¹ Bharata is quite aware of His mother’s spiritual defects even though she was one of His gurus according to Vedic dharma. He doesn’t consider her to be a good person just because she always wishes Him well. Of course, to call an innocent person guilty is a grave offense, but Bharata didn’t do that. In fact, when Bharata begins to inquire about His mothers, He first asks if Kausalyā-devī is well, and then asks about Sumitrā-devī and then about His own mother Kaikeyī, thus respecting the hierarchy. He also notes the good qualities of Śrī Kausalyā and Śrī Sumitrā. This is a lesson on how to deal with our superiors. It is important to become capable of recognizing reality as it is, a symptom of sattva-guṇa, especially if one seeks liberation from material existence or pure love of Godhead.