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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.21.6

Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 21: Departure with Viśvāmitra: Rāma receives Balā & Atibalā. Daśaratha releases Rāma with Lakṣmaṇa, they follow Viśvāmitra along the Sarayū and Rāma receives the protective Balā & Atibalā teachings

In the sequence: Viśvāmitra leads, Rāma follows, and Lakṣmaṇa walks behind → the princes carry bows, quivers, swords, arm guards, and finger protectors

1.21.6

viśvāmitro yayāv agre tato rāmo mahāyaśāḥ
kākapakṣadharo dhanvī taṃ ca saumitrir anvagāt

Viśvāmitra went in front, and behind him the greatly renowned Rāma, wearing the boyish side-locks and bearing a bow; and Saumitri (Lakṣmaṇa) followed him.

Words: viśvāmitro — Viśvāmitra; yayāv — went; agre — in front; tato — then, behind; rāmo — Rāma; mahāyaśāḥ — of great renown; kākapakṣadharo — wearing the boyish side-locks; dhanvī — the bowman; taṃ — him; ca — and; saumitrir — Saumitri (Lakṣmaṇa); anvagāt — followed

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.