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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.26.7
Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 26: Sītā’s foretold forest life. She recalls predictions heard in her parents’ home and refuses separation despite Rāma’s hesitation
In the sequence: she recalls brāhmaṇas at her father's house predicting that she would live in a forest
2.26.7
lakṣaṇibhyo dvijātibhyaḥ śrutvāhaṃ vacanaṃ gṛhe
vanavāsakṛtotsāhā nityam eva mahābala
O mighty one, having heard in my home the word of brahmins skilled in reading marks, I have always been eager for a life in the forest.
Words: lakṣaṇibhyo — from those versed in marks; dvijātibhyaḥ — from the twice-born; śrutvāhaṃ — having heard, I; vacanaṃ — the word; gṛhe — in the house; vanavāsakṛtotsāhā — eager for forest-dwelling; nityam eva — always indeed; mahābala — O mighty one
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.