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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.86.18

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 86: Bharadvāja directs Bharata to Citrakūṭa. The Mandākinī and leaf hut identify Rāma’s home, Bharata introduces the Queens and is urged not to blame Kaikeyī

In the sequence: asked to identify them, Bharata introduces Kausalyā and Sumitrā with affection, then bitterly identifies Kaikeyī as the cause of the disaster

2.86.18

tataḥ papraccha bharataṃ bharadvājo dṛḍhavrataḥ
viśeṣaṃ jñātum icchāmi mātṝṇāṃ tava rāghava

Then Bharadvāja, of firm vows, asked Bharata: “I wish to know the particulars of your mothers, O Rāghava.”

Words: tataḥ — then; papraccha — asked; bharataṃ — Bharata; bharadvājo — Bharadvāja; dṛḍhavrataḥ — of firm vows; viśeṣaṃ — the distinction, particulars; jñātum — to know; icchāmi — I wish; mātṝṇāṃ — of the mothers; tava — your; rāghava — O Rāghava

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.