Doha 316

“The essence of a king’s duty is only this much, even as a desire is cherished in the heart (before it is expressed).” The Lord comforted His brother, Bharata, in many ways, but without some prop his mind found no consolation or solace. (1) His regard for Bharata, on the one hand, and the presence of elders, ministers and other people, on the other, overwhelmed Śrī Raghunātha with a mixed feeling of affection and bashfulness. The Lord at last took compassion on him and gave him His (wooden) sandals, which Bharata reverently placed on his head. (2) The sandals of the all-merciful Lord were like two watchmen entrusted with the duty of guarding the people’s life or they might be compared to a pair of caskets to enshrine the jewel of Bharata’s love or to the two syllables (constituting the word ‘Rāma’) intended for the spiritual practice of Jīva, the embodied human beings. (3) Or, they might be likened to a pair of doors to guard the race of Raghu or a pair of hands to assist in the performance of good deeds or again to a pair of eyes to show the noble path of service. Bharata was highly gratified to get this prop; he felt as happy as he would have been if Sītā and Śrī Rāma had agreed to remain in Ayodhyā. (4)

He made obeisance and begged leave to depart and Śrī Rāma clasped him to his bosom; while the malevolent lord of celestials, Indra, taking advantage of this inopportune situation, made the people weary. (316)