Shloka 2.100.2
शततमः सर्गः — Rāma Questions Bharata on Rājadharma (Governance, Counsel, and Public Welfare)
कथंचिदभिविज्ञाय विवर्णवदनं कृशम्।भ्रातरं भरतं रामः परिजग्राह बाहुना।।।।
kathaṃcid abhivijñāya vivarṇa-vadanaṃ kṛśam | bhrātaraṃ bharataṃ rāmaḥ parijagrāha bāhunā ||
With difficulty recognizing his brother Bharata—his face drained of color and his body grown thin—Rāma drew him close, embracing him with his arm.
Rama found it extremely difficult to recognise Bharata with his emaciated body and pallid face. He held him in his arms and lifted him.
Dharma is expressed as compassion and familial responsibility: even amid political crisis, Rāma responds first with humane care for his suffering brother.
Bharata arrives grief-stricken; Rāma sees his physical decline and embraces him, marking reconciliation and shared sorrow before any debate on kingship.
Karunā (compassion) and brotherly affection, showing Rāma’s steadiness in love and duty.