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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.40.18
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: the brāhmaṇas explain that they have brought their sacred fires and the white parasols earned through Vājapeya sacrifices, which they offer to hold over him for shade
2.40.18
gacchantam eva taṃ dṛṣṭvā rāmaṃ saṃbhrāntamānasāḥ
ūcuḥ paramasaṃtaptā rāmaṃ vākyam idaṃ dvijāḥ
Seeing Rāma still walking on, the brahmins, their minds distraught and sorely tormented, spoke to Rāma these words:
Words: gacchantam — going, walking; eva — still, indeed; taṃ — him; dṛṣṭvā — having seen; rāmaṃ — Rāma; saṃbhrāntamānasāḥ — with agitated minds; ūcuḥ — said; paramasaṃtaptā — sorely tormented; rāmaṃ — to Rāma; vākyam — word, speech; idaṃ — this; dvijāḥ — the brahmins
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.