Valmiki Ramayana 2.72.22-23: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 72, Shlokas 22-23
भरतस्य मातृसदनगमनं कैकेय्या दारुणवृत्तान्तकथनं च
Bharata in Kaikeyi’s apartments: revelation of Daśaratha’s death and Rāma’s exile
तमार्तं देवसङ्काशं समीक्ष्य पतितं भुवि ।
निकृत्तमिव सालस्य स्कन्धं परशुना वने ॥२२॥
मत्तमातङ्गसङ्काशं चन्द्रार्कसदृशं भुवः ।
उत्थापयित्वा शोकार्तं वचनं चेदमब्रवीत् ॥२३॥
tamārtaṃ devasaṅkāśaṃ samīkṣya patitaṃ bhuvi |
nikṛttamiva sālasya skandhaṃ paraśunā vane ||22||
mattamātaṅgasaṅkāśaṃ candrārkasadṛśaṃ bhuvaḥ |
utthāpayitvā śokārtaṃ vacanaṃ cedamabravīt ||23||
भरत ज़मीन पे गिर पड़ा था, जैसे जंगल में पेड़ का टुकड़ा कट के गिर जाता है। कैकेयी ने उसे उठाया। वो इतना दुखी था कि समझ में नहीं आ रहा था क्या हो रहा है। कैकेयी ने उसे संभाला और बोली।
Anguished and griefstricken, he who resembled the gods, fell down on the ground like a trunk of the sala tree in the forest severed by an axe. Seeing her son who was like a mighty elephant or like the Sun or the Moon, Kaikeyi lifted him up from the ground and spoke these words:
FAQs
The verse reveals the complex interplay of grief and familial duty. Despite Kaikeyi's role in the events leading to Dasharatha's death and Rama's exile, she performs her dharma as a mother by lifting and consoling her son. The imagery of Bharata falling like a severed tree emphasizes the devastating impact of losing a father, underscoring the sacred bond between father and son as a cornerstone of dharmic family structure.
Bharata has entered his father's palace and, overwhelmed by the sight of his father's empty couch and the reality of his death, collapses in grief. He falls to the ground unconscious with sorrow. His mother Kaikeyi, witnessing her son's anguish, lifts him up and attempts to console him with words. This moment captures the profound personal tragedy that has befallen the royal family.
The verse emphasizes Bharata's profound devotion to his father (pitru-bhakti) and his capacity for deep emotional attachment, which is a mark of his noble character. The comparison to a 'mighty elephant' and to 'the Sun or Moon' elevates Bharata's stature, suggesting that his grief is proportionate to his greatness. Despite being wrongfully elevated to kingship, his primary response is not ambition but genuine, devastating sorrow for his father's loss.
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