Bharata refused to take a kingdom obtained so deceitfully by his mother. He decided to go to the forest and bring his brother back. In the forest, from atop a tree, Lakshman saw Bharata followed by a vast army of men and women approaching Chitrakut, a hill where Ram and Sita had taken refuge. ‘He plans to kill you,’ said Lakshman. ‘Let me kill him first.’ Ram stopped his hot-headed brother from taking any rash steps. He was convinced that Bharata meant him no harm. And sure enough, when Bharata met Ram they hugged tearfully. Ram learnt of his father’s death and was shattered. ‘Come back. His kingdom needs you,’ said Bharata. But Ram refused. His father’s order that he stay as a hermit in the forest for fourteen years had to be fulfilled. Bharata then said, ‘He did not order me to be king. The crown was simply secured for me by my mother’s complicity. I reject it. Only Ram shall be king of Ayodhya. Until you return, I shall administer the kingdom as your regent. And during that time I shall not enjoy the comforts of royal life. I shall live as a hermit outside the city and suffer as you do. Let this be a lesson to my mother.’ Bharata took Ram’s sandals and carried them to Ayodhya and placed them on the throne. These would be the symbols of the king-in-exile.
By contrast, Ravana becomes king of Lanka by driving away his half-brother, Kuber, king of the Yakshas. The following story comes from Uttarkand, the final chapter of Valmiki’s Ramayana.
Lord of Lanka
The sage Vishrava had two wives. From the first, he became the father of Kuber, who went on to become king of the Yakshas. From the second, Kaikesi, he became the father of Ravana, who went on to become king of the Rakshasas. Kuber built the golden city of Lanka on the island of Trikuta located in the middle of the southern sea. Jealous of his brother’s prosperity, Ravana attacked the city of Lanka, drove his brother north and made himself king of Lanka.
The same behaviour is displayed by Sugriva’s elder brother, Vali. The following story is based on the sixteenth-century Malayalam retelling of the Ramayana by Ezhuthachan.