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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.16.51

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 16: Rāma accepts fourteen years of exile. Kaikeyī explains the boons, Rāma agrees, asks for Bharata’s return and leaves to speak to Kausalyā & Sītā

In the sequence: Rāma says he values duty above gain and would obey Kaikeyī even without a separate command from his father → he asks only to take leave of Kausalyā and speak to Sītā, and tells Kaikeyī to ensure that Bharata serves their father

2.16.51

yāvan mātaram āpṛcche sītāṃ cānunayāmy aham
tato 'dyaiva gamiṣyāmi daṇḍakānāṃ mahad vanam

“As soon as I have taken leave of my mother and reconciled Sītā, I shall this very day go to the great forest of the Daṇḍakas.”

Words: yāvan — as soon as, until; mātaram — my mother; āpṛcche — I take leave of, ask; sītāṃ — Sītā; cānunayāmy — and I conciliate; aham — I; tato — then; 'dyaiva — this very day; gamiṣyāmi — I shall go; daṇḍakānāṃ — of the Daṇḍakas; mahad — great; vanam — forest

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.