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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.6.17

Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 6: Daśaratha and Ayodhyā’s inhabitants. Daśaratha rules a prosperous and disciplined population, supported by trained warriors, fine horses and powerful elephants

In the sequence: the four social orders honor devatās and guests and follow their assigned responsibilities

1.6.17

kṣatraṃ brahmamukhaṃ cāsīd vaiśyāḥ kṣatram anuvratāḥ
śūdrāḥ svadharmaniratās trīn varṇān upacāriṇaḥ

The kṣatriyas had the brahmins at their head; the vaiśyas were devoted to the kṣatriyas; and the śūdras, intent on their own duty, served the three (higher) classes.

Words: kṣatraṃ — the kṣatriya class; brahmamukhaṃ — having the brahmins at its head; cāsīd — and was; vaiśyāḥ — the vaiśyas; kṣatram — the kṣatriyas; anuvratāḥ — following, devoted to; śūdrāḥ — the śūdras; svadharmaniratās — intent on their own duty; trīn — the three; varṇān — classes; upacāriṇaḥ — serving, attending on

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.