← 1.61.18 · Bāla Kāṇḍa 61: Story of Viśvāmitra: Two verses save Śunaḥśepa · 1.61.20 →
Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.61.19
Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 61: Story of Viśvāmitra: Two verses save Śunaḥśepa. Śunaḥśepa seeks protection, Viśvāmitra curses his sons for refusing substitution and teaches two verses that preserve the boy’s life and fulfil the sacrifice
In the sequence: he then prepares a protective charm and teaches Śunaḥśepa two divine verses to recite when bound at Viṣṇu's sacrificial post, wearing red garlands and unguents.
1.61.19
ime tu gāthe dve divye gāyethā muniputraka
ambarīṣasya yajñe 'smiṃs tataḥ siddhim avāpsyasi
And sing these two divine verses at this sacrifice of Ambarīṣa, O son of a sage; then you shall attain success.”
Words: ime — these; tu — and, indeed; gāthe — two verses, songs; dve — two; divye — divine; gāyethā — you should sing; muniputraka — O son of a sage; ambarīṣasya — of Ambarīṣa; yajñe — at the sacrifice; 'smiṃs — this; tataḥ — then; siddhim — success, accomplishment; avāpsyasi — you shall attain
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.