Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 30: Rāma Allows Sītā to Follow Him to the Forest
Text 2.30.9
यस्य पथ्यं च रामात्थ यस्य चार्थेऽवरुध्यसे।
त्वं तस्य भव वश्यश्च विधेयश्च सदानघ॥
yasya pathyaṁ ca rāmāttha yasya cārthe ’varudhyase
tvaṁ tasya bhava vaśyaś ca vidheyaś ca sadānagha
yasya = whose; pathyam = good; rāma = Rāma; āttha = talk about; yasya = whose; ca = and; arthe = for sake; avarudhyase = You restrain [Me]; tvam = You; tasya = of that person; bhava = become; vaśyaḥ ca = submissive; vidheyaḥ ca = servant; sadā = a constantly; anagha = sinless.
Sinless Rāma, become a constantly submissive servant of that person whose good You talk about and for whose sake You restrain [Me].
She implies, “But I will simply follow You [to the forest in any case].”
“That person” can refer to Rāma’s mother [Kaikeyī].
“That person” can also refer to Sītā-devī herself, in which case the meaning of this verse will be, “O sinless Rāma, You should constantly listen to me, whose good You talk about and for whose sake You restrain [Me from following You to the forest].” In other words, she tells Him, “Now You listen to me.”
Furthermore, “that person” can also refer to Bharata in which case this verse will mean, “O sinless Rāma, do whatever is desired by Bharata and become a constant servant of Bharata, whose good You talk about and for whose sake You have been restrained.” Rāma wants Bharata to be coronated. [The implication here is also, “But I am anyway accompanying You to the forest.”]