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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.32.16

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 32: Kaikeyī opposes Rāma’s escort. Daśaratha offers troops and supplies, Kaikeyī cites Asamañja’s exile, Siddhārtha distinguishes Rāma’s innocence

In the sequence: the minister Siddhārtha explains that Asamañja used to throw children into the Sarayū and was expelled after their parents protested → he asks what comparable offense Rāma has committed

2.32.16

taṃ dṛṣṭvā nāgaraḥ sarve kruddhā rājānam abruvan
asamañjaṃ vṛṣīṇvaikam asmān vā rāṣṭravardhana

Seeing him, all the citizens, enraged, said to the king: “Choose either Asamañja alone, or us, O enlarger of the realm!”

Words: taṃ — him; dṛṣṭvā — having seen; nāgaraḥ — the citizens, townsfolk; sarve — all; kruddhā — enraged; rājānam — to the king; abruvan — said; asamañjaṃ — Asamañja; vṛṣīṇvaikam — choose one!; asmān — us; vā — or; rāṣṭravardhana — O enlarger of the realm

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.