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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.42.14

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 42: The citizens return to Ayodhyā without Rāma. Families reproach the men for returning without Rāma and imagine abandoning Kaikeyī’s Kingdom to join him

In the sequence: some urge another attempt to follow, proposing that the men serve Rāma and the women attend Sītā

2.42.14

purā bhavati no dūrād anugacchāma rāghavam
pādacchāyā sukhā bhartus tādṛśasya mahātmanaḥ
sa hi nātho janasyāsya sa gatiḥ sa parāyaṇam

Before he goes far from us, let us follow Rāghava; sweet is the shade at the feet of such a great-souled master; for he is the protector of this people, he their recourse, he their final refuge.

Words: purā — before, while yet; bhavati — (he) is; no — from us; dūrād — far; anugacchāma — let us follow; rāghavam — Rāghava; pādacchāyā — the shade of the feet; sukhā — pleasant, sweet; bhartus — of the master; tādṛśasya — of such a one; mahātmanaḥ — great-souled; sa — he; hi — for, indeed; nātho — protector, lord; janasyāsya — of this people; sa — he; gatiḥ — recourse, refuge; sa — he; parāyaṇam — final refuge

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.