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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.12.13

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

1.12.13

na cāvajñā prayoktavyā kāmakrodhavaśād api
yajñakarmasu ye 'vyagrāḥ puruṣāḥ śilpinas tathā

And no contempt is to be shown, even under the sway of desire or anger. And those men who are diligent in the sacrificial works, and the artisans likewise —

Words: na — not; cāvajñā — and contempt; prayoktavyā — to be shown, employed; kāmakrodhavaśād — through the sway of desire or anger; api — even; yajñakarmasu — in the sacrificial works; ye — who; 'vyagrāḥ — diligent, attentive; puruṣāḥ — men; śilpinas — the artisans; tathā — likewise

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.