Valmiki Ramayana 2.99.2: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 99, Shloka 2
चित्रकूटप्राप्तिः · Bharata Reaches Chitrakuta and Beholds Rama
Spoken by Bharata to VasisthaMoving ahead swiftly to the next point of action (advance party)
ऋषिं वसिष्ठं सन्दिश्य मातृ़र्मे शीघ्रमानय ।
इति त्वरितमग्रे स जगाम गुरुवत्सलः ॥२॥
ṛṣiṃ vasiṣṭhaṃ sandiśya mātṛrme śīghramānaya |
iti tvaritamagre sa jagāma guruvatsalaḥ ||2||
भरत ने वशिष्ठ रिशि को कहा कि उनकी माँ को जल्दी लाएँ। यह कह के वो आगे बढ़ गया। वो अपने गुरु से बहुत प्यार करता था।
Sandhi Notes
- śīghramānaya → śīghram ānaya
- tvaritamagrē → tvaritam agre
Bharata, deeply devoted towards elders, indicated to sage Vasistha to bring along the mothers, and proceeded ahead quickly.
The teaching
Even in urgency, dharmic action proceeds through honoring guru and safeguarding the mothers; speed is righteous when yoked to responsibility.
Duties in tension
- Kṣatriya duty to act swiftly in crisis vs. duty to maintain decorum toward the guru
- Personal grief/inner turmoil vs. public responsibility toward mothers and elders
- Ethical theme
- Rājadharma / kuladharma
- How it resolves
- Dharma-prioritization through respectful delegation
For your practice
Model for guru-bhakti and seva: act promptly while keeping reverence intact; useful for cultivating disciplined responsiveness.
Mood and themes
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism), with Karuna (compassion)
- Mood
- Urgent, dutiful, reverent
Themes
- Gurubhakti
- Family
- Urgency
- Protocol
Guru as pramāṇa and niyantṛ guiding the kṣatriya will; urgency yoked to dharma rather than impulse.
Taittirīya Upaniṣad: "mātṛdevo bhava, pitṛdevo bhava, ācāryadevo bhava"—reverence to mother and teacher mirrored in action.
- Bharata and Vasistha
- Disciple-royal patron to guru-rajapurohita; command framed as respectful instruction (reverent-urgent)
- Bharata and Kausalya
- Son to mother (implied among 'mothers') (concerned-devoted)
- Bharata and Kaikeyi
- Son to mother (implied among 'mothers') (strained-dutybound (contextual))
- Bharata and Sumitra
- Son to mother (implied among 'mothers') (respectful-concerned)
Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.82–2.83 (Bharata’s urgency and deference to elders during the crisis); Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.91–2.95 (Bharata’s approach to the forest and concern for family)
Taittirīya Upaniṣad 1.11 (ethical injunctions to honor mother/teacher)
Ayodhyākāṇḍa: repeated epithet-like portrayal of Bharata as dharmātmā/guruvatsala in the exile-episode context
Anuṣṭup (śloka)
Commanding-narrative
Madhyama-gati with a quickened cadence on "śīghram" and "tvaritam"
FAQs
The term 'guruvatsalaḥ' (affectionate towards elders) highlights Bharata's deep love and respect for Rama. His urgency to rush ahead signifies his overwhelming desire to see his elder brother, Rama, whom he regards as his superior and guru.
Bharata requested Sage Vasistha to guide the mothers (Kaushalya, Sumitra, and Kaikeyi) and bring them to the location quickly, while he rushed ahead to locate Rama's hermitage.
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