Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 70: Rāma’s Noble Lineage
Text 1.70.17
विश्वामित्राभ्यनुज्ञातः सह सर्वैर्महर्षिभिः।
एष वक्ष्यति धर्मात्मा वसिष्ठो मे यथाक्रमम्॥
viśvāmitrābhyanujñātaḥ saha sarvair maha-rṣibhiḥ
eṣa vakṣyati dharmātmā vasiṣṭho me yathā-kramam
viśvāmitra-abhyanujñātaḥ = by Viśvāmitra; saha sarvaiḥ = and all; maha-rṣibhiḥ = of the great sages; eṣaḥ = this; vakṣyati = will speak; dharmātmā = of a dhārmika mind; vasiṣṭhaḥ = Vasiṣṭha; me = my dynasty; yathā-kramam = by enlisting.
Permitted by Viśvāmitra and all of the great sages, this Vasiṣṭha of a dhārmika mind will speak, enlisting my dynasty.
[1] daśa-puruṣa-vikhyātāt. (Yājñavalkya-smṛti 1.3.54)
In order that Viśvāmitra not become angry, Daśaratha mentions that Vasiṣṭha will speak with the permission of Viśvāmitra. He wanted to point out that Vasiṣṭha would speak on the purity of Daśaratha’s dynasty, a consideration required to establish matrimonial alliances. As stated in śāstra, ten generations of the prospective bride’s and bridegroom’s lineages should be considered for purity in allegiance to Vedic dharma.[1]