Bharat

Bharat was a price of Ayodhya, a son of king Dashrath by his wife Kaikeyi. He was half-brother of Ram, Lakshman, and Shatrughna. Bharat and his brother Shatrughna were inseparable, just as Ram and Lakshman were.

On the advice of sage Vishvamitra, king Janak married a daughter of his brother Kushdhvaj to Bharat. Her name was Madhavi. He had two sons, Taksh and Pushkal.

As per the story of Ramayana, Bharat was not present in Ayodhya at the time of exile of Ram and death of his father Dashrath, because he was, at that time, away in Kekay, a kingdom of his maternal great-grandfather. He was called back to Ayodhya after the incidents mentioned above were already happened.

He reached Ayodhya along with the messenger sent to him and Shatrughna on the eighth day. He was greatly shocked by the news of his father’s death. He blamed her mother for his father’s death and brother Ram’s exile.

On the fourteenth day of his father’s death, the ministers asked Bharat to ascend the throne. Bharat refused to do so, and said the throne was rightfully of Ram. Bharat planned to bring Ram back from the forest and return his kingdom. He went there and met Ram, but failed in his mission. On the advice of the ministers Ram appointed Bharat as his deputy to rule over Ayodhya till his return. Bharat returned Ayodhya with the sandals of Ram. That sandals were only a token of Ram's rule in Ayodhya.

After returning to Ayodhya, he took leave of his mothers and stayed at Nandigram for fourteen years and discharged the king’s duties in place of Ram.

On Ram's return, he handed the slippers back to him saying that he was now returning him his kingdom. Ram was crowned king and Bharat became crown prince.

On the command of Ram, Bharat and his sons went to the Gandhar Kingdom and with the help of his maternal uncle Yudhajit, he destroyed the enemies of the state. He founded the two capital cities of Takshashlia and Pushkalavat and established his sons as their rulers.

After five years, Bharat returned to Ayodhya. He and Lakshaman’s son Chandraketu went to the Meru kingdom, where Chandraketu was made king. Bharat taught Chandraketu to run his government. He returned to Ayodhya a year later. After the death of Lakshman, Ram decided to renounce his life and wished to crown Bharat as king, which Bharat declined and decided to renounce his life too. He took the holy dip into the Saryu river and renounced his life along with his brothers Ram, Lakshman and Shatrughna.

It is believed that they went to heaven.