Shloka 2.113.6
पादुकाप्रदानं भरतस्य निवृत्तिश्च (The Sandals Bestowed; Bharata’s Return Toward Ayodhya)
स तमाश्रममागम्य भरद्वाजस्य बुद्धिमान्।अवतीर्य रथात्पादौ ववन्दे भरतस्तदा।।।।
sārathe paśya vidhvastā sā ’yodhyā na prakāśate | nirākārā nirānandā dīnā pratihatasvarā ||
Charioteer, look—Ayodhyā is shattered and no longer shines: it seems without form, without joy, wretched, and with its voices stilled.
On approaching the hermitage of sage Bharadwaja, Bharata alighted from the chariot,and prostrated at his feet.
Satya (truthful perception) is part of dharma: Bharata names the city’s moral and emotional collapse, implying that a kingdom’s radiance depends on righteous presence and harmony, not mere walls and wealth.
Bharata directly addresses his charioteer upon seeing Ayodhyā’s bleak, silent condition after the king’s death and the princes’ absence.
Compassionate loyalty—Bharata’s pain shows attachment to rightful order and to his family, not ambition for rule.