Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 76: Lord Rāma Strings Lord Viṣṇu’s bow
Text 1.76.14-16

राम राम महाबाहो शृणु राम मयेरितम्।
राजसूये कृते पूर्वे यज्ञे दशरथात्मज॥

कश्यपाय मया दत्ता यदा पूर्वं वसुन्धरा।
विषये मे न वस्तव्यमिति मां कश्यपोऽब्रवीत्॥

सोऽहं गुरुवचः कुर्वन्पृथिव्यां न वसे निशाम्।
कृता प्रतिज्ञा काकुत्स्थ कृता भूः कश्यपस्य हि॥

rāma rāma mahā-bāho śṛṇu rāma mayeritam
rājasūye
kṛte pūrve yajñe daśarathātmaja

kaśyapāya mayā dattā yadā pūrvaṁ vasundharā
viṣaye
me na vastavyam iti māṁ kaśyapo ’bravīt

so’haṁ guru-vacaḥ kurvan pṛthivyāṁ na vase niśām
kṛtā
pratijñā kākutstha kṛtā bhūḥ kaśyapasya hi

rāma = O Rāma; rāma = O Rāma; mahā-bāho = O mighty-armed; śṛṇu = please listen; rāma = Rāma; mayā īritam = to my words; rājasūye kṛte pūrve = in the past, a Rājasūya was conducted; yajñe = sacrifice; daśaratha-ātmaja = O son of Daśaratha; kaśyapāya = to Kaśyapa; mayā dattā = I handed over; yadā pūrvam = at that time; vasundharā = the earth; viṣaye me = in his land; na vastavyam = I should not reside; iti = that; mām = me; kaśyapaḥ = Kaśyapa; abravīt = told; saḥ aham = from then on I; guru-vacaḥ kurvan = following the instructions of my spiritual master Kaśyapa; pṛthivyām = on earth; na vase niśām = do not reside at night; kṛtā pratijñā = for I had promised him [that I would not reside in his land]; kākutstha = O descendant of Kakutstha; kṛtā bhūḥ kaśyapasya hi = the earth has become his.

O Rāma, O Rāma, O mighty-armed Rāma, please listen to my words. O son of Daśaratha, in the past, a Rājasūya sacrifice was conducted. At that time, I handed over the earth to Kaśyapa, Kaśyapa told me that I should not reside in his land. From then on, I do not reside on earth at night following the instructions of my spiritual master Kaśyapa, for I had promised him [that I would not reside in his land]. O descendant of Kakutstha, the earth has become his.