Bharata Holds to Ram's Sandals as His Only Refuge
Ayodhya Kanda, Chaupai 234
Doha 234 · Movement 1 of 2
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Bharata accepts both possibilities: Ram may cast him aside as inwardly stained or honor him as a servant. Neither outcome changes the place of refuge.
Ram and Ram's sandals alone shelter him. The master is perfect, while fault belongs to the servant. Like the chataka bird and fish celebrated for single devotion to cloud and water, Bharata will keep love and vow ever fresh.
He walks weakened by shame and tenderness, as though retracing his mother's wrong step by step. Devotion supplies strength and patience a rope to hold. Whenever Ram's gracious nature enters memory, his feet hurry and stumble. Bharata moves like a bee caught in rushing water, drawn forward while emotion sweeps every direction away. Guha sees him and loses bodily awareness in shared love.
Caught between shame and longing like a bee in floodwater, Bharata clings to the one refuge no current can remove: Ram's sandals.
Read the passage from the Manas
जौं परिहरहिं मलिन मनु जानी। जौ सनमानहिं सेवकु मानी।। मोरें सरन रामहि की पनही। राम सुस्वामि दोसु सब जनही।। जग जस भाजन चातक मीना। नेम पेम निज निपुन नबीना।। अस मन गुनत चले मग जाता। सकुच सनेहँ सिथिल सब गाता।। फेरत मनहुँ मातु कृत खोरी। चलत भगति बल धीरज धोरी।। जब समुझत रघुनाथ सुभाऊ। तब पथ परत उताइल पाऊ।। भरत दसा तेहि अवसर कैसी। जल प्रबाहँ जल अलि गति जैसी।। देखि भरत कर सोचु सनेहू। भा निषाद तेहि समयँ बिदेहू।।
Whether they cast me aside, knowing my mind to be tainted, or honour me, accepting me as a servant. My sole refuge is Rama and his sacred sandals. Rama is the true master; all fault belongs to the servant. Like the chataka bird and the fish, who are celebrated in the world for their single-pointed devotion, ever fresh and skilled in their vows of love. Turning such thoughts over in his mind, he walked along the path, every limb grown feeble with shame and tenderness. As though retracing the very wrong his mother had done, he pressed forward, sustained by the strength of devotion and the rope of patience. Whenever he remembered the gracious nature of Raghunatha, his eager feet stumbled and hurried upon the path. What was Bharata's condition at that hour? Like a bee caught in the rush of flowing water. Seeing Bharata's grief and love, the Nishad chief became beside himself in that moment.