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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.34.27

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 34: Farewell to the Queens. Daśaratha orders the chariot and supplies for Sītā, Kausalyā counsels her and Rāma takes leave of his father’s wives

In the sequence: Sītā assures her that she understands her commitment and will not abandon it in adversity → Kausalyā weeps with both sorrow and relief

2.34.27

sāham evaṃgatā śreṣṭhā śrutadharmaparāvarā
ārye kim avamanyeyaṃ strīṇāṃ bhartā hi daivatam

So I, being of such a nature, excellent, and versed in dharma both high and low — O noble lady, how could I slight him? For to women the husband is a god.”

Words: sāham — so I; evaṃgatā — being in such a state; śreṣṭhā — excellent, best; śrutadharmaparāvarā — who has heard dharma high and low; ārye — O noble lady; kim — how, why; avamanyeyaṃ — could I slight; strīṇāṃ — for women; bhartā — the husband; hi — indeed; daivatam — a god

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.