Shloka 2.8.29

मन्थराकैकेयीसंवादः — Mantharā’s Counsel to Kaikeyī (Ayodhyā’s Succession Alarm)

Devanagari script

भरतस्याप्यनुवशश्शत्रुघ्नोऽपि समं गतः।लक्ष्मणो हि यथा रामं तथाऽसौ भरतं गतः।।2.8.29।।

Transliteration

bharatasya apy anuvaśaḥ śatrughno ’pi samaṃ gataḥ |

lakṣmaṇo hi yathā rāmaṃ tathā ’sau bharataṃ gataḥ ||2.8.29||

Translation

And Śatrughna too, obedient to Bharata, has gone along with him. Just as Lakṣmaṇa stands by Rāma, so does Śatrughna stand by Bharata.

Context

Satrughna who is obedient to Bharata has followed him. Like Lakshmana who has taken refuge in Rama, he has also resorted to Bharata.

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Śatrughna
• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa

FAQs

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

The verse invokes fraternal loyalty as a social dharma—brothers support one another; however, Mantharā uses this truth to sharpen factional thinking.

What is the narrative situation?

Mantharā notes that Bharata is not alone—Śatrughna is aligned with him—contrasting this with the well-known Rāma–Lakṣmaṇa bond in Ayodhyā.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Loyalty and devotion between brothers (bhrātṛ-bhakti), modeled through the parallels Lakṣmaṇa→Rāma and Śatrughna→Bharata.