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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.12.28

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: the workers report their preparations, and Vasiṣṭha repeats the obligation to give without contempt

1.12.28

tataḥ prīto dvijaśreṣṭhas tān sarvān punar abravīt
avajñayā na dātavyaṃ kasya cil līlayāpi vā
avajñayā kṛtaṃ hanyād dātāraṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ

Then, pleased, the best of brahmins spoke to them all again: “Nothing is to be given to anyone with contempt, or even carelessly; a thing done with contempt would destroy the giver — of this there is no doubt.”

Words: tataḥ — then; prīto — pleased; dvijaśreṣṭhas — the best of brahmins; tān — them; sarvān — all; punar — again; abravīt — spoke; avajñayā — with contempt; na — not; dātavyaṃ — to be given; kasya cil — to anyone; līlayāpi — or even carelessly; vā — or; avajñayā — with contempt; kṛtaṃ — a thing done; hanyād — would destroy; dātāraṃ — the giver; nātra — not in this; saṃśayaḥ — doubt

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.