Ramayan Part 23 - Bharata's Role As Ram's Deputy

The citizens and the army, Reached a state of joy, To see all the four princes, Along with the three queens. It was their pleasure, And they were sure That Ram would return, And sit on the throne. The queen mothers wept, To see how fate had kept, Sita, Ram and Lakshman, Their life condition inhuman. They lived in a hut, Slept in a grass mat, At nights almost frozen. And bathed in the open, For any amount of pressure, From the queens assembled there, Or from Bharata, his brother, Ram gave only one answer. His promise to his father, He would keep up ever, King Bharata should return, To fulfill father’s wish in turn. “Ram, you always rushed, And help you never refused, How can you now deny it To Bharata, under your feet? ' Vasishta so asked Ram, But Ram remained calm. He told, his any such action Would breach father’s instruction. Bharata to rule as a deputy, Under Ram’s authority, The sage suggested to them To solve this problem. Deferring to the sage wisdom, Ram gave away the kingdom, For Bharata to rule as deputy. With his verbal authority. In the eyes of their eager look Ram’s sandals Bharata took, Carried them o’er his head, Followed by the crowd he led. He stayed in Nandigram, As deputy to the King, Ram, Kept the sandals on the throne, Till the time of his return. In the forest, Ram did penance, In Nandigram, Bharata did penance, Like this fourteen long years Of their life were expected to pass.