Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 73: The Grand Wedding of Sītā and Rāma
Text 1.73.2
पुत्रः केकयराजस्य साक्षाद्भरतमातुलः।
दृष्ट्वा पृष्ट्वा च कुशलं राजानमिदमब्रवीत्॥
putraḥ kekaya-rājasya sākṣād bharata-mātulaḥ
dṛṣṭvā pṛṣṭvā ca kuśalaṁ rājānam idam abravīt
putraḥ = the son; kekaya-rājasya = of the king of Kekaya; sākṣāt = the direct; bharata-mātulaḥ = maternal uncle of Bharata; dṛṣṭvā = on seeing; pṛṣṭvā = inquired; ca = and; kuśalam = about his welfare; rājānam = King Daśaratha; idam = as follows; abravīt = then spoke.
The son of the king of Kekaya, the direct maternal uncle of Bharata, on seeing King Daśaratha, inquired about his welfare and then spoke as follows.
It can be concluded from the usage of the word sākṣād that Bharata also had an indirect maternal uncle through his mother’s co-wives.