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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.72.20

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 72: Bharata stops Mantharā’s punishment. Śatrughna drags her across the floor, Bharata orders her release to avoid Rāma’s condemnation

In the sequence: he also rebukes Kaikeyī, who runs to Bharata for protection

2.72.20

tāṃ prekṣya bharataḥ kruddhaṃ śatrughnam idam abravīt
avadhyāḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ pramadāḥ kṣamyatām iti

Looking at her, Bharata said this to the enraged Śatrughna: 'Women are not to be slain by any beings; let her be pardoned.'

Words: tāṃ — her; prekṣya — having looked at; bharataḥ — Bharata; kruddhaṃ — the enraged; śatrughnam — Śatrughna; idam — this; abravīt — said; avadhyāḥ — not to be slain; sarvabhūtānāṃ — by any beings; pramadāḥ — women; kṣamyatām — let (her) be pardoned; iti — thus

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.