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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.40.13

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

2.40.13

te dvijās trividhaṃ vṛddhā jñānena vayasaujasā
vayaḥprakampaśiraso dūrād ūcur idaṃ vacaḥ

Those brahmins, aged in three ways — in wisdom, in years, and in vigour — their heads trembling with age, from afar spoke these words:

Words: te — those; dvijās — brahmins, twice-born; trividhaṃ — in threefold manner; vṛddhā — aged, venerable; jñānena — by wisdom; vayasaujasā — by age and vigour; vayaḥprakampaśiraso — their heads trembling with age; dūrād — from afar; ūcur — said; idaṃ — this; vacaḥ — word

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.