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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.51.27

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 51: Sumantra returns to Ayodhyā. Citizens surround the empty chariot, news of Rāma’s crossing renews their grief and Daśaratha collapses on receiving his message

In the sequence: Kausalyā and Sumitrā lift him → Kausalyā urges him to question the messenger freely, then is herself overcome.

2.51.27

deva yasyā bhayād rāmaṃ nānupṛcchasi sārathim
neha tiṣṭhati kaikeyī viśrabdhaṃ pratibhāṣyatām

'O king, Kaikeyī, for fear of whom you do not ask the charioteer about Rāma, is not here; let him be questioned freely.'

Words: deva — O lord, O king; yasyā — of whom (fem.); bhayād — for fear; rāmaṃ — about Rāma; nānupṛcchasi — you do not ask; sārathim — the charioteer; neha — not here; tiṣṭhati — stands, is present; kaikeyī — Kaikeyī; viśrabdhaṃ — confidently, freely; pratibhāṣyatām — let him be addressed, let it be answered

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.