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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.98.6

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 argues that if the Kingdom was given to him, he can now give it to Rāma → he says the responsibility is too great for him and compares the Kingdom to a breached embankment that only Rāma can repair

2.98.6

gatiṃ khara ivāśvasya tārkṣyasyeva patatriṇaḥ
anugantuṃ na śaktir me gatiṃ tava mahīpate

As a donkey cannot match the pace of a horse, or a common bird the flight of Tārkṣya (Garuḍa), so I have no power to follow your course, O lord of the earth.

Words: gatiṃ — the pace, gait; khara — like a donkey; ivāśvasya — as (the pace) of a horse; tārkṣyasyeva — as of Tārkṣya (Garuḍa); patatriṇaḥ — (for) a bird; anugantuṃ — to follow; na śaktir me — I have no power; gatiṃ tava — your course; mahīpate — O lord of the earth

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.