒ¥AVAS.

There are many stories connected with

his life in epics and Puräæas.

Bharata (1)

In the ØGVEDA, hero and king of the

warlike Bhäratas.

Bharata (2)

An ancient king who, while living as a

SAMNYÄSI, became attached to a fawn

and was reborn as a deer. In a further

rebirth as a brahmin he served as palan-

quin bearer and amazed the king with

his wisdom.

Bharata (3)

Son of Daÿaratha by his wife Kaikeyï;

half-brother of Räma, he ruled the

country during Räma’s absence on his

behalf.

Bharata (4)

The son of Du•yanyta and Ÿakuntalä,

who became a universal monarch: India

was called Bhärata-var•aafter him. He

was a remote ancestor of both

PÄŒ¥AVAS and KAURAVAS. The

Päæõavas were also called Bhäratas:

hence the (Mahä-) Bhärata war and the

eponymous epic.

Bharata (5), also Bharata Muni

(second century BCE)

Author of the Näflyaÿästra, the earliest

treatise on music and dance.

Bhäratï

One of the names of SARASVATÏ(1).

Bhäratïya Jänatä Party

(‘Indian People Party’)

Formed out of sections of the former

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