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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.98.58

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: he says ruling and maintaining a household are appropriate duties for Rāma at this stage of life → he asks Vasiṣṭha to install Rāma there in the forest and offers once again to stay if Rāma will not return → Rāma remains firm, while the gathering joins Bharata's appeal.

2.98.58

caturṇām āśramāṇāṃ hi gārhasthyaṃ śreṣṭham āśramam
āhur dharmajña dharmajñās taṃ kathaṃ tyaktum arhasi

Of the four stages of life the knowers of dharma call householdership the best, O knower of dharma; how then can you forsake it?

Words: caturṇām āśramāṇāṃ hi — of the four stages of life; gārhasthyaṃ — householdership; śreṣṭham āśramam — the best stage; āhur — they call; dharmajña — O knower of dharma; dharmajñās — the knowers of dharma; taṃ — it; kathaṃ tyaktum arhasi — how can you forsake

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.