Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 75: Bharata’s Conversation with Kausalyā-devī
Text 2.75.13
अथ वा स्वयमेवाहं सुमित्रानुचरा सुखम्।
अग्निहोत्रं पुरस्कृत्य प्रस्थास्ये यत्र राघवः॥
atha vā svayam evāhaṁ sumitrānucarā sukham
agni-hotraṁ puraskṛtya prasthāsye yatra rāghavaḥ
atha vā = or else; svayam eva = personally; aham = I; sumitrā-anucarā = accompanied by Sumitrā; sukham = happily; agni-hotram = the king’s fire sacrifice; puraskṛtya = will honor and; prasthāsye = will go; yatra rāghavaḥ = to where Rāghava resides.
Or else, accompanied by Sumitrā, I will happily go to where Rāghava [is] after conducting the fire sacrifice and final rites for the king.
Queen Kausalyā now hints that since Bharata was intimately related to the sin committed by Kaikeyī, He was disqualified from performing the final rites for the king. This fire sacrifice for the king could only be performed by the king’s eldest wife. Daśaratha had forbidden Bharata from performing the final rites for him [if Bharata agreed with Queen Kaikeyī’s plans].