Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 8: The Conversation Between Kaikeyī and Mantharā
Text 2.8.29
भरतस्याप्यनुवशः शत्रुघ्नोऽपि समं गतः।
लक्ष्मणो हि यथा रामं तथासौ भरतं गतः॥
bharatasyāpy anuvaśaḥ śatrughno ’pi samaṁ gataḥ
lakṣmaṇo hi yathā rāmaṁ tathāsau bharataṁ gataḥ
bharatasya api = to Bharata; anuvaśaḥ = being submissive; śatrughnaḥ = Śatrughna; api = too; samam = the same state [of not receiving his father’s affection]; gataḥ = has attained; lakṣmaṇaḥ = Lakṣmaṇa; hi = because; yathā = just as; rāmam = [has taken shelter] of Rāma; tathā asau = He; bharatam = of Bharata; gataḥ = has taken shelter.
Being submissive to Bharata, Śatrughna too has attained the same state [of not receiving his father’s affection] because He has taken shelter of Bharata just as Lakṣmaṇa [has taken shelter] of Rāma.
Mantharā then anticipated that Kaikeyī might have thought, “Despite the absence of Bharata, in the presence of Śatrughna [Daśaratha] should have developed love for Bharata. But that didn’t happen too.” Therefore she spoke this verse.