As soon as Rāma saw Bharata, He considered that Bharata would have ruled the kingdom [since He was exiled] and so asked Him about His political administration. On the pretext of asking various questions, He taught Him how to take care of and protect one’s kingdom. Rāma did this now because after getting to know that Daśaratha had departed and that Bharata has decided to lie on the ground and so on [until Rāma returns to Ayodhyā], He would have no opportunity to instruct [Bharata on this subject].

Whenever Daśaratha would see a nice garland he would say that it was fit to [decorate] Bharata’s hair. Whenever Daśaratha saw a commendable silk cloth, He would say that it was fit for Bharata. And now [this very] Bharata had matted His hair and put on bark cloth. Therefore Rāma was astonished. Considering that even a bed of roses is too hard for Bharata, Daśaratha would put Bharata on his lap to make Him sleep, and now He had fallen on the ground.

Bharata with His hair matted and so on was not fit to be [happily] seen by Rāma. He could be seen by Rāma only with distress and difficulty. “Like the sun at the time of dissolution” indicates that Bharata could not be [happily] seen just by Rāma—He could not be [happily] seen by anyone.

How Bharata could have worn cloth made of bark when He had put on silk cloth to meet Bharadvāja has already been stated earlier [in the commentary to texts 2.90.1-2].

GLOSS. After [meeting Bharadvāja], Bharata put on clothes of bark [while hoping] that Rāma would be compassionate upon Him.