← 1.70.17 · Bāla Kāṇḍa 70: Vivāha: The Videha lineage and the wedding date · 1.70.19 →

Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.70.18

Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 70: Vivāha: The Videha lineage and the wedding date. Janaka recounts the Videha lineage and Kuśadhvaja’s accession, offers Sītā & Ūrmilā and appoints the wedding day and preparatory rites

In the sequence: later Sudhanvan of Sāṃkāśyā besieged Mithilā and demanded both Śiva's bow and Sītā → Janaka refused, fought and killed him, and installed Kuśadhvaja in Sāṃkāśyā

1.70.18

tasyāpradānād brahmarṣe yuddham āsīn mayā saha
sa hato 'bhimukho rājā sudhanvā tu mayā raṇe

Because I did not give them to him, O brahmin seer, there was war between me and him; and King Sudhanvan, facing me, was slain by me in battle.

Words: tasyāpradānād — because of not giving to him; brahmarṣe — O brahmin seer; yuddham — war, battle; āsīn — there was; mayā saha — with me; sa — he; hato — slain; 'bhimukho — facing (me); rājā — king; sudhanvā — Sudhanvan; tu — and; mayā — by me; raṇe — in battle

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.