Valmiki Ramayana 2.85.13: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 85, Shloka 13
भरत-गुहसंवादः
Bharata and Guha: Trust, Hospitality, and the Burden of Grief
Spoken by Guha to BharataSetting: Guha’s Niṣāda territory on the Gaṅgā bank (Śṛṅgiverapura vicinity)Places named: Gaṅgā, ŚṛṅgiverapuraBharata’s march from Ayodhyā toward Citrakūṭa to seek Rama
शाश्वती खलु ते कीर्तिर्लोकाननुचरिष्यति ।
यस्त्वं कृच्छ्रगतं रामं प्रत्यानयितुमिच्छसि ॥१३॥
śāśvatī khalu te kīrtir lokān anucariṣyati |
yas tvaṁ kṛcchragataṁ rāmaṁ pratyānayitum icchasi ||13||
तुम्हारी बड़ाई हमेशा रहेगी और सब जगह फैल जायेगी। क्योंकि तुम राम को वापस लाना चाहते हो जो अभी मुश्किल में है।
Sandhi Notes
- कीर्तिर्लोकाननुचरिष्यति = कीर्तिः + लोकान् + अनुचरिष्यति
- यस्त्वं = यः + त्वम्
- कृच्छ्रगतं (तत्पुरुष)
- प्रत्यानयितुमिच्छसि = प्रत्यानयितुम् + इच्छसि।
You desire to bring back Rama who is in great difficulty. This everlasting fame of yours will spread all over the world.
The teaching
Enduring fame follows the one who chooses dharma and selfless loyalty over advantage.
Duties in tension
- Rājadharma (accepting governance) vs bhrātṛ-dharma (serving Rama as rightful heir)
- Obedience to circumstances vs fidelity to legitimacy and truth
- Ethical theme
- Dharma/loyalty
- How it resolves
- Affirmation of higher dharma (service to Rama) over personal power
Devotion and practice
Cultivates niṣkāma-sevā and humility: act for dharma, not for recognition; kīrti becomes incidental.
- Form of praise
- Stuti (a hymn of praise)
Mood and themes
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism), with Karuna (compassion)
- Mood
- Laudatory, resolute, duty-bound
Themes
- Dharma
- Satya
- Fraternal duty
- Service
- Reputation (kīrti)
- Itihasa
Kīrti as a form of loka-saṅgraha: action aligned with dharma sustains social order beyond the individual.
Īśāvāsya-like valuation of tyāga: renouncing personal claim (to the throne) for dharma yields enduring ‘name’ (nāma) in the world.
- Guha and Bharata
- Allied-host to royal guest; counsel and praise (supportive)
- Bharata and Rama
- Younger brother seeking elder brother’s return; loyal service (devotional)
- Guha and Rama
- Friend of Rama; protector of his passage (reverential)
Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.82–2.84 (Bharata’s resolve and Guha’s reception); Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.99–2.100 (Bharata’s refusal of kingship; service to Rama)
Mahābhārata: kīrti through dharma (e.g., Śānti/Anuśāsana themes on yaśas); Bhagavadgītā 3.20 (loka-saṅgraha; exemplary action)
Ayodhyākāṇḍa: Bharata’s vow to bring Rama back; his grief and self-reproach motifs recurring through 2.85–2.103
Anuṣṭup (śloka)
Commanding
Madhyama-gati, udātta emphasis on ‘śāśvatī…kīrtiḥ’
FAQs
Dharma is expressed as loyalty to truth and rightful order: Bharata seeks Rama’s return, placing duty to the rightful king above personal advantage.
Guha predicts lasting renown for Bharata because Bharata intends to recall Rama from exile and hardship.
Bharata’s brotherly devotion and sense of justice (nyāya) in restoring what is right.
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