Shloka 2.75.31
अयोध्याकाण्डे पञ्चसप्ततितमः सर्गः (Sarga 75: Bharata and Kausalya—Reproach, Oaths, and Reconciliation)
गाश्च स्पृशतु पादेन गुरून्परिवदेत्स्वयम्।मित्रे द्रुह्येत सोऽत्यन्तं यस्याऽर्योऽनुमते गतः।।।।
gāś ca spṛśatu pādena gurūn parivadet svayam |
mitre druhyeta so 'tyantaṁ yasyāryo 'numate gataḥ ||
May the one by whose counsel my noble brother was exiled commit the worst offenses: may he kick cows with his foot, revile his elders and teachers himself, and utterly betray his friends.
May the one who counselled the exile of my esteemed brother acquire the sin in the same way a person who kicks the cows abuses elders and causes great offence to his friends!
Dharma is upheld through reverence and loyalty: harming the innocent (cows), dishonoring elders, and betraying friends are paradigms of adharma.
Bharata’s denunciation culminates in listing socially and morally abhorrent acts, projecting the moral consequence of causing Rāma’s exile.
Moral clarity and relational fidelity—Bharata treats cruelty, disrespect, and betrayal as the clearest signs of ethical collapse.