← 1.16.1 · Bāla Kāṇḍa 16: The Devas beget Rāma’s future allies · 1.16.3 →

Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.16.2

Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 16: The Devas beget Rāma’s future allies. Brahmā directs the Devas to beget powerful helpers, their monkey-shaped sons inherit divine qualities and gather around Vālin & Sugrīva

In the sequence: With Viṣṇu's human birth arranged, Brahmā orders the devatās to create powerful helpers: shape-changing, swift, intelligent warriors skilled in strategy and weapons

1.16.2

satyasaṃdhasya vīrasya sarveṣāṃ no hitaiṣiṇaḥ
viṣṇoḥ sahāyān balinaḥ sṛjadhvaṃ kāmarūpiṇaḥ

“For Viṣṇu — true to his word, heroic, wisher of good to us all — create mighty helpers who can take any form at will:

Words: satyasaṃdhasya — of him true to his word; vīrasya — of the hero; sarveṣāṃ — of all; no — to us; hitaiṣiṇaḥ — of the well-wisher; viṣṇoḥ — of Viṣṇu; sahāyān — helpers, companions; balinaḥ — mighty, strong; sṛjadhvaṃ — create, beget; kāmarūpiṇaḥ — able to take any form at will

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.