Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 21: Rāma Consoles Kausalyā and Lakṣmaṇa
Text 2.21.31
नास्ति शक्तिः पितुर्वाक्यं समतिक्रमितुं मम।
प्रसादये त्वां शिरसा गन्तुमिच्छाम्यहं वनम्।।
nāsti śaktiḥ pitur vākyaṁ samatikramituṁ mama
prasādaye tvāṁ śirasā gantum icchāmy ahaṁ vanam
na asti śaktiḥ = incapable of; pituḥ = My father’s; vākyam = instruction; samatikramitum = transgressing; mama = I am; prasādaye = I offer My obeisances to please you; tvām = unto you; śirasā = with My head [on the ground]; gantum = to go; icchāmi = want; aham = I; vanam = to the forest.
I am incapable of transgressing My father’s instruction. I offer My obeisances unto you with My head [on the ground] to please you. I want to go to the forest.
Rāma was not eager to transgress His father’s instructions, [despite the counter-instructions of His mother Kausalyā,] because His father’s instruction was prior His mother’s instruction.
He then anticipated that His mother would ask Him, “How is it that You do that which brings about my agony?” Considering that, He spoke the next verse.