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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.23.4

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: Sītā has been worshipping and waiting for the abhiṣeka, unaware of the reversal

2.23.4

devakāryaṃ sma sā kṛtvā kṛtajñā hṛṣṭacetanā
abhijñā rājadharmāṇāṃ rājaputraṃ pratīkṣate

Having done her worship of the gods, the grateful, glad-hearted woman, well versed in the duties of royalty, awaited the prince.

Words: devakāryaṃ — the worship of the gods; sma — (emphatic particle); sā — she; kṛtvā — having done; kṛtajñā — grateful; hṛṣṭacetanā — glad-hearted; abhijñā — knowing, versed in; rājadharmāṇāṃ — the duties of kings; rājaputraṃ — the prince; pratīkṣate — awaits

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.