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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.23.12

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 23: Rāma asks Sītā to remain in Ayodhyā. Rāma reveals the exile and asks Sītā to respect Bharata’s authority, honour the Queens and care for his grieving parents

In the sequence: she asks why he has returned without the parasol, fans, ceremonial escort, auspicious rites, and other signs she expected

2.23.12

na te kṣaudraṃ ca dadhi ca brāhmaṇā vedapāragāḥ
mūrdhni mūrdhāvasiktasya dadhati sma vidhānataḥ

The brahmins versed to the far shore of the Vedas are not, as prescribed, placing honey and curds upon your head, you the anointed one.

Words: na — not; te — your; kṣaudraṃ ca — and honey; dadhi ca — and curds; brāhmaṇā — the brahmins; vedapāragāḥ — versed to the end of the Vedas; mūrdhni — on the head; mūrdhāvasiktasya — of the consecrated one; dadhati sma — they place; vidhānataḥ — according to prescription

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.