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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.29.23
Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 29: Rāma’s gifts and Trijaṭa’s staff. Rāma & Sītā distribute wealth, the poor Trijaṭa receives the cattle encompassed by his staff’s throw
In the sequence: Trijaṭa, a poor brāhmaṇa supporting many children by gathering food in the forest, asks for help → Rāma playfully offers him as many cows as the distance of his staff-throw will encompass
2.29.23
sa rājaputram āsādya trijaṭo vākyam abravīt
nirdhano bahuputro 'smi rājaputra mahāyaśaḥ
uñchavṛttir vane nityaṃ pratyavekṣasva mām iti
That Trijaṭa, approaching the prince, spoke these words: “O illustrious prince, I am penniless and have many sons; I live always in the forest by gleaning. Look upon me!”
Words: sa — he; rājaputram — the prince; āsādya — having approached; trijaṭo — Trijaṭa; vākyam — words; abravīt — spoke; nirdhano — penniless; bahuputro — having many sons; 'smi — I am; rājaputra — O prince; mahāyaśaḥ — O illustrious one; uñchavṛttir — living by gleaning; vane — in the forest; nityaṃ — always; pratyavekṣasva — look after, regard; mām — me; iti — thus
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.