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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.62.19

Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 62: Story of Viśvāmitra: Menakā and the unfinished mastery of desire. Menakā interrupts his austerity for ten years, renewed effort wins the rank of maharṣi, but Brahmā withholds brahmarṣi until his senses are mastered

In the sequence: Viśvāmitra asks for the higher standing of brahmarṣi and confirmation of mastery over his senses → Brahmā says he has not yet conquered them and must continue

1.62.19

brahmaṇaḥ sa vacaḥ śrutvā viśvāmitras tapodhanaḥ
prāñjaliḥ praṇato bhūtvā pratyuvāca pitāmaham

Hearing that word of Brahmā, Viśvāmitra, rich in austerity, with palms joined and bowing low, replied to the Grandsire:

Words: brahmaṇaḥ — of Brahmā; sa — that; vacaḥ — word; śrutvā — having heard; viśvāmitras — Viśvāmitra; tapodhanaḥ — rich in austerity; prāñjaliḥ — with palms joined; praṇato — bowed low; bhūtvā — having become; pratyuvāca — replied; pitāmaham — to the Grandsire

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.