Valmiki Ramayana 2.112.23-24: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 112, Shlokas 23-24
पादुकाप्रदानम्
The Gift of the Sandals and Delegated Kingship
स पादुके सम्प्रणम्य रामं वचनमब्रवीत् ।
चतुर्दश हि वर्षाणि जटाचीरधरो ह्याहम् ॥२३॥
फलमूलाशनो वीर भवेयं रघुनन्दन ।
तवाऽगमनमाकाङ्क्षान्वसन्वै नगराद्बहिः ॥२४॥
तव पादुकयोर्न्यस्तराज्यतन्त्रः परन्तप ।
sa pāduke sampraṇamya rāmaṃ vacanam abravīt |
caturdaśa hi varṣāṇi jaṭācīradharo hy aham ||23||
phalamūlāśano vīra bhaveyaṃ raghunandana |
tavāgamanam ākāṅkṣan vasan vai nagarād bahiḥ ||24||
tava pādukayor nyasta-rājyatantraḥ parantapa |
Ukłoniwszy się przed świętymi sandałami, Bharata przemówił do Ramy: "Przez czternaście lat, o bohaterze, o radości rodu Raghu, będę nosił splecione włosy i odzienie z kory, żywiąc się owocami i korzeniami. Powierzając rządy nad królestwem twoim sandałom, o pogromco wrogów, będę przebywał poza miastem, oczekując twego powrotu."
Bharata bowed before the sandals and said to Rama, 'O tormentorr of enemies, O hero, wearing matted locks and bark garments, living on fruits and roots, placing the responsibility of ruling the kingdom on your sandals and looking forward to your arrival, I shall reside outside the city for fourteen years.'
FAQs
Trusteeship in power: Bharata refuses kingship as possession and treats rule as a sacred duty carried out on Rama’s behalf, grounded in truth and rightful succession.
After receiving the sandals, Bharata vows an ascetic life mirroring exile and declares he will govern only through the symbol of Rama’s authority while living outside the capital.
Bharata’s renunciation and fidelity (niṣkāma-sevā): he embraces hardship to uphold Rama’s satya and the kingdom’s dharma.
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