Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 97: Rāma Instructs Lakṣmaṇa
Text 2.97.18
उच्यमानोऽपि भरतो मया लक्ष्मण तत्त्वतः।
राज्यमस्मै प्रयच्छेति बाढमित्येव वक्ष्यति॥
ucyamāno ’pi bharato mayā lakṣmaṇa tattvataḥ
rājyam asmai prayaccheti bāḍham ity eva vakṣyati
ucyamānaḥ api bharataḥ mayā = even when I tell Bharata; lakṣmaṇa = Lakṣmaṇa; tattvataḥ = actually; rājyam = the kingdom; asmai = to Lakṣmaṇa; prayaccha iti = give; bāḍham iti = alright; eva vakṣyati = He will certainly say.
Lakṣmaṇa, even when I actually tell Bharata, “Give the kingdom to Lakṣmaṇa,” He will certainly say, “Alright.”
“Even” here refers to the scenario where Rāma speaks thus to Bharata against His will. “Alright” means “I will give [it to Lakṣmaṇa].” And this is what Bharata would certainly say, that is, He would not go back on His word.