Valmiki asks Narada
Valmiki Ramayana 1.1.1
Source: verified public-domain translation.
Original text
तपःस्वाध्यायनिरतं तपस्वी वाग्विदां वरम् । नारदं परिपप्रच्छ वाल्मीकिर्मुनिपुङ्गवम् ॥
Transliteration
tapaḥ-svādhyāya-nirataṃ tapasvī vāgvidāṃ varam | nāradaṃ paripapraccha vālmīkir munipuṅgavam ||
Translation
“The ascetic Valmiki asked Narada, the best of sages and foremost of those skilled in speech, who was devoted to austerity and study.”
Translation · Ralph T. H. Griffith, The Rámáyan of Válmíki, 1870–74 (public domain), diction lightly updated
Context
The epic begins with a question, not a conquest. Valmiki asks who in the world still joins virtue and strength. The poem that follows is one famous answer, endlessly retold.