Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 85: Bharata Reveals His Intentions to Guha
Text 2.85.8
तमेवमभिभाषन्तमाकाश इव निर्मलः।
भरतः श्लक्ष्णया वाचा गुहं वचनमब्रवीत्॥
tam evam abhibhāṣantam ākāśa iva nirmalaḥ
bharataḥ ślakṣṇayā vācā guhaṁ vacanam abravīt
tam = when He; evam = this; abhibhāṣantam = was asked; ākāśaḥ = the sky; iva = like; nirmalaḥ = spotless; bharataḥ = Bharata; ślakṣṇayā = in a sweet; vācā = voice; guham = to Guha; vacanam = the following words; abravīt = spoke.
When He was asked this, Bharata, spotless like the sky, spoke the following words to Guha in a sweet voice.
There was no point in doubting Bharata because He was spotless like the sky. When one smears mud on the sky, the mud does not stick to the sky; on the other hand, one’s own hand becomes muddied. Bharata replied to Guha in a sweet voice indicating that He was not angry with Guha even though he had accused Him.