Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 114, Shloka 31
अयोध्याप्रवेशः
Bharata Enters Ayodhya and Perceives the City’s Desolation
एवं बहुविधं जल्पन्विवेश वसतिं पितुः। तेन हीनां नरेन्द्रेण सिंहहीनां गुहामिव।।2.114.31।।
evaṁ bahuvidhaṁ jalpan viveśa vasatiṁ pituḥ |
tena hīnāṁ narendreṇa siṁhahīnāṁ guhām iva ||2.114.31||
இவ்வாறு பலவிதமாகப் புலம்பியபடி பரதன் தந்தையின் வாசஸ்தலத்துள் நுழைந்தான்—அந்த நரேந்திரன் இல்லாத அந்த இல்லம், சிங்கமற்ற குகையைப் போல இருந்தது.
Thus mourning in several ways, Bharata entered his fathers' palace (now) bereft of the king like a cave without the lion.
FAQs
It underscores reverence for rightful authority and the fragility of order after a ruler’s fall: dharma in a kingdom is felt as protective strength, and its absence creates a dangerous emptiness.
Bharata, lamenting, enters Daśaratha’s palace after the king’s death; the palace feels empty and unprotected, like a lionless cave.
Bharata’s filial devotion and grief, alongside his awareness of the king’s protective role in sustaining the realm.