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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.23.20

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: he explains the two boons, Bharata's succession, and his own fourteen-year exile

2.23.20

rājñā satyapratijñena pitrā daśarathena me
kaikeyyai prītamanasā purā dattau mahāvarau

By my father King Daśaratha, true to his word, two great boons were formerly given to Kaikeyī, his heart well pleased.

Words: rājñā — by the king; satyapratijñena — true to his promise; pitrā — by the father; daśarathena — by Daśaratha; me — my; kaikeyyai — to Kaikeyī; prītamanasā — with pleased mind; purā — formerly; dattau — two given; mahāvarau — two great boons

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.