← 1.13.2 · Bāla Kāṇḍa 13: Aśvamedha yajña: The horse’s return and completion of the rites · 1.13.4 →
Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.13.3
Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 13: Aśvamedha yajña: The horse’s return and completion of the rites. The returning horse is sacrificed with prescribed posts, a Garuḍa-shaped altar and continual hospitality, Daśaratha rewards the priests and requests the rite for sons
In the sequence: The account resumes the sacrifice with the horse's return after its year abroad → on the northern Sarayū bank, the ṛtvijs led by Ṛṣyaśṛṅga conduct the pravargya and upasad rites, the prātaḥsavana (morning Soma pressing), and the prescribed offerings without omission
1.13.3
karma kurvanti vidhivad yājakā vedapāragāḥ
yathāvidhi yathānyāyaṃ parikrāmanti śāstrataḥ
The officiating priests, masters of the Vedas, performed the rite duly; according to rule and propriety they moved about (in the ritual) as scripture directs.
Words: karma — the rite; kurvanti — perform; vidhivad — duly; yājakā — the officiating priests; vedapāragāḥ — masters of the Vedas; yathāvidhi — according to rule; yathānyāyaṃ — according to propriety; parikrāmanti — move about, circumambulate; śāstrataḥ — according to scripture
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.