Canto 2: Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa ()Chapter 111: Rāma Agrees to Accept the Throne After Returning to AyodhyāText 2.111.23
Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 111: Rāma Agrees to Accept the Throne After Returning to Ayodhyā
Text 2.111.23
एतच्चैवोभयं श्रुत्वा सम्यक्संपश्य राघव।
उत्तिष्ठ त्वं महाबाहो मां च स्पृश तथोदकम्॥
etac caivobhayaṁ śrutvā samyak sampaśya rāghava
uttiṣṭha tvaṁ mahā-bāho māṁ ca spṛśa tathodakam
etat ca eva ubhayam = both [Me and the people here]; śrutvā = having heard; samyak = carefully; sampaśya = think over what to do; rāghava = O descendant of Raghu; uttiṣṭha tvam = get up; mahā-bāho = O mighty-armed; mām ca = then touch Me; spṛśa = touch; tathā = and; udakam = water.
“O descendant of Raghu, having heard both [Me and the people here], think over what to do carefully. O mighty-armed, get up. Touch water and then touch Me.”
Rāma wanted Bharata to touch water and touch Him as an atonement for having protested thus, [a means of protest] that is not prescribed for the kṣatriyas. Even in the presence of Vasiṣṭha and others Rāma instructed Bharata to do so to make Him promise that He would not repeat it.