Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 105: Rāma Consoles Bharata With Spiritual Instructions
Text 2.105.6
गतिं खर इवाश्वस्य तार्क्ष्यस्येव पतत्रिणः।
अनुगन्तुं न शक्तिर्मे गतिं तव महीपते॥
gatiṁ khara ivāśvasya tārkṣyasyeva patatriṇaḥ
anugantuṁ na śaktir me gatiṁ tava mahī-pate
gatim = speed; kharaḥ = a donkey [does not have the capacity to keep up]; iva = just as; aśvasya = horse’s; tārkṣyasya iva = with Garuḍa’s [speed]; patatriṇaḥ = or an ordinary bird; anugantum = to keep up; na = don’t have; śaktiḥ = the capacity; me = I; gatim tava = with Your speed; mahī-pate = O Lord of the earth.
O Lord of the earth, I don’t have the capacity to keep up with Your speed just as a donkey [does not have the capacity to keep up] with the horse’s speed or an ordinary bird with Garuḍa’s [speed].
He then anticipated that Rāma might say, “If You don’t have the capacity, let someone else protect the kingdom” and spoke the next verse.