Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 97: Rāma Instructs Lakṣmaṇa
Text 2.97.15
न हि ते निष्ठुरं वाच्यो भरतो नाप्रियं वचः।
अहं ह्यप्रियमुक्तः स्यां भरतस्याप्रिये कृते॥
na hi te niṣṭhuraṁ vācyo bharato nāpriyaṁ vacaḥ
ahaṁ hy apriyam uktaḥ syām bharatasyāpriye kṛte
na hi = should not; te = You; niṣṭhuram = harsh; vācyaḥ = speak; bharataḥ = to Bharata; na apriyam = or displeasing; vacaḥ = words; aham hi apriyam uktaḥ syām = that would amount to You speaking displeasingly to Me; bharatasya apriye kṛte = for if You speak displeasingly to Bharata.
You should not speak harsh or displeasing words to Bharata for if You speak displeasingly to Bharata, that would amount to You speaking displeasingly to Me.
It can be understood from this that the Supreme Personality of Godhead intends to say that an offense unto those who have taken shelter of the Lord is an offense unto Him.