“No men, by mothers’ guidance led, the footsteps of their fathers tread”

The expression “No men, by mothers' guidance led, The footsteps of their fathers tread” is presented as a proverb about the influence of mothers and the pattern of sons following their fathers. Its force in the passage comes from being contradicted by Bharat’s conduct: the narrator calls him faithful and wise, and says that his life follows the steps of the banished Ráma.

Wording and Form

The saying is framed as a broad claim about what men do, not as an individual judgment. Its two lines set maternal guidance against paternal example, making a compact rule of conduct that the surrounding narrative can test. The passage labels it a proverb of the world, placing it in the register of familiar general wisdom rather than presenting it as a law that must hold in every case.

Narrative Context

The expression follows the account of Bharat continuing to follow Ráma, who is described as a banished ascetic. The contrast is pointed: the proverb predicts a divide between a mother’s guidance and a father’s footsteps, while Bharat’s loyalty to Ráma supplies an immediate counterexample. The passage then names Kaikeyí, turning attention toward the family context in which the proverb is being reconsidered.

Significance

The saying matters here because the narrative does not leave conventional wisdom unquestioned. Bharat’s conduct gives the proverb a specific limit: a generalization about family influence cannot account for his fidelity to Ráma. The brief reversal also characterizes Bharat through action rather than argument; the narrator’s description of him as faithful and wise is borne out by the path he follows.