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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.52.21

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 52: Sumantra reports the farewells. Rāma asks Bharata to care for the family, Lakṣmaṇa condemns the banishment and Sītā stands silently in tears

In the sequence: he then reports Lakṣmaṇa's angry questions: what offense justified the banishment, and how could the King expect the people's affection after treating Rāma this way? → Lakṣmaṇa said he now regarded Rāma as his father and protector

2.52.21

ahaṃ tāvan mahārāje pitṛtvaṃ nopalakṣaye
bhrātā bhartā ca bandhuś ca pitā ca mama rāghavaḥ

'For my part, I no longer recognize any fatherhood in the great king; to me Rāghava is brother, master, kinsman, and father.'

Words: ahaṃ — I; tāvan — for my part, indeed; mahārāje — in the great king; pitṛtvaṃ — fatherhood; nopalakṣaye — I do not recognize; bhrātā — brother; bhartā — master, supporter; ca — and; bandhuś — kinsman; ca — and; pitā — father; ca — and; mama — my; rāghavaḥ — Rāghava

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.