# Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 103 — Bharata attempts a fast *He spreads grass and refuses to leave, then offers to serve the exile himself, Rāma rejects substitution and promises to rule after fourteen years* Portion: The dispute over Kingship and duty · Verses: 32 · Ref format: 2.103. ## Sequence - Vasiṣṭha adds that a teacher, like a father and mother, deserves obedience, and asks Rāma to heed him (103.1–4) - he also invokes the requests of Kausalyā, Bharata, and the assembled people (103.5–7) - Rāma replies that he can never fully repay his parents' care and will not invalidate the command he accepted from his father (103.8–11) - Bharata asks Sumantra to spread grass so he can fast outside the hut until Rāma relents → when Sumantra looks to Rāma instead, Bharata spreads it himself (103.12–15) - Rāma asks him to abandon this attempt to compel him and return to Ayodhyā (103.16–18) - Bharata appeals to the people, but they now acknowledge that Rāma's commitment to his father's word cannot readily be overturned (103.19–21) - at Rāma's urging Bharata rises and touches water (103.22–24) - he publicly repeats that he never asked for the Kingdom or directed his mother's action, and offers to serve the fourteen years himself (103.25–27) - Rāma refuses that substitution as an evasion of the actual promise → he affirms Bharata's integrity and says he will accept rule after completing the exile (103.28–32). ## Verses **2.103.1** vasiṣṭhas tu tadā rāmam uktvā rājapurohitaḥ abravīd dharmasaṃyuktaṃ punar evāparaṃ vacaḥ Then Vasiṣṭha, the royal chaplain, having spoken to Rāma, uttered yet another word full of dharma: **2.103.2** puruṣasyeha jātasya bhavanti guravas trayaḥ ācāryaś caiva kākutstha pitā mātā ca rāghava For a man born into this world there are three venerable elders: the teacher, and the father, and the mother, O Kākutstha, O Rāghava. **2.103.3** pitā hy enaṃ janayati puruṣaṃ puruṣarṣabha prajñāṃ dadāti cācāryas tasmāt sa gurur ucyate For the father begets this man, O bull among men, and the teacher bestows wisdom — therefore he too is called a guru. **2.103.4** sa te 'haṃ pitur ācāryas tava caiva paraṃtapa mama tvaṃ vacanaṃ kurvan nātivarteḥ satāṃ gatim I am that teacher of your father, and of you as well, O scorcher of foes; by doing my bidding you would not stray from the path of the good. **2.103.5** imā hi te pariṣadaḥ śreṇayaś ca samāgatāḥ eṣu tāta caran dharmaṃ nātivarteḥ satāṃ gatim Here indeed are your assemblies and the guilds gathered together; practicing dharma among these, dear son, you would not stray from the path of the good. **2.103.6** vṛddhāyā dharmaśīlāyā mātur nārhasy avartitum asyās tu vacanaṃ kurvan nātivarteḥ satāṃ gatim You ought not to turn away from your aged, righteous-natured mother; by doing her word you would not stray from the path of the good. **2.103.7** bharatasya vacaḥ kurvan yācamānasya rāghava ātmānaṃ nātivartes tvaṃ satyadharmaparākrama By doing the word of Bharata, who entreats you, O Rāghava, you would not fail your own self, O you whose valor is truth and dharma. **2.103.8** evaṃ madhuram uktas tu guruṇā rāghavaḥ svayam pratyuvāca samāsīnaṃ vasiṣṭhaṃ puruṣarṣabhaḥ Thus sweetly addressed by his teacher, Rāghava, that bull among men, himself replied to Vasiṣṭha seated near: **2.103.9** yan mātāpitarau vṛttaṃ tanaye kurutaḥ sadā na supratikaraṃ tat tu mātrā pitrā ca yat kṛtam The service that mother and father always render to a child — that which is done by mother and father is not easily repaid. **2.103.10** yathāśakti pradānena snāpanāc chādanena ca nityaṃ ca priyavādena tathā saṃvardhanena ca — by giving to the best of their ability, by bathing and clothing, by constant kind words, and likewise by nurturing. **2.103.11** sa hi rājā janayitā pitā daśaratho mama ājñātaṃ yan mayā tasya na tan mithyā bhaviṣyati For that King Daśaratha is my father who begot me; what has been commanded by him and accepted by me shall not be made false. **2.103.12** evam uktas tu rāmeṇa bharataḥ pratyanantaram uvāca paramodāraḥ sūtaṃ paramadurmanāḥ Thus addressed by Rāma, Bharata, exceedingly noble yet utterly disheartened, thereupon said to the charioteer: **2.103.13** iha me sthaṇḍile śīghraṃ kuśān āstara sārathe āryaṃ pratyupavekṣyāmi yāvan me na prasīdati Here on the bare ground quickly spread kuśa grass for me, O charioteer; I shall sit fasting before the noble one until he relents toward me. **2.103.14** anāhāro nirāloko dhanahīno yathā dvijaḥ śeṣye purastāc chālāyā yāvan na pratiyāsyati Without food, seeing no one, like a penniless brahmin, I shall lie before his hut until he consents to return. **2.103.15** sa tu rāmam avekṣantaṃ sumantraṃ prekṣya durmanāḥ kuśottaram upasthāpya bhūmāv evāstarat svayam But he, disheartened, seeing Sumantra look toward Rāma, fetched kuśa-tipped grass and spread it himself upon the ground. **2.103.16** tam uvāca mahātejā rāmo rājarṣisattamāḥ kiṃ māṃ bharata kurvāṇaṃ tāta pratyupavekṣyasi To him spoke Rāma of great splendor, best of royal sages: “For what deed of mine, dear Bharata, will you sit fasting against me? **2.103.17** brāhmaṇo hy ekapārśvena narān roddhum ihārhati na tu mūrdhāvasiktānāṃ vidhiḥ pratyupaveśane For a brahmin, by lying fasting on one side, may here constrain men; but for the consecrated (kshatriyas) there is no ordinance for sitting in protest. **2.103.18** uttiṣṭha naraśārdūla hitvaitad dāruṇaṃ vratam puravaryām itaḥ kṣipram ayodhyāṃ yāhi rāghava Rise, O tiger among men, abandoning this cruel vow; go quickly from here to Ayodhyā, the finest of cities, O Rāghava. **2.103.19** āsīnas tv eva bharataḥ paurajānapadaṃ janam uvāca sarvataḥ prekṣya kim āryaṃ nānuśāsatha But Bharata, still seated, looking all around at the town and country folk, said: “Why do you not urge the noble one?” **2.103.20** te tam ūcur mahātmānaṃ paurajānapadā janāḥ kākutstham abhijānīmaḥ samyag vadati rāghavaḥ The town and country folk said to that great-souled one: “We acknowledge Kākutstha's stand — Rāghava speaks rightly. **2.103.21** eṣo 'pi hi mahābhāgaḥ pitur vacasi tiṣṭhati ata eva na śaktāḥ smo vyāvartayitum añjasā For this greatly fortunate one too abides by his father's word; for that very reason we are unable to turn him back readily. **2.103.22** teṣām ājñāya vacanaṃ rāmo vacanam abravīt evaṃ nibodha vacanaṃ suhṛdāṃ dharmacakṣuṣām Having grasped their words, Rāma spoke: “Thus, hear the word of well-wishers who see with the eye of dharma. **2.103.23** etac caivobhayaṃ śrutvā samyak saṃpaśya rāghava uttiṣṭha tvaṃ mahābāho māṃ ca spṛśa tathodakam Having heard both these, consider well, O Rāghava; rise, mighty-armed one, and touch me and likewise the water. **2.103.24** athotthāya jalaṃ spṛṣṭvā bharato vākyam abravīt śṛṇvantu me pariṣado mantriṇaḥ śreṇayas tathā Then, rising and touching the water, Bharata spoke: “Let my assemblies, the ministers, and likewise the guilds hear me. **2.103.25** na yāce pitaraṃ rājyaṃ nānuśāsāmi mātaram āryaṃ paramadharmajñam abhijānāmi rāghavam I did not beg the kingdom of my father, nor did I direct my mother; I acknowledge the noble Rāghava, supreme knower of dharma. **2.103.26** yadi tv avaśyaṃ vastavyaṃ kartavyaṃ ca pitur vacaḥ aham eva nivatsyāmi caturdaśa vane samāḥ But if there must necessarily be a forest-dwelling, and the father's word must be fulfilled, then I myself shall dwell in the forest for fourteen years. **2.103.27** dharmātmā tasya tathyena bhrātur vākyena vismitaḥ uvāca rāmaḥ saṃprekṣya paurajānapadaṃ janam The righteous Rāma, amazed by the truthful word of his brother, gazing at the town and country folk, said: **2.103.28** vikrītam āhitaṃ krītaṃ yat pitrā jīvatā mama na tal lopayituṃ śakyaṃ mayā vā bharatena vā Whatever was sold, pledged, or bought by my father while he lived — that can be annulled neither by me nor by Bharata. **2.103.29** upadhir na mayā kāryo vanavāse jugupsitaḥ yuktam uktaṃ ca kaikeyyā pitrā me sukṛtaṃ kṛtam No blameworthy evasion is to be practiced by me in this forest-dwelling; what Kaikeyī said was fitting, and my father did well. **2.103.30** jānāmi bharataṃ kṣāntaṃ gurusatkārakāriṇam sarvam evātra kalyāṇaṃ satyasaṃdhe mahātmani I know Bharata to be forbearing, a doer of honor to his elders; everything in this great-souled one, true to his word, is wholly auspicious. **2.103.31** anena dharmaśīlena vanāt pratyāgataḥ punaḥ bhrātrā saha bhaviṣyāmi pṛthivyāḥ patir uttamaḥ Returned again from the forest, together with this righteous-natured brother, I shall become the supreme lord of the earth. **2.103.32** vṛto rājā hi kaikeyyā mayā tad vacanaṃ kṛtam anṛtān mocayānena pitaraṃ taṃ mahīpatim The king was solicited by Kaikeyī, and I have fulfilled that word of his; by this deed free our father, that lord of the earth, from untruth.