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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.98.40

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 98: Bharata’s appeal and Rāma’s answer. Bharata asks him to restore the Kingdom, Rāma teaches the inevitability of loss, separation and death

In the sequence: Bharata admires Rāma's steadiness but argues that a good son should correct a father's harmful decision → he rejects Kaikeyī's action and asks Rāma to rescue the family and people from its consequences

2.98.40

evam uktvā tu virate rāme vacanam arthavat
uvāca bharataś citraṃ dhārmiko dhārmikaṃ vacaḥ

When Rāma, having spoken thus, had ceased his meaningful words, the righteous Bharata spoke a remarkable and righteous speech.

Words: evam uktvā tu — and having spoken thus; virate rāme — when Rāma had ceased; vacanam arthavat — the meaningful speech; uvāca — said; bharataś — Bharata; citraṃ — remarkable, striking; dhārmiko — the righteous one; dhārmikaṃ vacaḥ — righteous words

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.