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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.1.15

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 1: Daśaratha proposes Rāma as heir. With Bharata & Śatrughna in Kekaya, Daśaratha weighs Rāma’s fitness to rule and summons an assembly

In the sequence: the narrator describes the qualities that make Rāma fit to rule: he speaks kindly, remembers kindness rather than injuries, learns from elders, understands duty and government, manages revenue and expenditure, and is accomplished in warfare

2.1.15

sa hi nityaṃ praśāntātmā mṛdupūrvaṃ ca bhāṣate
ucyamāno 'pi paruṣaṃ nottaraṃ pratipadyate

For he, ever serene of soul, spoke gently and courteously; and even when addressed harshly, he would return no (harsh) reply.

Words: sa — he; hi — for, indeed; nityaṃ — ever, always; praśāntātmā — serene of soul; mṛdupūrvaṃ — gently, courteously (lit. preceded by gentleness); ca — and; bhāṣate — speaks; ucyamāno 'pi — even when addressed; paruṣaṃ — harshly, roughly; nottaraṃ — no reply; pratipadyate — returns, gives

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.