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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.20.2

Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 20: Vasiṣṭha’s intervention: The promise and Viśvāmitra’s powers. Viśvāmitra threatens to leave, Vasiṣṭha urges Daśaratha to honour his promise and assures him of the ṛṣi’s power to protect Rāma

In the sequence: Viśvāmitra angrily accuses Daśaratha of breaking his word and disgracing his dynasty → he threatens to depart → the earth trembles and the Suras grow afraid at his anger

1.20.2

pūrvam arthaṃ pratiśrutya pratijñāṃ hātum icchasi
rāgavāṇām ayukto 'yaṃ kulasyāsya viparyayaḥ

Having first promised the matter, you now wish to abandon your pledge; this reversal, unworthy of the Rāghavas, is a disgrace to this line.

Words: pūrvam — first, before; arthaṃ — the matter, thing; pratiśrutya — having promised; pratijñāṃ — the pledge, promise; hātum — to abandon; icchasi — you wish; rāgavāṇām — of the Rāghavas; ayukto — unworthy, improper; 'yaṃ — this; kulasyāsya — of this line; viparyayaḥ — reversal, contradiction

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.