Shloka 37
हेमन्तवर्णनम् तथा भरतधर्मनिष्ठा-चिन्तनम्
Winter Description and Reflection on Bharata’s Devotion
स तेऽम्बा मध्यमा तात गर्हितव्या कथञ्चन।तामेवेक्ष्वाकुनाथस्य भरतस्य कथां कुरु।।।।
sā te ’mbā madhyamā tāta garhitavyā kathañcana | tām evīkṣvākunāthasya bharatasya kathāṃ kuru ||
स तेऽम्बा मध्यमा, तात, कथञ्चन न गर्हितव्या। ताम् उत्सृज्यैव इक्ष्वाकुनाथस्य भरतस्य कथाम् एव कुरु॥
O dear, Kaikeyi, our second mother, is never to be criticised like that. You may, however, speak more of Bharata, the lord of the Iksvakus.
FAQs
Filial dharma and maryādā: even when wronged, one must not dishonor one’s mother; righteousness includes restraint, respect, and controlled speech.
Rāma checks Lakṣmaṇa’s criticism of Kaikeyī and redirects the conversation toward Bharata’s virtues.
Rāma’s self-governance and reverence for familial bonds—he separates moral judgment of actions from disrespect toward the person of his mother.