Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 73, Shloka 3
भरतस्य कैकेय्याः प्रति धिक्कारः
Bharata’s Rebuke of Kaikeyi and Affirmation of Ikshvaku Royal Dharma
दुःखे मे दुःखमकरोर्व्रणे क्षारमिवादधाः।राजानं प्रेतभावस्थं कृत्वा रामं च तापसम्।।।।
duḥkhe me duḥkham akaror vraṇe kṣāram ivādadhāḥ |
rājānaṃ pretabhāvasthaṃ kṛtvā rāmaṃ ca tāpasam ||
Trong nỗi khổ của ta, ngươi lại chồng thêm khổ đau—như xát muối vào vết thương—khi khiến đức vua đi đến kết cục như người đã chết, và biến Rama thành vị khổ hạnh nơi rừng thẳm.
You have caused the death of the king and reduced Rama to an ascetic. You have piled one sorrow over sorrow on me like rubbing salt to the wound
FAQs
Dharma is framed through accountability: actions driven by selfish desire can devastate the household order (gṛha-dharma) and cause cascading suffering to innocents.
Bharata confronts Kaikeyi, accusing her of causing Dasharatha’s death and Rama’s transformation from prince to ascetic through exile.
Bharata’s commitment to justice and truth-speaking (satya-vacana), even when it targets his own mother.