Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 37, Shloka 30
अयोध्याकाण्डे सर्गः ३७ — चीरधारणं, सीतासंकल्पः, वसिष्ठोपदेशः
Bark-Robe Episode and Vasistha’s Admonition
न ह्यदत्तां महीं पित्रा भरतः शास्तुमर्हति।त्वयि वा पुत्रवद्वस्तुं यदि जातो महीपतेः।।2.37.30।।
na hyadattāṃ mahīṃ pitrā bharataḥ śāstumarhati |
tvayi vā putravadvastuṃ yadi jāto mahīpateḥ ||
पित्रा अदत्तां महीं भरतः शास्तुम् न अर्हति; यदि स महीपतेः पुत्रो जातः, त्वयि अपि पुत्रवत् वस्तुं न युक्तम्।
If Bharata is truly born to the king, he will not rule the kingdom which has not been bestowed on him (wholeheartedly) by his father. Nor will he live like a son to you.
FAQs
The speaker, Siddhartha, asserts that Bharata, being a righteous son of King Dasaratha, would never accept a kingdom that was not willingly and lovingly bestowed by his father, implying that the throne secured through Kaikeyi's coercion lacks moral legitimacy.
This phrase challenges Bharata's lineage in a moral sense; it suggests that being a true son of the noble King Dasaratha requires adhering to his values of Dharma. If Bharata accepts the ill-gotten kingdom, he would fail to uphold the high ethical standards expected of Dasaratha's bloodline.