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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.76.11

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 76: Bharata’s declaration to the assembly. He rejects the throne offered by Vasiṣṭha, declares Rāma the rightful ruler and orders Sumantra to prepare the expedition

In the sequence: Bharata refuses to take the position of his virtuous elder brother, saying that both he and the Kingdom belong to Rāma

2.76.11

kathaṃ daśarathāj jāto bhaved rājyāpahārakaḥ
rājyaṃ cāhaṃ ca rāmasya dharmaṃ vaktum ihārhasi

How could one born of Daśaratha become a usurper of the kingdom? Both the kingdom and I belong to Rāma; you ought here to declare what is right.

Words: kathaṃ — how; daśarathāj — of Daśaratha; jāto — born; bhaved — could become; rājyāpahārakaḥ — a usurper of the kingdom; rājyaṃ — the kingdom; cāhaṃ — and I; ca — and; rāmasya — of Rāma, Rāma's; dharmaṃ — the right, dharma; vaktum — to declare; ihārhasi — you ought here

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.