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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.40.9

Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 40: Story of Sagara: Aṃśumat retrieves the horse. Aṃśumat recovers the horse and finds his uncles’ ashes, Garuḍa says only Gaṅgā can redeem them, Sagara completes the sacrifice but cannot bring her down

In the sequence: Aṃśumat follows the excavated passage → he respectfully questions the elephants of the quarters, who encourage him and predict success

1.40.9

diśāgajas tu tac chrutvā prītyāhāṃśumato vacaḥ
āsamañjakṛtārthas tvaṃ sahāśvaḥ śīghram eṣyasi

But the quarter-elephant, hearing that, out of affection spoke words to Aṃśumat: “O son of Asamañja, you will swiftly return, your object accomplished, together with the horse.”

Words: diśāgajas — the quarter-elephant; tu — but; tac — that; chrutvā — having heard; prītyāhāṃśumato — out of affection spoke (to) Aṃśumat; vacaḥ — words; āsamañjakṛtārthas — O son of Asamañja, your object accomplished; tvaṃ — you; sahāśvaḥ — together with the horse; śīghram — swiftly; eṣyasi — you will come, return

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki. 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.