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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.12.17

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 12: Daśaratha summons Rāma. Kaikeyī insists on the promise, Daśaratha repudiates her & Bharata, Sumantra leaves unaware of the exile

In the sequence: Kaikeyī directs Sumantra to fetch Rāma → Sumantra sees the King's distress but does not understand its cause; he leaves believing the summons concerns the abhiṣeka.

2.12.17

iti rājño vacaḥ śrutvā kaikeyī tadanantaram
svayam evābravīt sūtaṃ gaccha tvaṃ rāmam ānaya

Hearing the king's words thus, Kaikeyī thereupon said herself to the charioteer: “Go, bring Rāma.”

Words: iti — thus; rājño — of the king; vacaḥ — words, speech; śrutvā — having heard; kaikeyī — Kaikeyī; tadanantaram — immediately after that; svayam — herself; evābravīt — indeed said; sūtaṃ — to the charioteer; gaccha — go; tvaṃ — you; rāmam — Rāma; ānaya — bring

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.