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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.23.22

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

2.23.22

caturdaśa hi varṣāṇi vastavyaṃ daṇḍake mayā
pitrā me bharataś cāpi yauvarājye niyojitaḥ
so 'haṃ tvām āgato draṣṭuṃ prasthito vijanaṃ vanam

For fourteen years I must dwell in the Daṇḍaka forest; and my father has appointed Bharata to the heir-apparency. So I have come to see you, as I set out for the lonely forest.

Words: caturdaśa hi — for fourteen indeed; varṣāṇi — years; vastavyaṃ — it is to be dwelt; daṇḍake — in the Daṇḍaka; mayā — by me; pitrā me — by my father; bharataś cāpi — and Bharata too; yauvarājye — to the heir-apparency; niyojitaḥ — appointed; so 'haṃ — I therefore; tvām — you; āgato — have come; draṣṭuṃ — to see; prasthito — setting out; vijanaṃ vanam — the lonely 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.