Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 73: Bharata Decides to Bring Rāma Back
Text 2.73.16
तं हि नित्यं महाराजो बलवन्तं महाबलः।
अपाश्रितोऽभूद्धर्मात्मा मेरुर्मेरुवनं यथा॥
taṁ hi nityaṁ mahā-rājo balavantaṁ mahā-balaḥ
apāśrito ’bhūd dharmātmā merur meru-vanaṁ yathā
tam hi = that; nityam = always; mahā-rājaḥ = Mahārāja; balavantam = strong Rāma; mahā-balaḥ = the greatly strong; apāśritaḥ abhūt = took shelter of; dharma-ātmā = who was devoted to dharma; meruḥ = the Meru; meru-vanam = takes shelter of the forest that grows there; yathā = just as.
The greatly strong Mahārāja who was devoted to dharma always took shelter of that strong Rāma just as the Meru takes shelter of the forest that grows there.
Bharata here points out that He is not alone in taking shelter of Rāma. His father had also [always] taken shelter of Rāma.
Others cannot attack Meru because of the forest that grows there.