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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.56.16

Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 56: Story of Viśvāmitra: The rājarṣi rank and Triśaṅku’s request. Brahmā grants Viśvāmitra the rank of rājarṣi, he resumes austerity while Triśaṅku seeks bodily ascent to heaven and is refused by Vasiṣṭha

In the sequence: he bows and asks them to officiate, explaining that his family priest has refused → he says that, after the family preceptor, they are his only refuge for accomplishing the bodily ascent.

1.56.16

śaraṇaṃ vaḥ prapadye 'haṃ śaraṇyāñ śaraṇāgataḥ
pratyākhyāto 'smi bhadraṃ vo vasiṣṭhena mahātmanā

'I take refuge in you, who are worthy of giving refuge, as one come for shelter; I have been rejected by the great-souled Vasiṣṭha—blessings upon you!'

Words: śaraṇaṃ — refuge, protection; vaḥ — in you (pl.); prapadye — I take refuge, resort to; 'haṃ — I; śaraṇyāñ — (you) worthy of giving refuge; śaraṇāgataḥ — one come for refuge; pratyākhyāto 'smi — I have been rejected; bhadraṃ vo — blessings upon you; vasiṣṭhena — by Vasiṣṭha; mahātmanā — the great-souled

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.