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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.12.12

Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 12: Aśvamedha yajña: Construction, invitations and hospitality. Vasiṣṭha organizes construction, food and lodging, Sumantra invites the guests and Daśaratha enters the enclosure to begin the rites

In the sequence: everyone must receive food respectfully, regardless of social order → workers and artisans must also be honored, and no one is to be treated with contempt or neglect. The workers agree

1.12.12

dātavyam annaṃ vidhivat satkṛtya na tu līlayā
sarvavarṇā yathā pūjāṃ prāpnuvanti susatkṛtāḥ

Food is to be given duly and with respect, not carelessly, so that all the castes, well treated, receive due honour.

Words: dātavyam — to be given; annaṃ — food; vidhivat — duly, according to rule; satkṛtya — with respect, honouring; na — not; tu — but; līlayā — carelessly, casually; sarvavarṇā — all the castes; yathā — so that; pūjāṃ — honour, regard; prāpnuvanti — they obtain; susatkṛtāḥ — well treated

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.