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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.23.31

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 asks her to regard Lakṣmaṇa and Śatrughna as a brother and a son, and to conduct herself without giving offense to Bharata.

2.23.31

vipriyaṃ na ca kartavyaṃ bharatasya kadā cana
sa hi rājā prabhuś caiva deśasya ca kulasya ca

And nothing displeasing to Bharata should ever be done; for he is the king, and the lord both of the country and of the family.

Words: vipriyaṃ — anything displeasing; na ca kartavyaṃ — and should not be done; bharatasya — to Bharata; kadā cana — ever; sa hi rājā — for he is king; prabhuś caiva — and the lord; deśasya ca — of the country; kulasya ca — and of the family

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.