#027, Lakshmana you have secret arrangement with Bharata

3-59-18 BOOK 3 (BOOK OF FOREST: ARANYA KAND`A), CHAPTER 59, VERSE 18
Samketaat Bharatena tvam Raamam samanugacchasi
Kroshantam hi yathaa atyartham na eenam abhyavapadyasee.

CONTEXT: Sita, Rama and Lakshmana were in the thirteenth year of their stay in the forest. At the instance of Ravana, the demon Mariica came in the guise of a golden deer. Sita sent Rama to fetch it. Rama chased it, found it to be a deceptive demon and killed. The demon mimicked Rama's voice and wailed "Oh Sita! Lakshman`a! Save me! Sita is trying to persuade Lakshman`a to go and save his brother. Lakshman`'a knew his brother's strength and resisted it. Then Sita uses some harsher words and send him to Rama.

GIST: When Rama is yelling at such a high pitch and tone of anguish, why are you reluctant to go to him and save him? You have some secret understanding and arrangement with Bharata and at his instance you have accompanied your brother to the forest.

This writer's observation: During the first year of the exile, Bharata visited Sita Rama Lakshmanas at Chitrakuut`a hills and prayed them to come back to Ayodhya and get coronated. This should have normally cleared if Sita had any doubts about Bharata being a wicked usurper of power.

The above verse shows that Sita continued to nurse a suspicion that Bharata sent Lakshmana to accompany Rama to watch his movements in exile. Lakshmana had served Sita and Rama quite faithfully and tirelessly during the thirteen years of their hardships in the forests. Most of the difficulties, Lakshmana carried the burden. I am unable to trace any verse in the Book of Forests, which shows that Sita thanked Lakshmana for his self-less service, even abandoning his own wife at Ayodhya. Neither Lakshmana nor his wife Urmila was enjoying marital bliss. Now, Sita has come out with her allegation of secret arrangement (samkeet) with Bharata.

This verse shows that Rama's exile to forest was not voluntary as is commonly made out. At least Sita felt that it was the consequence of a plan hatched by Bharata. These succession battles and expulsions to forests, were quite common in the gynesia (dwellings of queens) of kings of those days.