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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.36.4

Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 36: Story of Gaṅgā & Umā: Kārttikeya’s birth and six nurses. Gaṅgā releases Agni’s unbearable embryo onto the mountain, its radiance produces minerals and six Kṛttikās nurse the child who becomes the Devas’ commander

In the sequence: While Śiva is away at his penance with Umā, the Suras, needing a war commander, approach Brahmā

1.36.4

yad atrānantaraṃ kāryaṃ lokānāṃ hitakāmyayā
saṃvidhatsva vidhānajña tvaṃ hi naḥ paramā gatiḥ

Whatever thereupon must be done for the welfare of the worlds, arrange it, O knower of ordinances; for you are our supreme recourse.”

Words: yad — whatever; atrānantaraṃ — next after this, thereupon; kāryaṃ — to be done, the task; lokānāṃ — of the worlds; hitakāmyayā — out of desire for (their) welfare; saṃvidhatsva — arrange, ordain; vidhānajña — O knower of ordinances; tvaṃ — you; hi — for, indeed; naḥ — our; paramā — supreme; gatiḥ — recourse, refuge, goal

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.