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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.103.20

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 103: Bharata attempts a fast. He spreads grass and refuses to leave, then offers to serve the exile himself, Rāma rejects substitution and promises to rule after fourteen years

In the sequence: Bharata appeals to the people, but they now acknowledge that Rāma's commitment to his father's word cannot readily be overturned

2.103.20

te tam ūcur mahātmānaṃ paurajānapadā janāḥ
kākutstham abhijānīmaḥ samyag vadati rāghavaḥ

The town and country folk said to that great-souled one: “We acknowledge Kākutstha's stand — Rāghava speaks rightly.

Words: te — they; tam — to him; ūcur — said; mahātmānaṃ — the great-souled; paurajānapadā — town and country (folk); janāḥ — people; kākutstham — Kākutstha; abhijānīmaḥ — we acknowledge; samyag — rightly; vadati — speaks; rāghavaḥ — Rāghava

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.