Valmiki Ramayana - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Bala Kanda - Book Of Youthful Majesties

नारदस्य तु तद्वाक्यम् श्रुत्वा वाक्य विशारदः
पूजयामास धर्मात्मा सह शिष्यो महामुनिः

nāradasya tu tadvākyam śrutvā vākya viśāradaḥ
pūjayāmāsa dharmātmā saha śiṣyo mahāmuniḥ

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

Then, the great sage Valmiki, a skilled orator and a virtue-minded one, having heard those words of Narada, worshipped him along with disciples. [1-2-1]

VERSE 2

यथावत् पूजितः तेन देवर्षिः नारदः तथा
आपृच्छैव अभ्यनुज्ञातः स जगाम विहायसम्

yathāvat pūjitaḥ tena devarṣiḥ nāradaḥ tathā
āpṛcchaiva abhyanujñātaḥ sa jagāma vihāyasam

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

That divine sage Narada being worshipped befittingly by Valmiki in that way, on seeking permission of Valmiki to leave and having been permitted by Valmiki, went away heaven-ward. [1-2-2]

VERSE 3

स मुहूर्तं गते तस्मिन् देवलोकम् मुनिः तदा
जगाम तमसा तीरम् जाह्नव्यात् अविदूरतः

sa muhūrtaṃ gate tasmin devalokam muniḥ tadā
jagāma tamasā tīram jāhnavyāt avidūrataḥ

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

Then, on Narada's going to the world of gods in a trice, that sage Valmiki went to the banks of Tamasa river not far from Jahnavi river. [1-2-3]

VERSE 4

स तु तीरम् समासाद्य तमसाया मुनिः तदा
शिष्यम् आह स्थितम् पार्श्वे दृष्ट्वा तीर्थम् अकर्दमम्

sa tu tīram samāsādya tamasāyā muniḥ tadā
śiṣyam āha sthitam pārśve dṛṣṭvā tīrtham akardamam

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

Then that sage Valmiki on reaching the shore of the clean Tamasa, and on beholding a ford of that river, spoke to his disciple who was at his side. [1-2-4]

VERSE 5

अकर्दमम् इदम् तीर्थम् भरद्वाज निशामय
रमणीयम् प्रसन्न अम्बु सन् मनुष्य मनो यथा

akardamam idam tīrtham bharadvāja niśāmaya
ramaṇīyam prasanna ambu san manuṣya mano yathā

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

"Oh! Bharadwaja, behold this ford which is without dirt, with clear waters and pleasant like a virtuous man's mind. [1-2-5]

VERSE 6

न्यस्यताम् कलशः तात दीयताम् वल्कलम् मम
इदम् एव अवगाहिष्ये तमसा तीर्थम् उत्तमम्

nyasyatām kalaśaḥ tāta dīyatām valkalam mama
idam eva avagāhiṣye tamasā tīrtham uttamam

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

"My dear! Let the hand-vessel [kamaNDalu] be kept [there]. Let my bark-garment be given to me. I will enter this best ford of Tamasa only... [1-2-6]

VERSE 7

एवम् उक्तो भरद्वाजो वाल्मीकेन महात्मना
प्रयच्छत मुनेः तस्य वल्कलम् नियतः गुरोः

evam ukto bharadvājo vālmīkena mahātmanā
prayacchata muneḥ tasya valkalam niyataḥ guroḥ

SYNONYMS

evam uktaḥ: Thus being said | mahātmanā vālmīkena: by the great-souled Valmiki | guroḥ niyataḥ bharadvājaḥ: Bharadwaaja who was obedient towards his Guru | valkalaṃ prayacchata: gave the bark-garment | tasya muneḥ: to that sage. |

TRANSLATION

Thus being said by the great-souled Valmiki, Bharadwaaja who was obedient to his Guru, gave the bark-garment to the sage [1-2-7]

VERSE 8

स शिष्य हस्तात् आदाय वल्कलम् नियतेन्द्रियः
विचचार ह पश्यन् तत् सर्वतो विपुलम् वनम्

sa śiṣya hastāt ādāya valkalam niyatendriyaḥ
vicacāra ha paśyan tat sarvato vipulam vanam

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

That self-controlled Sage Valmiki on taking bark-garment from his disciple's hands, and looking in all directions, indeed moved away from that wide expanse of forest. [1-2-8]

VERSE 9

तस्य अभ्याशे तु मिथुनम् चरन्तम् अनपायिनम्
ददर्श भगवान् तत्र क्रौङ्चयोः चारु निस्वनम्

tasya abhyāśe tu mithunam carantam anapāyinam
dadarśa bhagavān tatra krauṅcayoḥ cāru nisvanam

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

There holy sage Valmiki saw a couple of curlews, in the vicinity of that river's foreshore, flying there about in togetherness and cooing charmingly. [1-2-9]

VERSE 10

तस्मात् तु मिथुनात् एकम् पुमांसम् पाप निश्चयः
जघान वैरनिलयो निषादः तस्य पश्यतः

tasmāt tu mithunāt ekam pumāṃsam pāpa niścayaḥ
jaghāna vairanilayo niṣādaḥ tasya paśyataḥ

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

A tribal hunter with evil intent, and a receptacle of enimity, killed the male one among the couple of birds, while Valmiki was looking on. [1-2-10]

VERSE 11

तम् शोणित परीताङ्गम् चेष्टमानम् महीतले
भार्या तु निहतम् दृष्ट्वा रुराव करुणाम् गिरम्

tam śoṇita parītāṅgam ceṣṭamānam mahītale
bhāryā tu nihatam dṛṣṭvā rurāva karuṇām giram

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

The wife was moving together with husband with a red crest and with joy, with good wings, always being united with that male bird. On seeing that bird slain on ground reeling with blood covered wings really made wailing sounds with piteous utterances on being separated from her husband. [1-2-11, 12]

VERSE 13

तथा विधिम् द्विजम् दृष्ट्वा निषादेन निपातितम्
ऋशेः धर्मात्मानः तस्य कारुण्यम् समपद्यत

tathā vidhim dvijam dṛṣṭvā niṣādena nipātitam
ṛśeḥ dharmātmānaḥ tasya kāruṇyam samapadyata

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

On seeing that bird felled that way by the tribal hunter, compassion occassioned in that saintly sage Valmiki. [1-2-13]

VERSE 14

ततः करुण वेदित्वात् अधर्मो अयम् इति द्विजः
निशांय रुदतीम् क्रौन्चीम् इदम् वचनम् अब्रैइत्

tataḥ karuṇa veditvāt adharmo ayam iti dvijaḥ
niśāṃya rudatīm krauncīm idam vacanam abraiit

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

Then on seeing the wailing female krounchi bird, out of state of compassion and apperceiving the killing of male bird as unjust, the sage uttered this sentence... [1-2-14]

VERSE 15

मा निषाद प्रतिष्ठाम्त्व
मगमः शाश्वतीः समाः
यत् क्रौङ्च मिथुनात् एक
मवधीः काम मोहितम्

mā niṣāda pratiṣṭhāmtva
magamaḥ śāśvatīḥ samāḥ
yat krauṅca mithunāt eka
mavadhīḥ kāma mohitam

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

"Oh! violent Hunter, by which reason you have killed one bird of the couple, when it was infatuated by passion, for that reason you will never get a state of rest for everlasting years to come..." [1-2-15]

PURPORT

त्वमगमः has been split as tu+ama+gamaH. 'For endless years to come, O Hunter, never shall thy soul find peace /' Romesh C. Dutt. This verse has many comports of which a few are given hereunder: This verse is taken as ma~NgalaacaraNa to Ramayana, for any epic has to have ma~Ngala aadiini; ma~Ngala madhyaani; ma~Ngala antaani A good pious beginning, pious middle and pious ending. Because this verse has the letter maa at its start and maa is lakShmii vaacaka in Sanskrit. It is aadi varNaH The first letter loka maataa maa ramaa ma~Ngala devataa thus amara kosha says for Goddess Lakshmi. maa = Goddess Lakshmi; niShaada = Oh! Vishnu [ for Goddess Lakshmi resides in the heart of Vishnu - niShadiiti asmin iti niShaada ]; yat = by which act; krounca midhunaat = the couple of demons, namely Ravana and Mandodari; kaama mohitam = that impassioned one and stole Seetha; ekam = that one, Ravana; avadhii = you killed; by that act of yours; shashvatiisamaa = everlasting for ages; pratiShTaam = divine sanctity; tvam agama = you, get. "Oh, the abode of Goddess Lakshmi, namely oh, Vishnu, by which act of your killing one male demon named Ravana, who in his passion abducted Seetha, and thus you eradicated the vice from the earth, for that you get an everlasting divine sanctity, as Rama, for ages to come." 2] Next niSaada is attributable to Ravana, because he is the one who tortures others for his benefit. itaraam saadayati piiDayati iti niSaada thus: Oh! Ravana; krounch midhunaat = from the couple, say Rama and Seetha, who are flying from forest to forest like nest-less birds; ekam = one is, Seetha is; avadhii =you almost killed her by your torture of abducting her; pratiSTaam = your glory in Lanka, at its zenith, as per the kindness of Brahma; ma agama = never get, hereafter. But this declination is not held right, for it is like a curse, shaapa , and no epic starts with a curse. 3] Next, this verse is said holding Rama in the perspective. Sage Narada gave the details of the legend to Sage Valmiki because Brahma ordered that the legend of Rama is to be recorded. But Ramayana is full of pathos, karuNa shoka rasa prathaana . If it is to be penned the writer too shall have heart that can outpour that mood. So when Valmiki is at the river banks, Rama, say Vishnu, came in the guise of a tribal, as with other mythological episodes like kiraataarjuniiya etc., to test the capability of Valmiki in narrating pathos, and killed one bird. Valmiki reacted immediately and Vishnu's test is complete. But in exciting the mood of such holy sage, Vishnu / Rama gets a curse like separation from wife, as below. nishaada = oh, tribal: Rama to Valmiki / Vishnu to mythology; for your killing one bird of the couple, to the misery of the female one; shaashvatii = as long as you live on this earth; samaaH pratiSTaam = togetherness, with your wife; ma agama = do not get. Oh! Rama, as long as you are on earth, you do not get the love of being together with your wife, because you killed one from the bird couple... and you have to live with your wife departed [to Lanka,] come again, and then departed [to forests.] But this is differed statement, since Vishnu does not require any personal testing of the capabilities of the writer of Ramayana. Brahma will look after such literary things. 4] The generally accepted meaning of this verse is this. Any epic's gist is to be said at the start or, at its commencement --- kaavya artha suucanam kascin aadyaam eva niruupyate --- Thus, the above verse included the meaning of whole of the epic, Ramayana. i] maa niSaada = Goddess Lakshmi and Vishnu. Their marriage in their incarnations as Rama and Seetha, and Ramayana depicts this in Bala Kanda . ii] pratiSTaam tvam agama = renown, you get, by following your father's orders you have repaired to forests, without any political upheaval, thus get an everlasting renown as an obliging son Ayodhya Kanda . iii] shashavatii samaa = by dwelling in forest and eradicating demons and helping the saints and sages thus, you achieve an everlasting praise Aranaya Kanda . iv] krounchayoH = from the [atrocious] couple; k -- krunca gati kauTilyaa alpii bhaavayoH ; the atrocious Vali, and Tara couple; ekam kaama mohitam = one, passion, filled, i.e., Vali; avadhii= you killed, you killed Vali Kishkindha Kanda. v] krouncha mithunaat = from the couple of lovely passionate birds here Rama and Seetha; niSaada that ruffian Ravana, kaama mohitam lustfully, ekam one [i.e., Seetha]; avadhii = almost killed, i.e., her residing in Lanka is as good as death Sundara Kanda . vi] krouncha mithunaat = from the atrocious, couple Ravana and Mandodari; ekam avadhii one Ravana, you killed Yuddha Kanda . vii] kaama mohitam = by desire, fascinated [ kama also means a longing, desire, let alone lusting]; Seetha is fascinated by her desire to see sage's wives in uttara Ramayana and thus she is sent to forests through Lakshmana. Hence seventh canto, uttara Ramayana is also suggested.

VERSE 16

तस्य एवम् ब्रुवतः चिन्ता बभूव हृदि वीक्षतः
शोकार्तेन अस्य शकुनेः किम् इदम् व्याहृतम् मया

tasya evam bruvataḥ cintā babhūva hṛdi vīkṣataḥ
śokārtena asya śakuneḥ kim idam vyāhṛtam mayā

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

Thus speaking and pondering in his heart, he became thoughtful: "What is this utterance by me in grief and anguish for this bird?". [1-2-16]

VERSE 17

चिन्तयन् स महाप्राज्ञः चकार मतिमान् मतिम्
शिश्यम् च एव अब्रवीत् वाक्यम् इदम् स मुनिपुङ्गवः

cintayan sa mahāprājñaḥ cakāra matimān matim
śiśyam ca eva abravīt vākyam idam sa munipuṅgavaḥ

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

That great wise one who was an intellectual and the best among sages, on cogitating, made up his mind and also spoke these words to the disciple... [1-2-17]

VERSE 18

पाद बद्धः अक्षर समः तन्त्री लय समन्वितः
शोकार्तस्य प्रवृत्तो मे श्लोको भवतु न अन्यथा

pāda baddhaḥ akṣara samaḥ tantrī laya samanvitaḥ
śokārtasya pravṛtto me śloko bhavatu na anyathā

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

"While I was tormented by grief, there arose a sentence consisting of four verses possessing metrically posited letters suitable to be played as song and string music and that will be called Shloka, not otherwise..." [1-2-18]

PURPORT

This verse he uttered is in four quarters, each quarter with equally posited eight syllables. This is called anuSTubh metre in Sanskrit poetry. The eight syllables are, -- maa ni Shaa da pra ti ShTaa~N tva | ma ga ma shaa shva tiiH sa maa -- Each quarter is paada in Sanskrit, pede in Latin; with two quarters in first stanza, and two stanzas one verse. This apart there are other rules like caesura yati ; alliteration praasa ; and other compositional rules. It has come out of shoka sorrow, so the format is named as sloka . And, shloka also means yashas, kiirti renown.

VERSE 19

शिष्यः तु तस्य ब्रुवतो मुनेर् वाक्यम् अनुत्तमम्
प्रति जग्राह संतुष्टः तस्य तुष्टोअः अभवत् मुनिः

śiṣyaḥ tu tasya bruvato muner vākyam anuttamam
prati jagrāha saṃtuṣṭaḥ tasya tuṣṭoaḥ abhavat muniḥ

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

Even the disciple happily received what that is articulated by the saint, a unique articulation, by which the saint too, became happy. [1-2-19]

VERSE 20

सो।अभिषेकम् ततः कृत्वा तीर्थे तस्मिन् यथाविधि
तम् एव चिन्तयन् अर्थम् उपावर्तत वै मुनिः

so|abhiṣekam tataḥ kṛtvā tīrthe tasmin yathāvidhi
tam eva cintayan artham upāvartata vai muniḥ

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

Then that saint on performing his bathing in that ford according to custom, and still thinking on the purport of his utterance, he returned towards his hermitage. [1-2-20]

PURPORT

This is mid day bath for these hermits. tato madhyaahna snaanaartham mR^idam aaharet | - - prekShya sa omkaaram aadityam triH nimajje jalaashaye - - vyaasa smR^iti The word abhisheka refers to ceremonial showering of waters on deities or on kings in his coronation. At the beginning Valmiki arrives at the river for a daily bath, which he would do by usual dipping in river waters. But here it appears that waters are showered on him, abhishekam kR^itva meaning that waters showered on him are on the analogy of poetic verses of Ramayana.

VERSE 21

भरद्वाजः ततः शिष्यो विनीतः श्रुतवान् गुरोः
कलशम् पूर्णमादाय पृष्ठतः अनुजगाम ह

bharadvājaḥ tataḥ śiṣyo vinītaḥ śrutavān guroḥ
kalaśam pūrṇamādāya pṛṣṭhataḥ anujagāma ha

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

Then Bharadwaja, the obedient disciple and an erudite scholar, for he heard and learnt many scriptures by listening, on taking handy-vessel full with water followed at the behind of his mentor. [1-2-21]

VERSE 22

स प्रविश्य आश्रम पदम् शिष्येण सह धर्मवित्
उपविष्टः कथाः च अन्याः चकार ध्यानमास्थितः

sa praviśya āśrama padam śiṣyeṇa saha dharmavit
upaviṣṭaḥ kathāḥ ca anyāḥ cakāra dhyānamāsthitaḥ

SYNONYMS

dharma vit saḥ: dharma, knower of, he [Valmiki] | śiśyeṇa saha: disciples, along with | pravisya āśrama padam: on entering, hermitage's, threshold | upaviṣṭa: having seated | anyaḥ kathāḥ ca cakāra = other, topics, also, made: spoke about | dhyānam āsthitaḥ: [but in] cogitation, preoccupied in. |

TRANSLATION

He that knower of dharma, Valmiki, having entered the threshold of hermitage along with disciples, and having seated spoke about the day-to-day teachings and also other things, but he himself is preoccupied in cogitation on the verse. [1-2-22]

VERSE 23

आजगाम ततः ब्रह्मो लोककर्ता स्वयम् प्रभुः
चतुर् मुखो महातेजा द्रष्टुम् तम् मुनिपुङ्गवम्

ājagāma tataḥ brahmo lokakartā svayam prabhuḥ
catur mukho mahātejā draṣṭum tam munipuṅgavam

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

Then, the great resplendent Four-faced creator of fourteen worlds, almighty Brahma, arrived there on his own, to see that eminent saint Valmiki. [1-2-23]

PURPORT

Comment; The deities do not usually arrive on their own, but reveal themselves after a great penance, or on raising hue and cry as is done by demon devotees. Here Brahma, one among the Trinity of Hindu mytholoj~n, arrives on his own, to execute a divine deed through Valmiki, i.e. authoring the epic, Ramayana.

VERSE 24

वाल्मीकिः अथ तम् दृष्ट्वा सहसा उत्थाय वाज्ँनतः
प्रान्जलिः प्रयतो भूत्वा तस्थौ परम विस्मितः

vālmīkiḥ atha tam dṛṣṭvā sahasā utthāya vāj~nataḥ
prānjaliḥ prayato bhūtvā tasthau parama vismitaḥ

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

Then that pious saint Valmiki is highly surprised on seeing Brahma, and on quickly getting up from his seat with his palms adjoined humbly, he stood aside, as he is spellbind. [1-2-24]

VERSE 25

पूजयामास तम् देवम् पाद्य अर्घ्य आसन वन्दनैः
प्रणंय विधिवत् च एनम् पृष्ट्वा च एव निरामयम्

pūjayāmāsa tam devam pādya arghya āsana vandanaiḥ
praṇaṃya vidhivat ca enam pṛṣṭvā ca eva nirāmayam

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

Valmiki venerated Brahma, on inquiring into his well-being, washed his feet, drenched his thirst, seated him to rest, and adored at best with customarily obeisance. [1-2-25]

PURPORT

Comment: Brahma is one in the Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Brahma is pictured to have four faces, each representing one Veda, where Vedas are four in number. He is the creator of worlds, while Vishnu maintains them, and Shiva dissolute them. The concert of Brahma is Saraswati, the presiding deity of speech, who was earlier requested by Brahma to be on the tongue of Valmiki to utter the poem, [as at 1-2-15] as an intuition to Valmiki. Thus Brahma now arrives to ordain Valmiki to author Ramayana.

VERSE 26

अथ उपविश्य भगवान् आसने परम अर्चिते
वाल्मीकये च ऋषये सन्दिदेश आसनम् ततः

atha upaviśya bhagavān āsane parama arcite
vālmīkaye ca ṛṣaye sandideśa āsanam tataḥ

SYNONYMS

atha upaviśya bhagavān āsane: then, seated, god, on [high] seat | parama arcite: very, highly, worshipped [by Valmiki] | vālmīkaye ca ṛṣaye: at Valmiki, also, Sage | sandideśa āsanam tataḥ: beckoned, to a seat, then. |

TRANSLATION

Then god Brahma, who is seated on a high seat, very highly worshipped by Valmiki, also beckoned at Valmiki to take a seat. [1-2-26]

VERSE 27

ब्रह्मणा समनुज्ञातः सो।अपि उपाविशत् आसने
उपविष्टे तदा तस्मिन् साक्षात् लोक पितामहे
१२२७
तत् गतेन एव मनसा वाल्मीकिः ध्यानम् आस्थितः

brahmaṇā samanujñātaḥ so|api upāviśat āsane
upaviṣṭe tadā tasmin sākṣāt loka pitāmahe
1-2-27
tat gatena eva manasā vālmīkiḥ dhyānam āsthitaḥ

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

Even though Valmiki sat on his seat when duly permitted by Brahma, and though the Grandparent of the worlds is manifestly sitting before him, but the same broodings on those happenings occurred on that day have recurred on his mind. [1-2-27-28a]

VERSE 28

पापात्मना कृतम् कष्टम् वैर ग्रहण बुद्धिना
१२२८
यत् तादृशम् चारुरवम् क्रौन्चम् हन्यात् अकारणात्

pāpātmanā kṛtam kaṣṭam vaira grahaṇa buddhinā
1-2-28
yat tādṛśam cāruravam krauncam hanyāt akāraṇāt

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

"He that tribal hunter, who killed a cutely calling krounch bird for no good reason than intending to capture the kill, is an evil souled one that caused hardship..." [1-2-28b-29a]

VERSE 29

शोचन् एव पुनः क्रौन्चीम् उप श्लोकम् इमम् जगौ
१२२९
पुनर् अन्तर्गत मना भूत्वा शोक परायणः

śocan eva punaḥ krauncīm upa ślokam imam jagau
1-2-29
punar antargata manā bhūtvā śoka parāyaṇaḥ

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

Remaining in melancholic mood Valmiki turned his mind to the depth of thinking, and again thinking only on the krouncha bird he sung the same verse, involuntarily. [1-2-29b-30a]

PURPORT

The word jaguH is singing; gai= shabde; liT; prathama bahu; jagau - jagatuH - jaguH ; variant of gaay ; c.f. Raghuvamsha of Kalidasa, verse 20, in fourth sarga; aakumaarakathoddhaata.m shaaligopyo jagur yashaH

VERSE 30

तम् उवाच ततो ब्रह्मा प्रहसन् मुनिपुंगवम्
१२३०
श्लोक एवास्त्वयाम् बद्धो न अत्र कार्या विचारणा

tam uvāca tato brahmā prahasan munipuṃgavam
1-2-30
śloka evāstvayām baddho na atra kāryā vicāraṇā

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

Then, Brahma smilingly spoke to that eminent saint Valmiki, "But, what that is composed is a verse only... and there is no need to think through... [1-2-30b-31a]

VERSE 31

मत् च्छन्दात् एव ते ब्रह्मन् प्रवृत्ते अयम् सरस्वती
१२३१
रामस्य चरितम् कृत्स्नम् कुरु त्वम् ऋषिसत्तम

mat cchandāt eva te brahman pravṛtte ayam sarasvatī
1-2-31
rāmasya caritam kṛtsnam kuru tvam ṛṣisattama

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

"Oh, Brahman, that speech of yours sprang forth at my wish alone, hence oh, eminent sage, you shall render the legend of Rama, in its entirety... [1-2-31b-32a]

VERSE 32

धर्मात्मनो भगवतो लोके रामस्य धीमतः

dharmātmano bhagavato loke rāmasya dhīmataḥ

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

"You shall narrate the legend of Rama, the virtuous, intellectual and an intrepid one, and a godlike person in this world as well, as you have heard it from sage Narada. [1-2-32b-33a]

VERSE 33

रहस्यम् च प्रकाशम् च यद् वृत्तम् तस्य धीमतः

rahasyam ca prakāśam ca yad vṛttam tasya dhīmataḥ

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

"The adventures of valorous Rama along with Lakshmana, and the misadventures of demons, known or unknown in every detail, and even the plight of Vaidehi which is either revealed or un-revealed so far, and whatever legend that has happened, all that will also be known to you, even if it were to be unknown, as yet... [1-2-33b-35a]

VERSE 35

न ते वाक् अनृता काव्ये काचित् अत्र भविष्यति

na te vāk anṛtā kāvye kācit atra bhaviṣyati

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

"You shall versify the heart pleasing and merit-yielding legend of Rama, and not a single word of yours will be unfounded in this epic... [1-2-35b-36a]

VERSE 36

यावत् स्थास्यन्ति गिरयः सरितः च महीतले

yāvat sthāsyanti girayaḥ saritaḥ ca mahītale

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

"As long as the mountains and even rivers flourish on the surface of the earth, so long the legend of Ramayana will flourish in this world... [1-2-36b-37a]

VERSE 37

यावत् रामस्य च कथा त्वत् कृता प्रचरिष्यति
१२३७
तावत् ऊर्ध्वम् अधः च त्वम् मत् लोकेषु निवत्स्यसि

yāvat rāmasya ca kathā tvat kṛtā pracariṣyati
1-2-37
tāvat ūrdhvam adhaḥ ca tvam mat lokeṣu nivatsyasi

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

"And as long as Rama's legend authored by you flourishes...till then you will flourish in heavenly, in netherworlds, and even in my abode, namely Abode of Brahma... [1-2-37]

VERSE 38

इति उक्त्वा भगवान् ब्रह्मा तत्र एव अन्तरधीयत
ततः स शिष्यो भगवान् मुनिः विस्मयम् आययौ

iti uktvā bhagavān brahmā tatra eva antaradhīyata
tataḥ sa śiṣyo bhagavān muniḥ vismayam āyayau

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

On saying thus that Divinity Brahma vanished then and there only, and then that godly sage Valmiki came by astonishment, along with his disciples. [1-2-38b-c]

VERSE 39

तस्य शिष्याः ततः सर्वे जगुः श्लोकम् इमम् पुनः
मुहुर् मुहुः प्रीयमाणाः प्राहुः च भृश विस्मिताः

tasya śiṣyāḥ tataḥ sarve jaguḥ ślokam imam punaḥ
muhur muhuḥ prīyamāṇāḥ prāhuḥ ca bhṛśa vismitāḥ

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

Then all of the disciples of Valmiki sang this verse time and again very delightedly, and muchstonished they also recited this verse, reciprocally. [1-2-39]

VERSE 40

समाक्षरैः चतुर्भिः यः पादैः गीतो महर्षिणा
सः अनुव्याहरणात् भूयः शोकः श्लोकत्वम् आगतः

samākṣaraiḥ caturbhiḥ yaḥ pādaiḥ gīto maharṣiṇā
saḥ anuvyāharaṇāt bhūyaḥ śokaḥ ślokatvam āgataḥ

SYNONYMS

TRANSLATION

Equally lettered, four-footed is that verse when great Sage Valmiki articulated it, and when repetitively recited by one and all, it attained prominence as verse proper. [1-2-40]

PURPORT

Comment: A poet never says poetry to satisfy his own instincts, but to imbue an involuntary imagination or passion in others when read or heard by the so called others. It is the empathy of that poetry. For Kalidasa it is shR^ingara , passion, for Bhavabhuti it is pity ' eko rasaH karuNa ...' for Valmiki it is pathos, shoka. For this Kavi Kalidas says: niShaada viddha aNDaja darshanotthaH shlokatvam aapadyata yasya shokaH -- raghu va~Nsha 14-60 There are two texts for this one is, shlokaH shlokatam aagataH... meaning that the verse originally structured metrically can now can be sung. Second is shokaH shlokatvam aagataH... the pathos of the poet attained the status of verse that is now being sung by the disciples, thus anyone can recite it.

VERSE 41

तस्य बुद्धिः इयम् जाता महर्षेः भावितात्मनः
कृत्स्नम् रामायणम् काव्यम् ईदृशैः करवाण्यहम्

tasya buddhiḥ iyam jātā maharṣeḥ bhāvitātmanaḥ
kṛtsnam rāmāyaṇam kāvyam īdṛśaiḥ karavāṇyaham

SYNONYMS

aham: kR^itsnam raamaayaNam kaavyam = entire, Ramayana, epic | īdṛśaiḥ: this sort of [in suchlike verses] | karavāṇi: I will compose | iyam buddhiḥ: this kind of, intuition | bhāvita ātmanaḥ: for that contemplated soul | tasya maharṣeḥ jātā: to that, great sage, born. |

TRANSLATION

Born is an intuition in that great sage and contemplated soul asserting that "I will compose entire Ramayana, the epic, in suchlike verses...' [1-2-41]

VERSE 42

उदार वृत्त अर्थ पदैः मनोरमैः
तदा अस्य रामस्य चकार कीर्तिमान्
सम अक्षरैः श्लोक शतैः यशस्विनो
यशस्करम् काव्यम् उदार दर्शनः

udāra vṛtta artha padaiḥ manoramaiḥ
tadā asya rāmasya cakāra kīrtimān
sama akṣaraiḥ śloka śataiḥ yaśasvino
yaśaskaram kāvyam udāra darśanaḥ

SYNONYMS

kīrtimān udāra darśanaḥ: celebrated, magnanimous, seer | tadā: then | yaśasvinaḥ: of that highly renowned one, Rama | asya rāmasya: of that, Rama | yaśas karam kāvyam: renown, furthering [extolling,] epic | udāra vṛtta artha padaiḥ: free-flowing, prosody, semantically, yielding meanings | manoramaiḥ: heart-pleasing one | sama akśaraiḥ śloka śataiḥ: with symmetrical, letters, verses, in hundreds | cakāra: authored. |

TRANSLATION

That celebrated sage and magnanimous seer Valmiki then authored the highly renowned Rama's legend extolling Rama's renown, with symmetrically worded verses, and words versified to yield meanings semantically, prosody free-flowing, and with hundreds of such verses. [1-2-42]

VERSE 43

इति वाल्मिकि रामायणे आदिकाव्ये बाल काण्डे द्वितीयः सर्गः

iti vālmiki rāmāyaṇe ādikāvye bāla kāṇḍe dvitīyaḥ sargaḥ

SYNONYMS

upagata samāsa sandhi yogam: included, compound, conjunctions, conjugations | sama madhura upanata artha vākya baddham: evenly, sweetly, led, expressive, sentences, well-knit | muni praṇītam: sage, said | tat raghu vara caritam: that, Raghu's, best [one from,] legend | daśa śirasaḥ vadham ca: ten, headed one's, extermination, also | niśāmaya adhvam: behold, this way. |

TRANSLATION

That epic contains uncomplicated compounds, conjunctions and conjugations, and has expressive sentences that are well knit and led evenly and sweetly, and that legend pertains to the best one from Raghu's dynasty, namely Rama, which also includes the extermination of the Ten headed evil named Ravana, and further, it is said by the sage, hence this may now be listened… [1-2-43]

PURPORT

This is balladeers bidding to the audience. The word muni praNiitam reminds that a non-saint cannot tell an epic; na anR^ishi kurute kaavyam and hence it is to be listened attentively.