Bharata

Rama, our eldest brother, shall be the lord of the earth. [...] Let a great army be marshalled, complete with four divisions; for I myself will bring my eldest brother Rama back from the forest.

— "Ayodha" 73.5-73.10

Queen Kaikeyi's son had no involvement with her plot to make him king. In fact, he was not even in Ayodhya when Kaikeyi and her maidservant, Manthara, broke King Dasaratha's heart by tricking him into banishing Rama. As soon as he returns to Ayodha and realizes what has happened, Bharata immediately wants to rescind the crown. This strong moral stance is remarkable, given how much he stands to gain by quietly going along with the immoral scheme.

Bharata searches for Rama in the forest in a genuine attempt to give him the crown. However, Rama refuses to accept. Despite the circumstances, he is determined to honor his father's commands. Rama assures Bharata that he will be a fine king, and even encourages him to forgive Kaikeyi for her underhanded scheme. The two brothers come to an agreement that Bharata will serve as regent in the fourteen years that Rama is away. Rama gives Bharata a pair of golden slippers as a symbol of this decision, and Bharata chooses to live as an ascetic away from the palace until Rama returns in fourteen years.

In this image, blue-skinned Rama is shown with his three brothers. The light-skinned twins, Lakshmana and Shatrughna, sit on either side of him, while orange-skinned Bharata sits smiling behind the great hero.

Gurvich, Martin. “Living Traditions in Indian Art.” Ahmedabad, India: Museum of Sacred Art in association with Mapin Pub., 2010.