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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.65.2

Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 65: Story of Sītā & Śiva’s bow: Birth, suitors and Janaka’s condition. Janaka recounts Sītā’s birth, Śiva’s bow and the suitors’ failure, offering her hand to Rāma if he can string it

In the sequence: The next morning Janaka summons and honors Viśvāmitra and the princes, asking what he can do for them

1.65.2

tam arcayitvā dharmātmā śāstradṛṣṭtena karmaṇā
rāghavau ca mahātmānau tadā vākyam uvāca ha

Having honored him, and the two great-souled Rāghavas, with a rite prescribed by scripture, the righteous one then spoke:

Words: tam — him; arcayitvā — having honored; dharmātmā — the righteous one; śāstradṛṣṭtena — prescribed by scripture (seen in the śāstras); karmaṇā — with a rite, act; rāghavau ca — and the two Rāghavas; mahātmānau — the two great-souled; tadā — then; vākyam — word; uvāca — spoke; ha — indeed

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.