← 1.14.16 · Bāla Kāṇḍa 14: Putrakāmeṣṭi and Viṣṇu’s promised human birth · 1.14.18 →

Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.14.17

Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 14: Putrakāmeṣṭi and Viṣṇu’s promised human birth. Ṛṣyaśṛṅga begins the putrīyā iṣṭi, the Devas ask Viṣṇu to take human birth because Rāvaṇa’s protection excludes humans

In the sequence: Viṣṇu arrives → the Suras ask him to divide himself fourfold and become sons through Daśaratha's three wives → in human form he must kill Rāvaṇa and free the worlds and tapasvins from fear.

1.14.17

tam abruvan surāḥ sarve samabhiṣṭūya saṃnatāḥ
tvāṃ niyokṣyāmahe viṣṇo lokānāṃ hitakāmyayā

All the gods, bowing low, praised him and said: “We shall appoint you to a task, O Viṣṇu, out of desire for the good of the worlds.

Words: tam — him; abruvan — said; surāḥ — the gods; sarve — all; samabhiṣṭūya — having praised; saṃnatāḥ — bowing low, humble; tvāṃ — you; niyokṣyāmahe — we shall appoint, engage; viṣṇo — O Viṣṇu; lokānāṃ — of the worlds; hitakāmyayā — out of desire for the good

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.