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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.40.12

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 40: The citizens follow to the Tamasā. Rāma asks them to support Bharata, then leaves his chariot to walk beside the elderly brāhmaṇas

In the sequence: his concern only strengthens their determination to stay with him

2.40.12

bāṣpeṇa pihitaṃ dīnaṃ rāmaḥ saumitriṇā saha
cakarṣeva guṇair baddhvā janaṃ punar ivāsanam

Rāma, together with Saumitri, as it were bound with cords of virtue and drew back the wretched people, veiled in tears, as one draws back to a seat.

Words: bāṣpeṇa — with tears; pihitaṃ — covered, veiled; dīnaṃ — wretched, dejected; rāmaḥ — Rāma; saumitriṇā saha — together with Saumitri (Lakṣmaṇa); cakarṣeva — drew, as it were; guṇair — with cords, virtues (double sense); baddhvā — having bound; janaṃ — the people; punar — again, back; ivāsanam — as if to a seat

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.