Shloka 2.114.31
अयोध्याप्रवेशः — Bharata Enters Ayodhya and Perceives the City’s Desolation
एवं बहुविधं जल्पन्विवेश वसतिं पितुः। तेन हीनां नरेन्द्रेण सिंहहीनां गुहामिव।।2.114.31।।
evaṁ bahuvidhaṁ jalpan viveśa vasatiṁ pituḥ |
tena hīnāṁ narendreṇa siṁhahīnāṁ guhām iva ||2.114.31||
Thus speaking in many ways, Bharata entered his father’s residence—now bereft of that king—like a cave bereft of its lion.
Thus mourning in several ways, Bharata entered his fathers' palace (now) bereft of the king like a cave without the lion.
It underscores reverence for rightful authority and the fragility of order after a ruler’s fall: dharma in a kingdom is felt as protective strength, and its absence creates a dangerous emptiness.
Bharata, lamenting, enters Daśaratha’s palace after the king’s death; the palace feels empty and unprotected, like a lionless cave.
Bharata’s filial devotion and grief, alongside his awareness of the king’s protective role in sustaining the realm.