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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.103.26

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: he publicly repeats that he never asked for the Kingdom or directed his mother's action, and offers to serve the fourteen years himself

2.103.26

yadi tv avaśyaṃ vastavyaṃ kartavyaṃ ca pitur vacaḥ
aham eva nivatsyāmi caturdaśa vane samāḥ

But if there must necessarily be a forest-dwelling, and the father's word must be fulfilled, then I myself shall dwell in the forest for fourteen years.

Words: yadi — if; tv — but; avaśyaṃ — necessarily; vastavyaṃ — it must be dwelt; kartavyaṃ — must be done; ca — and; pitur — of the father; vacaḥ — word; aham — I; eva — myself; nivatsyāmi — shall dwell; caturdaśa — fourteen; vane — in the forest; samāḥ — years

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. 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.