Shloka 2.73.12

भरतस्य कैकेय्याः प्रति धिक्कारः — Bharata’s Rebuke of Kaikeyi and Affirmation of Ikshvaku Royal Dharma

Devanagari script

अपापदर्शनं शूरं कृतात्मानं यशस्विनम्।प्रव्राज्य चीरवसनं किन्नु पश्यसि कारणम्।।।।

Transliteration

apāpa-darśanaṃ śūraṃ kṛtātmānaṃ yaśasvinam | pravrājya cīra-vasanaṃ kiṃ nu paśyasi kāraṇam || 2.73.12 ||

Translation

He who never looked toward evil—valiant, self-ruled, and renowned—has been driven into exile, clothed in ascetic rags. What reason, then, do you claim to see for this?

Context

The glorious, valiant, self-possessed (Rama) had never contemplated evil. What possible reason do you have for sending him, clothed in bark, into exile?

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Kaikeyī
• Rāma
• exile (pravrajyā)
• ascetic garments (cīra)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Punishment or deprivation must have just cause; dharma rejects harming the innocent and demands truthful, rational grounds for state actions.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata challenges Kaikeyī to justify Rāma’s exile despite Rāma’s spotless character.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s moral purity (apāpa-darśana) and reputation (yaśas), contrasted with unjust decision-making.