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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.18.15
Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 18: Viśvāmitra’s request: Rāma’s protection of the sacrifice. Viśvāmitra asks for Rāma to protect his sacrifice from Mārīca & Subāhu, promising the prince’s safety and advancement
In the sequence: with the advisers' agreement, Daśaratha should release his son for the sacrifice's ten nights and not let the appointed time pass
1.18.15
yadi te dharmalābhaṃ ca yaśaś ca paramaṃ bhuvi
sthiram icchasi rājendra rāmaṃ me dātum arhasi
If you desire the gaining of dharma and the highest, lasting fame on earth, O king of kings, you should give me Rāma.
Words: yadi — if; te — for you; dharmalābhaṃ — the gaining of dharma; ca — and; yaśaś — fame; ca — and; paramaṃ — highest; bhuvi — on earth; sthiram — lasting, firm; icchasi — you desire; rājendra — O king of kings; rāmaṃ — Rāma; me — to me; dātum — to give; arhasi — you should
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.