प्राप्तराज्यस्य रामस्य वाल्मीकिर्भगवानृषिः। चकार चरितं कृत्स्नं विचित्रपदमर्थवत्॥
When Rāma had obtained his kingdom that worshipful sage , Vālmīki, composed the entire history (of that hero in) excellent metre and fraught with high meaning.
चतुर्विंशत्सहस्राणि श्लोकानामुक्तवानृषिः। तथा सर्गशतान् पञ्च षट्काण्डानि तथोत्रम्॥
The saint recited twenty-four thousand slokas; and it consists of five hundred sections, and is divided into six Kāndas with the Uttara.
कृत्वा तु तन्महाप्राज्ञः सभविष्यां सहोत्तरम्। चिन्तयामास को न्वेतत् प्रयुञ्जीयादिति प्रभुः॥
And having composed it, including as well future incidents to happen afterwards, that lord relected as to who should publish the same before assemblies.
तस्य चिन्तयमानस्य महर्षे वितात्मनः। अगृहीतां ततः पादौ मुनिवेषौ कुशीलवौ॥
And as that great sage of purified soul was thus pounding, in came Kuśi and Lava, in the guise of the sons of ascetics, and touched his feet.
कुशीलवौ तु धर्मज्ञौ राजपुत्रौ यशस्विनौ। भ्रातरौ स्वरसम्पन्नौ ददर्शाश्रमवासिनौ ॥ स तु मेधाविनौ दृष्ट्वा वेदेषु परिनिष्ठितौ। वेदोपबृंहणार्थाय तावग्राहयत प्रभुः॥ काव्यं रामायणं कृत्स्नं सीतायाश्चरितं महत्। पौलस्त्यवधमित्येवं चकार चरितव्रतः।७।।
And he found those illustrious princes the brothers Kusi and lava, knowing morality, and living in a hermitage, and endowed with rythmic voice, well versed in the Vedas. And finding them of a retentive endowment, and initiated into Vedic studies, that lord thought them how to interpret the Vedas, and that vow-observing one taught them the great Rāmāyaṇa in full, treating of Sītā's great life, and the destruction of Paulastya (Rāvana).
पाठ्ये गेये च मधुरं प्रमाणैस्त्रिभिरन्वितम्। जातिभिः सप्तभिर्युक्तं तन्त्रीलयसमन्वितम्॥ रसैः शृङ्गारकरुणहास्यरौद्रभयानकैः। वीरादिभी रसैर्युक्तं काव्यमेतदगायताम्॥ तौ तु गान्धर्वतत्त्वज्ञौ स्थानमूर्च्छनकोविदौ। भ्रातरौ स्वरसम्पन्नौ गन्धर्वाविव रूपिणौ॥ रूपलक्षणसम्पन्नौ मधुरस्वरभाषिणौ। बिम्बादिवोत्थितौ बिम्बौ रामदेहात् तथापरौ॥
Those sweet-voiced brothers, resembling Gandharvas in grace, accomplished in music and dancing, and cognizant of Sthāna and Mürchaņā, began to time to the accompaniment of stringed instruments, and fraught with the sentiments of love, pathos, risibility, the irascible, the terrible, and the heroic. And knowing the characteristics that go to make up the Drama, and gifted with mellifluous voices, those blameless princes, coming from Rāma's body, and resembling him (like two images of one body, they were two images of made of Rama's body).
तौ राजपुत्रौ कात्स्न्येन धर्नामाख्यानमुत्तमम्। वाचोविधेयं तत्सर्वं कृत्वा काव्यमनिन्दितौ ॥ ऋषीणां च द्विजातीनां साधूनां च समागमे। यथोपदेशं तत्त्वज्ञौ जगतुः सुसमाहितौ ॥
Even as the reflection of the solar or the lunar disc resembles that disc; got by heart that excellent and moral story in its entirety; and those princes versed in the Fine arts, with a concentrated mind chanted it as they had learnt it, in the assemblies of ascetics and Brāhmaṇas and good men.
महात्मानौ महाभागौ सर्वलक्षणलक्षितौ। तौ कदाचित् समेतानामृषीणां भावितात्मनाम्॥ मध्येसभं समीपस्थाविदं काव्यमगायताम्। तच्छुत्वा मुनयः सर्वे वाष्पपर्याकुलेक्षणाः॥ साधु साध्विति तावूचुः परं विस्मयमागताः। ते प्रीतिमनसः सर्वे मुनयो धर्मवत्सला:॥
Once upon a time, those high-souled and pious ones, furnished with every auspicious mark, chanted this poem in an assembly of ascetics of purified souls. Having heard this music, all the ascetics were seized with surprise, and with eyes flooded with tears, exclaimed, Well done! Well done! And well pleased, those saints cherishing Duty.
प्रशशंसुः प्रशस्तव्यौ गायमानौ कुशीलवौ। अहो गीतस्य माधुर्थ श्लोकानां च विशेषतः॥
Praised the praiseworthy Kuśi and Lava as they sang, saying,-Ah! what charming music! What sweetness of the verses!
चिरनिर्वृत्तमप्येतत् प्रत्यक्षमिव दर्शितम्। प्रविश्य तावुभौ सुष्टु तथाभावमगायताम्॥ सहितौ मधुरं रक्तं सम्पन्नं स्वरसम्पदा।
All this happened long ago, yet it seems as if we saw it before us. And unified with the theme, both of them singing together sweetly, and at a high pitch, by means of şadja and the other notes, they entranced the audience.
एवं प्रशस्यमानौ तौ तप:श्लाघ्यैर्महर्षिभिः॥ संरक्ततरमत्यर्थं मधुरं तावगायताम्।
They two thus went on sweetly singing at a high pitch, praised by those mighty sages priding in their asceticism.
प्रीतः कश्चिन्मुनिस्ताभ्यां संस्थितः कलशं ददौ॥ प्रसन्नो वल्कलं कश्चित् ददौ ताभ्यां महायशाः। अन्यः कृष्णाजिनमदाद् यज्ञसूत्रं तथापरः॥
Some one in the assembly pleased with them presented them with a water-pitcher; and some one of high fame, being delighted, made them a present of a bark garment; and some one gave them a dark deer skin and some holy thread.
कश्चित् कमण्डलुं प्रादान्मौञ्जीमन्यो महामुनिः। बृसीमन्यस्तदा प्रादात् कौपीनमपरो मुनिः॥
Some gave a kamandalu (An earthen or wooden water pot used by an ascetic) and some great saint conferred on them a muñja (grass) made girdle; and some person granted them a brsi (The seat of an ascetic), and some a kaupina (a small piece of cloth worn by ascetics.)
ताभ्यां ददौ तदा हृष्टः कुठारमपरो मुनिः। काषायमपरो वस्त्रं चीरमन्यो ददौ मुनिः॥
Then some ascetic, well-pleased, gave them an axe; and some a saffron, another a casual clothings.
जटाबन्धनमन्यस्तु काष्टरज्जु मुदान्वितः। यज्ञभाण्डमृषिः कश्चित् काष्ठभारं तथापरः॥ औदुम्बरी बृसीमन्यः स्वस्ति केचित् तदावदन्। आयुष्यमपरे प्राहुर्मुदा तत्र महर्षयः॥ ददुश्चैवं वरान् सर्वे मुनयः सत्यवादिनः।
And some, a thread for tying up their matted locks; and some gladly gave a twine for binding faggots with, and some ascetic presented them with a sacrificial pot; and some, a quantity of fire-wood; and some, a seat made of udumbara (The glamorous fig tree). And some exclaimed, 'Svasti'; and some joyfully cried, “May you be long-lived!" And all those ascetics of truthful speech conferred on them blessings.
आश्चर्यमिदमाख्यानं मुनिना सम्प्रकीर्तितम्॥ परं कवीनामाधारं समाप्तं च यथाक्रमम्। अभिगीतमिदं गीतं सर्वगीतिषु कोविदौ॥ आयुयं पुष्टिजननं सर्वश्रुतिमनोहरम्।
The sages said Wonderful is the story! And, O you accomplished in all kinds of music! beautifully have you chanted and finished this poem, charming ear and heart, and conferring long life and prosperity, which will afford themes to poets.
प्रशस्यमानौ सर्वत्र कदाचित्तत्र गायकौ॥ रथ्यासु राजमार्गेषु ददर्श भरताग्रजः। स्ववेश्म चानीय ततो भ्रातरौ स कुशीलवौ॥ पूजयामास पूजाहौं रामः शत्रुनिवर्हणः। आसीनः काञ्चने दिव्ये स च सिंहासने प्रभुः॥ उपोपविष्टैः सचिवैर्धातृभिश्च समन्वितः। दृष्ट्वा तु रूपसम्पन्नौ विनीतौ भ्रातरावुभौ ॥ उवाच लक्ष्मणं रामः शत्रुघ्नं भरतं तथा। श्रूयतामेतदाख्यानमनयोर्देववर्चसोः॥ विचित्रार्थपदं सम्यग्गायकौ समचोदयत्।
And admired everywhere, on one occasion those singers were seen by Bharata's elder brother, in a street of Ayodhyā, sparsely scattered with stalls. And having had the brothers Kusi and Lava brought under his roof, that destroyer of enemies, Rāma, accorded those ones worthy of honour, a respectful reception. And having seated himself on a throne of excellent gold, in the midst of his brothers and counsellors, that lord, Rāma, beholding both the brothers, handsome and of modest demeanour, spoke to Laksmana, Bharata and Satrughna, saying, Do you listen to the story, fraught with excellent sense and composed in excellent measure, as sung by these ones endowed with the divine afflatus. And then he ordered the singers to begin.
तौ चापि मधुरं रक्तं स्वचित्तायतनिःस्वनम्॥ तन्त्रीलयवदत्यर्थं विश्रुतार्थमगायताम्। ह्लादयत् सर्वगात्राणि मनांसि हृदयानि च। श्रोत्राश्रयसुखं गेयं तद् बभौ जनसंसदि॥
Thereupon causing the down of the audience to stand on end, and ravishing their minds and hearts, they began to sing melodiously and distinctly and in as high a pitch as they could command, and in strains rivalling the notes of a Vīņā. And that song of their enchanted the ear of that assembly.
इमौ मुनी पार्थिवलक्षणान्वितौ कुशीलवौ चैव महातपस्विनौ। ममापि तद् भूतिकरं प्रचक्षते महानुभावं चरितं निबोधत॥
Rāma said, Although these Kuśa and Lava, of rigid penances, look like ascetics, yet they bear on their persons the signs of royalty. And, besides, the story conduces to my fame. Do you, therefore, listen to that history fraught with great worth!
ततस्तु तौ रामवचः प्रचोदितावगायतां मार्गविधानसम्पदा। स चापि रामः परिषद्गतः शनैर्बुभूषयासक्तमना बभूव॥
And then commanded by Rāma, they began to chant according to the Märga mode, and Rāma seated in the midst of his court, was drawn to the music, anxious for the perpetuation of his history.