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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.95.22

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 95: Rāma’s offerings for Daśaratha. Hearing of his death, Rāma collapses, then offers Mandākinī water and iṅgudī paste with jujube as his own forest fare

In the sequence: he speaks to Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa about their loss, then asks for the materials for the rites

2.95.22

sītā purastād vrajatu tvam enām abhito vraja
ahaṃ paścād gamiṣyāmi gatir hy eṣā sudāruṇā

“Let Sītā walk in front; you walk on either side of her; I shall go behind — for this is a most grievous path.”

Words: sītā — Sītā; purastād — in front; vrajatu — let her walk; tvam — you; enām — her; abhito — on both sides; vraja — walk; ahaṃ — I; paścād — behind; gamiṣyāmi — I shall go; gatir — the way, path; hy — for; eṣā — this; sudāruṇā — most grievous

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.