Chapter 107 - Shri Rama instructs Prince Bharata to return and be installed

Shri Rama, worshipped by Bharata, who sought to petition him further, replied to his younger brother in the presence of the other warriors, saying: “O Bharata, Son of Queen Kaikeyi, and the mighty Dasaratha, what you have said is meet and right. In ancient times when King Dasaratha, our sire, sought your mother, Princess Kaikeyi, in marriage, he promised her father that he would be succeeded by a son of hers. Furthermore, in the war between the gods and asuras, our sovereign made the promise of two boons to your mother in return for her great services, in consequence of which your illustrious and charming mother asked two favours of the king, holding him to his word.

“O Lion among Men! By one boon was my exile secured and by the other the kingdom was obtained for you. O Chief of men, as a result of the boon granted by my father, I have consented to live in the forest for fourteen years.

“Determined to prove the truth of my father’s word, I have entered the forest with Sita and Lakshmana, regardless of heat and cold. O Great Ruler, it becomes you also to prove your father to be a votary of truth and allow thyself to be speedily installed. O Bharata, honour this debt, you owest it to the king, and thus protect his fair name. By occupying the throne, shalt you succeed in pleasing me and rejoicing your mother, Queen Kaikeyi.

“O Friend, I have heard that formerly a great monarch named Gaya, when offering a sacrifice at Gaya, to the spirit of his ancestors, said:

‘A son is called “Puttra” because he saves his father from hell and protects the spirits of his ancestors by enjoined acts of benevolence.’

“To have many learned and virtuous sons is greatly to be desired, for some of them may offer a sacrifice at Gaya and thus deliver the spirits of their ancestors.

“O Son of Raghu, all the royal sages have approved this tenet, you should also, therefore, accept it. O Bharata, do you return to Ayodhya with Shatrughna and your people and promote the happiness of your subjects there.

“O King, I shall speedily retire to the Dandaka forest with Sita and Lakshmana. O Bharata, be you king of men and I will be sovereign over the wild beasts. Do you return joyfully to the capital and I will cheerfully proceed to the forest.

“May the royal canopy protect you from the sun’s heat, I shall seek shelter from its rays in the dense shadows of the trees. O Bharata, Shatrughna of limitless understanding shall attend you, and I shall be attended by the illustrious Prince Lakshmana. O Brother, do not be a prey to grief any longer, thus shall we, the four sons of the great King Dasaratha, establish his fame in the realm of truth.”