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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.51.21

Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 51: Story of Viśvāmitra: Vasiṣṭha’s hospitality. Vasiṣṭha insists on hosting the whole army and asks Śabalā to provide a feast satisfying every guest’s tastes

In the sequence: Vasiṣṭha summons his dappled wish-yielding cow, Śabalā → he asks her to provide a magnificent feast with whatever each guest desires among all six tastes, including food, drink, and delicacies.

1.51.21

ehy ehi śabale kṣipraṃ śṛṇu cāpi vaco mama
sabalasyāsya rājarṣeḥ kartuṃ vyavasito 'smy aham
bhojanena mahārheṇa satkāraṃ saṃvidhatsva me

'Come, come quickly, Śabalā, and hear my word: I am resolved to make a feast for this royal seer together with his army; provide me a hospitable reception with the most costly food.'

Words: ehy ehi — come, come; śabale — O Śabalā; kṣipraṃ — quickly; śṛṇu — hear; cāpi — and also; vaco mama — my word; sabalasyāsya — of this one together with his army; rājarṣeḥ — of the royal seer; kartuṃ — to do, make; vyavasito 'smy aham — I am resolved; bhojanena — with food; mahārheṇa — most costly, precious; satkāraṃ — a hospitable reception; saṃvidhatsva — arrange, provide; me — for me

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.