# Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 97 — Bharata offers Rāma the Kingdom *Rāma absolves him of blame but insists that both brothers honour their father’s division between Kingdom and forest* Portion: The dispute over Kingship and duty · Verses: 24 · Ref format: 2.97. ## Sequence - Rāma asks why Bharata has abandoned the Kingdom and come dressed as a tapasvin (97.1–3) - Bharata recounts their father's grief and his mother's role in the disaster (97.4–7) - he asks Rāma to accept his hereditary Kingdom for the sake of the people, the widowed Queens, and his brother (97.8–11) - he places his head at Rāma's feet as a younger brother, pupil, and servant (97.12–14) - Rāma embraces him and says he sees no fault in him, but asks him not to condemn their mother (97.15–17) - he explains that he owes obedience to both parents (97.18–20) - in his view, Daśaratha assigned Bharata Ayodhyā and himself the forest, and each must now fulfill that assignment → he values keeping it above any Kingdom (97.21–24). ## Verses **2.97.1** taṃ tu rāmaḥ samāśvāsya bhrātaraṃ guruvatsalam lakṣmaṇena saha bhrātrā praṣṭuṃ samupacakrame But Rāma, having comforted that brother of his who was devoted to their elders, together with his brother Lakṣmaṇa set about to question him. **2.97.2** kim etad iccheyam ahaṃ śrotuṃ pravyāhṛtaṃ tvayā yasmāt tvam āgato deśam imaṃ cīrajaṭājinī “What is this? I would wish to hear it spoken by you — the reason why you have come to this region clad in bark, matted hair, and hides. **2.97.3** yannimittam imaṃ deśaṃ kṛṣṇājinajaṭādharaḥ hitvā rājyaṃ praviṣṭas tvaṃ tat sarvaṃ vaktum arhasi For what reason you, wearing a black antelope-hide and matted hair, having abandoned the kingdom, have entered this region — all that you should tell. **2.97.4** ity uktaḥ kekayīputraḥ kākutsthena mahātmanā pragṛhya balavad bhūyaḥ prāñjalir vākyam abravīt Addressed thus by the great-souled Kākutstha, the son of Kaikeyī, controlling himself firmly, again with joined palms spoke these words: **2.97.5** āryaṃ tātaḥ parityajya kṛtvā karma suduṣkaram gataḥ svargaṃ mahābāhuḥ putraśokābhipīḍitaḥ “Father, having forsaken the noble one and done a most difficult deed, the mighty-armed one, tormented by grief for his son, has gone to heaven. **2.97.6** striyā niyuktaḥ kaikeyyā mama mātrā paraṃtapa cakāra sumahat pāpam idam ātmayaśoharam Impelled by a woman, my mother Kaikeyī, O scorcher of foes, he committed this very great sin that robbed him of his own fame. **2.97.7** sā rājyaphalam aprāpya vidhavā śokakarśitā patiṣyati mahāghore niraye jananī mama She, having failed to obtain the fruit of the kingdom — a widow, wasted by grief, my mother — will fall into a most terrible hell. **2.97.8** tasya me dāsabhūtasya prasādaṃ kartum arhasi abhiṣiñcasva cādyaiva rājyena maghavān iva To me who have become your servant you should show grace; consecrate yourself this very day with the kingdom, like Maghavat. **2.97.9** imāḥ prakṛtayaḥ sarvā vidhavā māturaś ca yāḥ tvat sakāśam anuprāptāḥ prasādaṃ kartum arhasi All these subjects, and the widowed queen-mothers who have come into your presence — to them you should show grace. **2.97.10** tadānupūrvyā yuktaṃ ca yuktaṃ cātmani mānada rājyaṃ prāpnuhi dharmeṇa sakāmān suhṛdaḥ kuru Therefore, O bestower of honour, obtain by dharma the kingdom, which is fitting by succession and fitting for yourself, and make your friends' wishes fulfilled. **2.97.11** bhavatv avidhavā bhūmiḥ samagrā patinā tvayā śaśinā vimaleneva śāradī rajanī yathā Let the whole earth become un-widowed through you as her lord, as an autumn night is made radiant by the spotless moon. **2.97.12** ebhiś ca sacivaiḥ sārdhaṃ śirasā yācito mayā bhrātuḥ śiṣyasya dāsasya prasādaṃ kartum arhasi Entreated by me with bowed head, together with these ministers, you should show grace to your brother, your disciple, your servant. **2.97.13** tad idaṃ śāśvataṃ pitryaṃ sarvaṃ sacivamaṇḍalam pūjitaṃ puruṣavyāghra nātikramitum utsahe O tiger among men, this whole hereditary, ancestral, honoured circle of ministers — I cannot bring myself to overstep it. **2.97.14** evam uktvā mahābāhuḥ sabāṣpaḥ kekayīsutaḥ rāmasya śirasā pādau jagrāha bharataḥ punaḥ Having spoken thus, the mighty-armed Bharata, son of Kaikeyī, in tears, again clasped Rāma's feet with his head. **2.97.15** taṃ mattam iva mātaṅgaṃ niḥśvasantaṃ punaḥ punaḥ bhrātaraṃ bharataṃ rāmaḥ pariṣvajyedam abravīt Embracing his brother Bharata, who was sighing again and again like a rutting elephant, Rāma spoke this: **2.97.16** kulīnaḥ sattvasaṃpannas tejasvī caritavrataḥ rājyahetoḥ kathaṃ pāpam ācaret tvadvidho janaḥ “How could a person like you — well-born, endowed with goodness, splendid, and true to his vows — commit sin for the sake of a kingdom? **2.97.17** na doṣaṃ tvayi paśyāmi sūkṣmam apy ari sūdana na cāpi jananīṃ bālyāt tvaṃ vigarhitum arhasi I see no fault in you, not even a subtle one, O slayer of foes; nor should you out of childishness censure our mother. **2.97.18** yāvat pitari dharmajña gauravaṃ lokasatkṛte tāvad dharmabhṛtāṃ śreṣṭha jananyām api gauravam As great as the reverence due to a father honoured by the world, O knower of dharma, so great, O best of the dharma-bearers, is the reverence due also to a mother. **2.97.19** etābhyāṃ dharmaśīlābhyāṃ vanaṃ gaccheti rāghava mātā pitṛbhyām ukto 'haṃ katham anyat samācare By these two of righteous conduct, mother and father, I was told, 'Go to the forest,' O Rāghava; how could I do otherwise? **2.97.20** tvayā rājyam ayodhyāyāṃ prāptavyaṃ lokasatkṛtam vastavyaṃ daṇḍakāraṇye mayā valkalavāsasā By you the world-honoured kingdom in Ayodhyā is to be obtained; by me, clad in bark garments, the Daṇḍaka forest is to be dwelt in. **2.97.21** evaṃ kṛtvā mahārājo vibhāgaṃ lokasaṃnidhau vyādiśya ca mahātejā divaṃ daśaratho gataḥ Having thus made the division in the presence of the world, and having so ordained, the great king Daśaratha of great splendour went to heaven. **2.97.22** sa ca pramāṇaṃ dharmātmā rājā lokagurus tava pitrā dattaṃ yathābhāgam upabhoktuṃ tvam arhasi And that righteous king, the elder of the world, is your authority; you should enjoy the share given by your father accordingly. **2.97.23** caturdaśa samāḥ saumya daṇḍakāraṇyam āśritaḥ upabhokṣye tv ahaṃ dattaṃ bhāgaṃ pitrā mahātmanā For fourteen years, gentle one, dwelling in the Daṇḍaka forest, I shall enjoy the share given by my great-souled father. **2.97.24** yad abravīn māṃ naralokasatkṛtaḥ pitā mahātmā vibudhādhipopamaḥ tad eva manye paramātmano hitaṃ na sarvalokeśvarabhāvam avyayam What my great-souled father — honoured in the world of men and like the lord of the gods — told me, that alone I regard as the highest good for myself, not the imperishable sovereignty over all the worlds.”