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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.13.32

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 distinguishes the reed prescribed for the Aśvamedha from the plakṣa branches used in other sacrifices

1.13.32

plakṣaśākhāsu yajñānām anyeṣāṃ kriyate haviḥ
aśvamedhasya caikasya vaitaso bhāga iṣyate

In other sacrifices the oblation is made on branches of the plakṣa tree; but for the aśvamedha alone a portion of reed is prescribed.

Words: plakṣaśākhāsu — on branches of the plakṣa tree; yajñānām — of the sacrifices; anyeṣāṃ — of others; kriyate — is made; haviḥ — the oblation; aśvamedhasya — of the horse-sacrifice; caikasya — and of the one alone; vaitaso — made of reed; bhāga — portion; iṣyate — is prescribed, desired

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.