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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.82.25

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 82: Bharata examines the grass bed. Traces of Sītā’s gold and silk reveal where she slept, he vows to adopt forest life and offer himself in Rāma’s place

In the sequence: he proposes remaining in the forest with Śatrughna while Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa return to rule → if Rāma refuses, Bharata will follow him rather than return alone.

2.82.25

vasantaṃ bhrātur arthāya śatrughno mānuvatsyati
lakṣmaṇena saha tv āryo ayodhyāṃ pālayiṣyati

Śatrughna will dwell along with me as I abide in the forest for our brother's sake, while the noble Rāma, together with Lakṣmaṇa, shall rule Ayodhyā.

Words: vasantaṃ — (me) dwelling; bhrātur — for the brother; arthāya — for the sake; śatrughno — Śatrughna; mānuvatsyati — will dwell along with me; lakṣmaṇena — with Lakṣmaṇa; saha — together; tv — but; āryo — the noble one; ayodhyāṃ — Ayodhyā; pālayiṣyati — will rule, protect

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.