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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.62.21

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

1.62.21

tam uvāca tato brahmā na tāvat tvaṃ jitendriyaḥ
yatasva muniśārdūla ity uktvā tridivaṃ gataḥ

Then Brahmā said to him: “Not yet have you conquered your senses; strive on, O tiger among sages.” And having so spoken, he went to heaven.

Words: tam — him; uvāca — said; tato — then; brahmā — Brahmā; na — not; tāvat — yet, so far; tvaṃ — you; jitendriyaḥ — one who has conquered his senses; yatasva — strive, exert yourself; muniśārdūla — O tiger among sages; ity uktvā — having spoken thus; tridivaṃ — to heaven; gataḥ — went

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.