Shloka 2.73.23

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

Devanagari script

तेषां धर्मैकरक्षाणां कुलचारित्रशोभिनाम्।अद्य चारित्रशौण्डीर्यं त्वां प्राप्य विनिवर्तितम्।।।।

Transliteration

teṣāṃ dharmaikarakṣāṇāṃ kulacāritraśobhinām |

adya cāritraśauṇḍīryaṃ tvāṃ prāpya vinivartitam ||

Translation

For those kings whose sole protection was dharma and whose glory lay in the customs of their lineage—today, by admitting you, the proud steadiness of that tradition has been overturned.

Context

As for the Ikshvaku kings, righteousness is their sole protection. They follow the ancestral traditions befitting the noble race. This tradition has been topsyturvied by admitting you into the family.

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Kaikeyī
• Ikṣvāku kings
• Dharma

FAQs

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

Dharma is portrayed as the true “protection” of rulers; when personal ambition enters governance, inherited ethical discipline collapses.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata blames Kaikeyī’s influence for derailing the Ikṣvāku commitment to dharmic tradition.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Guardianship of inherited ethical standards and resistance to corrupting influence.