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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.76.12
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: he publicly rejects his mother's scheme and identifies Rāma alone as the rightful ruler
2.76.12
jyeṣṭhaḥ śreṣṭhaś ca dharmātmā dilīpanahuṣopamaḥ
labdhum arhati kākutstho rājyaṃ daśaratho yathā
The Kākutstha (Rāma) — eldest and best, righteous of soul, the peer of Dilīpa and Nahuṣa — deserves to obtain the kingdom, just as Daśaratha did.
Words: jyeṣṭhaḥ — the eldest; śreṣṭhaś ca — and the best; dharmātmā — righteous of soul; dilīpanahuṣopamaḥ — the peer of Dilīpa and Nahuṣa; labdhum — to obtain; arhati — deserves; kākutstho — the Kākutstha (Rāma); rājyaṃ — the kingdom; daśaratho yathā — just as Daśaratha
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.