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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.72.23
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: Bharata tells him to release Mantharā, saying that Rāma would condemn the killing and refuse to speak to either brother → Śatrughna lets her go, and she takes refuge with Kaikeyī.
2.72.23
bharatasya vacaḥ śrutvā śatrughno lakṣmaṇānujaḥ
nyavartata tato roṣāt tāṃ mumoca ca mantharām
Hearing Bharata's words, Śatrughna, Lakṣmaṇa's younger brother, then desisted from his anger and released Mantharā.
Words: bharatasya — of Bharata; vacaḥ — the words; śrutvā — having heard; śatrughno — Śatrughna; lakṣmaṇānujaḥ — the younger brother of Lakṣmaṇa; nyavartata — desisted, turned back; tato — then; roṣāt — from anger; tāṃ — her; mumoca ca — and released; mantharām — Mantharā
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.