The Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki 1.4: caturthaḥ sargaḥ

1.4.1

prāptarājyasya rāmasya vālmīkir bhagavān ṛṣiḥ
cakāra caritaṃ kṛtsnaṃ vicitrapadam ātmavān

When to the end the tale was brought,
Rose in the sage's mind the thought;
Now who throughout this earth will go,
And tell it forth that all may know?'

1.4.2

kṛtvā tu tan mahāprājñaḥ sabhaviṣyaṃ sahottaram
cintayām āsa ko nv etat prayuñjīyād iti prabhuḥ

1.4.3

tasya cintayamānasya maharṣer bhāvitātmanaḥ
agṛhṇītāṃ tataḥ pādau muniveṣau kuśīlavau

As thus he mused with anxious breast,
Behold, in hermit's raiment dressed,
Kus'a and Lava came to greet
Their master and embrace his feet.
The twins he saw, that princely pair
Sweet-voiced, who dwelt beside him there
None for the task could be more fit,
For skilled were they in Holy Writ;
And so the great Rámáyan, fraught
With lore divine, to them he taught:
The lay whose verses sweet and clear
Take with delight the listening ear,
That tell of Sítá's noble life
And Rávan's fall in battle strife.
Great joy to all who hear they bring,
Sweet to recite and sweet to sing.
For music's sevenfold notes are there,
And triple measure, wrought with care
With melody and tone and time,
And flavours that enhance the rime:
Heroic might has ample place,
And loathing of the false and base,
With anger, mirth, and terror, blent
With tenderness, surprise, content.
When, half the hermit's grace to gain,
And half because they loved the strain,
The youth within their hearts had stored
The poem that his lips outpoured,
Válmíki kissed them on the head,
As at his feet they bowed, and said
'Recite ye this heroic song
In tranquil shades where sages throng
Recite it where the good resort,
In lowly home and royal court,'
The hermit ceased. The tuneful pair
Like heavenly minstrels sweet and fair
In music's art divinely skilled,
Their saintly master's word fulfilled.
Like Ráma's self, from whom they came,
They shared their size in face and frame,
As though from some fair sculptured stone
Two selfsame images had grown.
Sometimes the pair rose up to sing,
Surrounded by a holy ring,
Where seated on the grass bad met
Full many a musing anchoret.
Then tears bedimmed those gentle eyes,
As transport took them and surprise,
And as they listened every one
Cried in delight, Well done! Well done!
Those sages versed in holy lore
Praised the sweet minstrels more and more:
And wondered at the singers' skill,
And the bard's verses sweeter still,
Which laid so clear before the eye
The glorious deeds of days gone by.
Thus by the virtuous hermits praised,
Inspirited their voice they raised.
Pleased with the song this holy man
Would give the youths a water-can;
One gave a fair ascetic dress,
Or sweet fruit from the wilderness.
One saint a black-deer's hide would bring,
And one a sacrificial string:
One, a clay pitcher from his hoard,
And one, a twisted munja cord.
One in his joy an axe would find,
One, braid, their plaited locks to bind.
One gave a sacrificial cup,
One rope to tie their fagots up;
While fuel at their feet was laid,
Or hermit's stool of fig-tree made.
All gave, or if they gave not, none
Forgot at least a benison.
Some saints, delighted with their lays,
Would promise health and length of days;
Others with surest words would add
Some boon to make their spirit glad.
In such degree of honour then
That song was held by holy men:
That living song which life can give,
By which shall many a minstrel live.
In seat of kings, in crowded hall,
They sang the poem, praised of all.
And Ráma chanced to hear their lay,
While he the votive steed would slay,
And sent fit messengers to bring
The minstrel pair before the king.
They came, and found the monarch high
Enthroned in gold, his brothers nigh;
While many a minister below,
And noble, sate in lengthened row.

1.4.4

kuśīlavau tu dharmajñau rājaputrau yaśasvinau
bhrātarau svarasaṃpannau dadarśāśramavāsinau

1.4.5

sa tu medhāvinau dṛṣṭvā vedeṣu pariniṣṭhitau
vedopabṛhmaṇārthāya tāv agrāhayata prabhuḥ

1.4.6

kāvyaṃ rāmāyaṇaṃ kṛtsnaṃ sītāyāś caritaṃ mahat
paulastya vadham ity eva cakāra caritavrataḥ

1.4.7

pāṭhye geye ca madhuraṃ pramāṇais tribhir anvitam
jātibhiḥ saptabhir baddhaṃ tantrīlayasamanvitam

1.4.8

hāsyaśṛṅgārakāruṇyaraudravīrabhayānakaiḥ
bībhatsādirasair yuktaṃ kāvyam etad agāyatām

1.4.9

tau tu gāndharvatattvajñau mūrcchanāsthānakovidau
bhrātarau svarasaṃpannau gandharvāv iva rūpiṇau

1.4.10

rūpalakṣaṇasaṃpannau madhurasvarabhāṣiṇau
bimbād ivoddhṛtau bimbau rāmadehāt tathāparau

1.4.11

tau rājaputrau kārtsnyena dharmyam ākhyānam uttamam
vāco vidheyaṃ tat sarvaṃ kṛtvā kāvyam aninditau

1.4.12

ṛṣīṇāṃ ca dvijātīnāṃ sādhūnāṃ ca samāgame
yathopadeśaṃ tattvajñau jagatus tau samāhitau
mahātmānau mahābhāgau sarvalakṣaṇalakṣitau

1.4.13

tau kadā cit sametānām ṛṣīṇāṃ bhāvitātmanām
āsīnānāṃ samīpasthāv idaṃ kāvyam agāyatām

1.4.14

tac chrutvā munayaḥ sarve bāṣpaparyākulekṣaṇāḥ
sādhu sādhv ity tāv ūcatuḥ paraṃ vismayam āgatāḥ

1.4.15

te prītamanasaḥ sarve munayo dharmavatsalāḥ
praśaśaṃsuḥ praśastavyau gāyamānau kuśīlavau

1.4.16

aho gītasya mādhuryaṃ ślokānāṃ ca viśeṣataḥ
ciranirvṛttam apy etat pratyakṣam iva darśitam

1.4.17

praviśya tāv ubhau suṣṭhu tadā bhāvam agāyatām
sahitau madhuraṃ raktaṃ saṃpannaṃ svarasaṃpadā

1.4.18

evaṃ praśasyamānau tau tapaḥślāghyair maharṣibhiḥ
saṃraktataram atyarthaṃ madhuraṃ tāv agāyatām

1.4.19

prītaḥ kaś cin munis tābhyāṃ saṃsthitaḥ kalaśaṃ dadau
prasanno valkalaṃ kaś cid dadau tābhyāṃ mahāyaśāḥ

1.4.20

āścaryam idam ākhyānaṃ muninā saṃprakīrtitam
paraṃ kavīnām ādhāraṃ samāptaṃ ca yathākramam

1.4.21

praśasyamānau sarvatra kadā cit tatra gāyakau
rathyāsu rājamārgeṣu dadarśa bharatāgrajaḥ

1.4.22

svaveśma cānīya tato bhrātarau sakuśīlavau
pūjayām āsa pūjārhau rāmaḥ śatrunibarhaṇaḥ

1.4.23

āsīnaḥ kāñcane divye sa ca siṃhāsane prabhuḥ
upopaviṣṭaiḥ sacivair bhrātṛbhiś ca paraṃtapaḥ

1.4.24

dṛṣṭvā tu rūpasaṃpannau tāv ubhau vīṇinau tataḥ
uvāca lakṣmaṇaṃ rāmaḥ śatrughnaṃ bharataṃ tathā

The youthful pair awhile he viewed
Graceful in modest attitude,
And then in words like these addressed
His brother Lakshman and the rest:
'Come, listen to the wondrous strain
Recited by these godlike twain.
Sweet singers of a story fraught
With melody and lofty thought.'
The pair, with voices sweet and strong,
Rolled the full tide of noble song,
With tone and accent deftly blent
To suit the changing argument.
Mid that assembly loud and clear
Rang forth that lay so sweet to hear,
That universal rapture stole
Through each man's frame and heart and soul.
'These minstrels, blest with every sign
That marks a high and princely line,
In holy shades who dwell,
Enshrined in Saint Válmiki's lay,
A monument to live for aye,
My deeds in song shall tell.'
Thus Ráma spoke: their breasts were fired,
And the great tale, as if inspired,
The youths began to sing,
While every heart with transport swelled,
And mute and rapt attention held
The concourse and the king,

1.4.25

śrūyatām idam ākhyānam anayor devavarcasoḥ
vicitrārthapadaṃ samyag gāyator madhurasvaram

1.4.26

imau munī pārthivalakṣmaṇānvitau kuśīlavau caiva mahātapasvinau
mamāpi tad bhūtikaraṃ pracakṣate mahānubhāvaṃ caritaṃ nibodhata

1.4.27

tatas tu tau rāmavacaḥ pracoditāv agāyatāṃ mārgavidhānasaṃpadā
sa cāpi rāmaḥ pariṣadgataḥ śanair bubhūṣayāsaktamanā babhūva ha