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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.23.26

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 tells her to continue worship and fasting, honor Daśaratha and all his Queens, and especially comfort Kausalyā

2.23.26

yāte ca mayi kalyāṇi vanaṃ muniniṣevitam
vratopavāsaratayā bhavitavyaṃ tvayānaghe

And when I have gone, dear one, to the forest frequented by sages, you, O sinless one, must give yourself to vows and fasting.

Words: yāte ca mayi — and when I have gone; kalyāṇi — O blessed one; vanaṃ — to the forest; muniniṣevitam — frequented by sages; vratopavāsaratayā — by devotion to vows and fasting; bhavitavyaṃ — it must be; tvayānaghe — by you, O sinless one

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.