Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 66: Lakṣmaṇa Pacifies Śrī Rāma
Text 3.66.4
तव चैव गुणैर्बद्धस्त्वद्वियोगान्महीपतिः।
राजा देवत्वमापन्नो भरतस्य यथा श्रुतम्॥
tava caiva guṇair baddhas tvad-viyogān mahī-patiḥ
rājā devatvam āpanno bharatasya yathā śrutam
tava ca = Your; eva = alone; guṇaiḥ = to qualities; baddhaḥ = bonded; tvat-viyogāt = in Your absence; mahī-patiḥ = and the ruler of the earth; rājā = the king; devatvam = a deva; āpannaḥ = has become; bharatasya = from Bharata; yathā = as; śrutam = We have heard.
Bonded to Your auspicious qualities alone, the king and the ruler of the earth has become a deva in Your absence as We have heard from Bharata.
“Bonded to Your auspicious qualities alone” indicates that Śrī Lakṣmaṇa was not referring to the other [three] sons [of King Daśaratha who] was bonded to Śrī Rāma’s auspicious qualities, that is, he was exclusively overwhelmed by the auspicious qualities of Śrī Rāma.
[Daśaratha] was both the king and ruler of earth—he wasn’t a mere king by birth.