Shloka 2.88.26
रामशय्यादर्शनम् — Bharata Beholds Rama’s Forest Bed
अद्यप्रभृति भूमौ तु शयिष्येऽहं तृणेषु वा।फलमूलाशनो नित्यं जटाचीराणि धारयन्।।।।
adyaprabhṛti bhūmau tu śayiṣye ’haṃ tṛṇeṣu vā |
phalamūlāśano nityaṃ jaṭācīrāṇi dhārayan ||
From this day onward, I too will sleep on bare earth or upon grass, living always on fruits and roots, wearing matted hair and garments of bark.
From today onwards, wearing matted hair and clad in robes made of bark and living on fruits and roots, I too shall sleep on the naked ground or on grass.
Solidarity through self-discipline: sharing hardship is a moral response to injustice and separation, aligning personal life with truth and duty.
The speaker vows an ascetic mode of living in response to Rāma’s exile, refusing royal comfort.
Self-restraint and penitential resolve—choosing austerity to uphold satya and moral accountability.