Bharata gave 3 alternatives to Rama

Courtesy:Dr.Smt.Saroja Ramanujam

Ramayan prayag- Ayodhya kanda 25

Here let us digress a little and see what Tulasi says. 
According to Ramacharithamanas, Bharatha gives three alternatives to Rama.
1. Bharatha and Sathrugna will remain exile in his place and Rama can return to Ayodhya and accept the kingdom.
2. If Rama refuses then send Lakshmana and Sathrugna to Ayodhya and let them look after the kindom while Bharatha will remain in forest with Rama. 
3. Let all the three brother sremain in forest while Rama goes to Ayodhya with Seetha.
In Ramacharitha manas King Janaka with his queens and retinue comes to the forest and is pained to see the plight of Rama and Seetha and also of Bharatha. Tulasi, the bahktha raises the doubt whether it is proper for Janaka who was known as a rajarshi to be feeling like this and gives the answer that the devotion to Rama is the highest sign of renunciation and it was bhakthi and mot attachment that moved Janaka.

At this Juncture says Thulasi, the devas were anxious that Rama may grant the boon to Bharatha and return to Ayodhya and Raavan vadha may not happen. So they approached sarsvathi and told her to change the mind of Bharatha. Sarasvathi, disgusted with the selfishness of the devas, said to Indra,

mo sana kahaahu bharha mathi beru lochana sahasa na soojaa sumeru
bidhi hari har maayaa badi bhaaree so u na bharth mathi sakayi nihaari
chandhni karaka chandakar chori

" You ask me to alter Bharath's mind? Having thousand eyes you cannot see Mount Meru? Even the maya of Bramha , Vishnu and Siva though great cannot alter the mib nd of Bharatha. Can the moon steal away the Sun?"

Rama told him to give up his resolve and
return to Ayodhya when Bharatha looked at the people around and
asked them why were they not joining with him to plead with Rama.
They all replied as one man that they knew Rama and he would not
swerve from his decision which he had taken according to dharma.
Rama told Bharatha thet they were right and told him to give up his
resolution and return to Ayodhya.

Then obeying Rama Bharatha got up and proclaimed that he never
asked his father for the kingdom nor advised his mother to do so nor
approved what she had done. Hence if one of them should remain in
the forest he would take Rama's place and stay there for fourteen
years while Rama could return to Ayodhya and become the king.

But
Rama said that he could not accede to the idea of Bharatha being the
substitute and said that he would remain in the forest for fourteen
years and then would come back and accept the kingdom.
The great sages and celestials who were present there invisible in the
air felt delighted to see the nobility of both the brothers and
considered themselves fortunate to witness the scene.

Then desirous
of the speedy destruction of Ravana and other demons, they came to
Bharatha and spoke to him. They praised Bharatha for his nobility and
great repute and told him that out of reverence for his departed father
he should accept the words of Rama, who was fulfilling the promise of
Dasaratha to Kaikeyi to make Dasaratha truthful and go to heaven.

Bharatha again tried to persuade Rama saying that he was incapable
of ruling the kingdom to which Rama assured him that he was fit
enough and asked him to return to Ayodhya and govern the kingdom.

Finally Bharatha asked Rama to step on the sandals embellished with
gold and said that the sandals would reign the kingdom in Rama's
place and he would serve them wearing matted locks and bark
garment till Rama returned after fourteen years and if Rama did not
return on the day when the fourteen years ended he would enter the
fire.
Bharatha put the sandals on his head and ascended the chariot with
Sathrughna. He met Bharadhvaja on his way back again and the sage
hearing what had happened extolled the virtue of Bharatha and
blessed him.

Let us see how Kamban describes this.

அடித்தலம் இரண்டையும், அழுத கண்ணினான்,
'முடித்தலம் இவை ' என முறையின் சூடினான்;
படித்தலத்து இறைஞ்சினன் , பரதன் போயினான்- 
பொடித்தலம் இலங்குறு பொலம் கொள் மேனியான்

His body smeared with mud , Bharatha, with tearful eyes, placed the padukas on his head and went after falling down at the feet of Rama.

Then Bharatha with his retinue reached Ayodhya.
Bharatha noticed that the city had lost its lustre as the star Rohini
when the Moon her master was grasped by Rahu and after leaving the
queens and others there, he said that he would not come back to
Ayodhya till Rama came and would settle down in Nandhigrama.

Vasishta praised him for his resolve and blessed him and Bharatha
crowned the wooden sandals embellished with gold on the throne
there and lived here as a servant of the throne. Whenever any thing
transpired in the kingdom Bharatha used to report to the sandals and
then only take action as it were the command of Rama.

There would have been some doubt that if Rama had given away his
sandals how could he walk in the forest. But Bharatha asked Rama to
step on the wooden sandals encrusted in gold. So he must have
brought them with him with a plan to crown them as the substitute for
Rama in case Rama refused to come back, because Bharatha knew
Rama as well as Rama Knew Bharatha.

Thus Bharatha was doing
penance for fourteen years to atone what was a sin to him, committed
by his mother for his sake, thus claiming a status no less than Rama
himself by his sacrifice and selfless devotion.

Before finishing Ayodhya kanda we shall see what Adhyathma Ramayan says in this context. In next post we will hear what Kaikeyi told Rama by calling him aside before all of them returned and his reply.