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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.12.4

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: When spring returns after a full year, Daśaratha asks Vasiṣṭha to take charge of completing the sacrifice without obstruction

1.12.4

voḍhavyo bhavatā caiva bhāro yajñasya codyataḥ
tatheti ca sa rājānam abravīd dvijasattamaḥ

And the burden of the sacrifice, once undertaken, must be borne by you.” “So be it,” said that best of brahmins to the king.

Words: voḍhavyo — to be borne; bhavatā — by you; caiva — and; bhāro — the burden; yajñasya — of the sacrifice; codyataḥ — and undertaken; tatheti — ‘so be it’; ca — and; sa — that; rājānam — to the king; abravīd — said; dvijasattamaḥ — the best of brahmins

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki. 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.