SB 5.7.3 · Srimad Bhagavatam

Devanagari

अजनाभं नामैतद्वर्षं भारतमिति यत आरभ्य व्यपदिशन्ति ॥ ३ ॥

Verse text

ajanābhaṁ nāmaitad varṣaṁ bhāratam iti yata ārabhya vyapadiśanti.

Synonyms

ajanābham — Ajanābha ; nāma — by the name ; etat — this ; varṣam — island ; bhāratam — Bhārata ; iti — thus ; yataḥ — from whom ; ārabhya — beginning ; vyapadiśanti — they celebrate .

Translation

Formerly this planet was known as Ajanābha-varṣa, but since Mahārāja Bharata’s reign it has become known as Bhārata-varṣa.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

The place was known as Ajanābha-varṣa, but from Mahārāja Bharata's reign, it has become known as Bhārata-varṣa. Because its ruler was the son of Nābhi (Ṛṣabha) the planet was known as Ajanābha. Since it is used in a name it does not become Ājanābha (the country belonging to Ṛṣabha and Nābhi). The land became known as Bhārata because Bharata ruled it.

Purport

This planet was formerly known as Ajanābha because of the reign of King Nābhi. After Bharata Mahārāja ruled the planet, it became celebrated as Bhārata-varṣa.