यथा तु रोपितो वृक्षः पुरुषेण विवर्धितः।
ह्रस्वकेन दुरारोहो रूढस्कन्धो महाद्रुमः॥
स यथा पुष्पितो भूत्वा फलानि न विदर्शयेत्।
स तां नानुभवेत्प्रीतिं यस्य हेतोः प्ररोपितः॥
एषोपमा महाबाहो तमर्थं वेत्तुमर्हसि।
यदि त्वमस्मान्वृषभो भर्ता भृत्यान्न शाधि हि॥
yathā tu ropito vṛkṣaḥ puruṣeṇa vivardhitaḥ
hrasvakena durāroho rūḍha-skandho mahā-drumaḥ
sa yathā puṣpito bhūtvā phalāni na vidarśayet
sa tāṁ nānubhavet prītiṁ yasya hetoḥ praropitaḥ
eṣopamā mahā-bāho tam arthaṁ vettum arhasi
yadi tvam asmān vṛṣabho bhartā bhṛtyān na śādhi hi
yathā tu = for instance; ropitaḥ = is planted; vṛkṣaḥ = a tree; puruṣeṇa = by a man; vivardhitaḥ = and then tended to; hrasvakena = by a dwarf; durārohaḥ = that cannot be climbed up; rūḍha-skandhaḥ = and tall; mahā-drumaḥ = it then grows into a large tree; saḥ = when it; yathā puṣpitaḥ bhūtvā = after producing flowers; phalāni = any fruit; na = does not; vidarśayet = show; saḥ = the man; tām = the; na = does not; anubhavet = experience; prītim = happiness; yasya hetoḥ = for which; praropitaḥ = he planted [the tree in the first place]; eṣā upamā = this example would become applicable; mahā-bāho = O mighty-armed one; tam artham = the point here; vettum = understand; arhasi = You should; yadi = if; tvam = You; asmān = us; vṛṣabhaḥ = Our leaders; bhartā = and maintainers; bhṛtyān = Your dependent servants; na = don’t; śādhi hi = discipline.
For instance, a tree is planted and then tended to by a man. It then grows into a large and tall tree that cannot be climbed up by a dwarf. After producing flowers, when it does not show any fruit, the man does not experience the happiness for which he planted [the tree in the first place]. O mighty-armed one, if You, Our leader and maintainer, don’t discipline us, Your dependent servants, this example would become applicable. You should understand the point here.
1 Mahā-bāho indicates that Bharata knew that Rāma was an intelligent kṣatriya and therefore He had the subtle intelligence to quickly understand what Bharata was driving at.
“You should understand the point here” indicates that Rāma [should be able to understand the point made here because He] is certainly expert in understanding [others’] intentions. The man who plants and tends the tree refers to Daśaratha. The great tree that had grown up refers to Rāma. Seeing the flowers refers to Daśaratha’s favorable attitude to coronating [Rāma]. Not seeing any fruit refers to Rāma not protecting the kingdom. Bharata pointed out that Rāma surely understood [this example correctly]. This is indicated by the expression mahā-bāho (“O mighty-armed one”).1