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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.47.6

Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 47: Story of Indra & Ahalyā: Indra’s disguise and Gautama’s curses. Indra takes Gautama’s form and unites with Ahalyā, Gautama curses him to lose his testicles and her to remain invisible until Rāma’s arrival

In the sequence: Sumati asks who the two splendid, armed youths are and why they have come on foot along this difficult route

1.47.6

kimarthaṃ ca naraśreṣṭhau saṃprāptau durgame pathi
varāyudhadharau vīrau śrotum icchāmi tattvataḥ

And for what purpose have these two best of men, heroes bearing excellent weapons, come by this difficult path? I wish to hear the truth.”

Words: kimarthaṃ — for what purpose; ca — and; naraśreṣṭhau — the two best of men; saṃprāptau — (the two) arrived; durgame — difficult (to traverse); pathi — on the path; varāyudhadharau — bearing excellent weapons; vīrau — two heroes; śrotum — to hear; icchāmi — I wish; tattvataḥ — truly, in truth

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.