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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.61.7

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 61: Ayodhyā without a King. Ministers warn that food production, worship, trade and protection will fail without a ruler and ask Vasiṣṭha to arrange succession

In the sequence: they urge an immediate appointment from the Ikṣvāku family

2.61.7

ikṣvākūṇām ihādyaiva kaś cid rājā vidhīyatām
arājakaṃ hi no rāṣṭraṃ na vināśam avāpnuyāt

Let some king of the Ikṣvākus be appointed here this very day, so that our realm, being kingless, may not fall into ruin.

Words: ikṣvākūṇām — of the Ikṣvākus; ihādyaiva — here this very day; kaś cid — some; rājā — king; vidhīyatām — let (one) be appointed; arājakaṃ — kingless; hi — for; no — our; rāṣṭraṃ — realm; na — not; vināśam — destruction; avāpnuyāt — may (it) meet with

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.