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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.73.7
Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 73: Bharata’s plan to restore Rāma. He refuses the prepared abhiṣeka, orders its materials taken to the forest and commissions a road for the expedition
In the sequence: he respectfully walks around the ceremonial vessels but refuses: in their family the eldest should rule
2.73.7
jyeṣṭhasya rājatā nityam ucitā hi kulasya naḥ
naivaṃ bhavanto māṃ vaktum arhanti kuśalā janāḥ
Kingship is always the right of the eldest in our family; so you good people ought not to speak to me thus.
Words: jyeṣṭhasya — of the eldest; rājatā — kingship; nityam — always; ucitā — fitting, proper; hi — for, indeed; kulasya naḥ — of our family; naivaṃ — not thus; bhavanto — you (honorific pl.); māṃ — to me; vaktum — to speak; arhanti — ought; kuśalā — good, wise; janāḥ — people
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.