Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 97: Rāma Instructs Lakṣmaṇa
Text 2.97.2
किमत्र धनुषा कार्यमसिना वा सचर्मणा।
महेष्वासे महाप्राज्ञे भरते स्वयमागते॥
kim atra dhanuṣā kāryam asinā vā sacarmaṇā
maheṣvāse mahā-prājñe bharate svayam āgate
kim = what is; atra = here; dhanuṣā = for a bow; kāryam = the need; asinā = for a sword; vā = or; sacarmaṇā = shield; mahā-iṣvāse = to deal with the great archer; mahā-prājñe = of great intelligence; bharate = Bharata; svayam āgate = when He has arrived on His own volition.
What is the need for a bow, sword or shield to deal with the great archer Bharata of great intelligence when He has arrived here on His own volition?
1 Nobody pressured Bharata into meeting Rāma.
Atra (“here”) indicates [that Bharata had come to meet Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa] in public. Maheṣvāse (“the great archer”) indicates that Bharata used His arrows [to shoot] appropriate targets [and not others]. [Rāma indicates] the reason for this by [describing Bharata as] mahā-prājñe (“of great intelligence”). Svayam (“on His own volition”) indicates that nobody sent Him.1 “What is the need for a sword or a shield?” indicates that there is no need [for them].
Rāma’s point was, “Even if the greatly intelligent Bharata has arrived here on His own volition with a bow, why should We enter into a war with Him?”
He explains His reason in the next verse.