The word Bharat “(भारत)” is a compound word in Sanskrit formed from “भा” = luster / light / brightness and “रत” = attachment / devotion / love, giving a meaning of attached / devoted to light (knowledge). Bharat also has a strong association with the noun “भरत” (Bharat), which is formed from a verb root word “भृ” meaning, “that which hold and nurtures”
Bharat is also known as “India” as a country that is the biggest country on the Indian Plate. As some of us may know, but most of us may be unaware, Indian Plate is one of the thinnest (half as thick as other continental plates, about 100 km thick) & lightest plates in the world of plate tectonics and thus, is the fastest as well as farthest travelling plate, starting its journey from as far south as Antarctica some 140 million years ago & giving rise to Himalayas after colliding with Eurasian plate some 55 to 50 million years ago.
For the discerning few people amongst us, it is easy to wonder what may be the significance of the uniqueness of Indian plate’s movement and thickness, in terms of environmental, ethno-cultural & other mystical realities that we find can uniquely in India. As a food for thought to wonder about Bharat on those lines, another piece of info is vital to be added here. The mantle plume from deep within our planet, that broke up the supercontinent Gondwana and allowed Indian plate to race towards north, also probably melted away lower part of the subcontinental plate, reducing the thickness of the plate, allowing it to travel light and far with great speed & form Greatest Mountain range on Earth (the highest of all), the Himalayas.
Now imagine this from the ethno-cultural and spiritual learning of the land that has withstood the test of time. When strong forces of nature burn our ego, we become light with thinner egos enabling us to travel faster & longer and rise up to great heights like the Mighty Tall Himalayas, reaching toward heaven. Also, during the travel, we can unite South & North (remember Indian Plate started travelling from Southern Regions of Antarctica and crossed equator to join with Northerly Eurasian Plate.
This also brings to the interesting point about the geography of the land that allowed naturally empowering diverse landscapes, flora & fauna, weather patterns to enrich the land, which all combined to influence the development of most diverse land area & country on planet Earth in terms cultural, spiritual, religious & thought-process diversity. And nothing better encapsulates that than the incredible liberty & freedom offered by the Dharmic Traditions that originated in this blessed land over millennia of evolution, incorporating every strand of wisdom the land carried across long time frame and passed on to us in a kind of Eternal Process, where we developed the unique understanding that allows us, Sanatanis to look at life & death together as part of one eternal cycle of Kal Chakra.
On that note, ending this writeup to allow the reader to take this journey of exploration of Bharat further, as per their interest & liking.