Srimad Bhagavatam — Navama Skandha, Shloka 34
Śrī Rāmacandra-avatāra — Vow, Exile, Laṅkā-vijaya, and Rāma-rājya
Concise Bhāgavata Account
गोमूत्रयावकं श्रुत्वा भ्रातरं वल्कलाम्बरम् । महाकारुणिकोऽतप्यज्जटिलं स्थण्डिलेशयम् ॥ ३४ ॥
go-mūtra-yāvakaṁ śrutvā bhrātaraṁ valkalāmbaram mahā-kāruṇiko ’tapyaj jaṭilaṁ sthaṇḍile-śayam
Upon reaching Ayodhyā, Lord Rāmacandra heard that in His absence His brother Bharata was eating barley cooked in the urine of a cow, covering His body with the bark of trees, wearing matted locks of hair, and lying on a mattress of kuśa. The most merciful Lord very much lamented this.
FAQs
This verse highlights an ascetic lifestyle—bark garments, matted hair, sleeping on the ground, and minimal food—showing how intense tapasya can be practiced, while also noting the compassionate concern it can evoke in loved ones.
Because his brother’s vows were extremely austere—subsisting on barley cooked with cow’s urine and living without comforts—so the compassionate one felt inner pain upon hearing of such hardship.
Practice moderation and disciplined living (simple food, fewer comforts) for spiritual focus, while keeping compassion—supporting others so that austerity does not become harmful or merely self-punishing.