Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 111, Shloka 26
अयोध्याकाण्डे एकादशोत्तरशततमः सर्गः
Sarga 111: Counsel on Gurus, Parental Debt, and Bharata’s Protest
यदित्ववश्यं वस्तव्यं कर्तव्यं च पितुर्वचः।अहमेव निवत्स्यामि चतुर्दश समा वने।।।।
yadi tv avaśyaṃ vastavyaṃ kartavyaṃ ca pitur vacaḥ |aham eva nivatsyāmi caturdaśa samā vane ||
Jika tinggal di hutan memang tak terelakkan dan sabda ayah harus dilaksanakan, maka akulah yang akan menetap di rimba selama empat belas tahun.
If it is absolutely essential to live in the forest in accordance with the command of my father, I myself shall also dwell in the forest for fourteen years.
FAQs
Dharma as self-sacrificing fidelity to a vow: Bharata upholds the father’s word by offering to bear the hardship himself.
Bharata proposes an alternative: if exile is required by Daśaratha’s promise, he will undergo it instead of Rama.
Renunciation and brotherly devotion—Bharata rejects comfort and power in favor of moral rectitude.