ततः कुंडलकान्मुक्तो हयो बभ्राम सर्वतः । न कश्चित्तं निजग्राह स्ववीर्यबलदर्पितः
Then, freed from the earrings, the horse wandered everywhere; no one, proud of their own strength and power, was able to seize it.
वाल्मीकेराश्रमे रम्ये हयः प्राप्तो मनोरमः । तत्र यत्कुतुकं जातं तच्छृणुष्व नरोत्तम
The splendid horse reached the delightful hermitage of Vālmīki; listen, O best of men, to the wondrous events that took place there.
तत्रार्भस्तव सारूप्यं बिभ्रत्षोडशवार्षिकः । जग्राह वीक्ष्य पत्रांकं वाजिनं बलवत्तमः
There, a sixteen-year-old boy, bearing your likeness, saw the horse marked with a letter and seized that most powerful steed.
तत्र कालजिता युद्धं महज्जातं नरोत्तम । निहतस्तेन वीरेण शितधारेण हेतिना
There, O best of men, a great battle arose with Kālajit; by that heroic youth, wielding a sharp weapon, many were slain.
अनेके निहताः संख्ये पुष्कलाद्या महाबलाः । मूर्च्छितं चापि शत्रुघ्नं चक्रे वीरशिरोमणिः
Many mighty warriors, including Puṣkala and others, were slain in that conflict; and the foremost of heroes caused Shatrughna to fall unconscious.
तदा राजा महद्दुःखं विचार्य हृदिसंयुगे । कोपेन मूर्च्छितं चक्रे वीरो हि बलिनां वरः
Then the king, deeply pained in his heart, considered the matter; in his anger, the best among the strong made the hero fall unconscious.
स यावन्मूर्च्छितो राज्ञा तावदन्यः समागतः । तेनैतेन च संजीव्य नाशितं कटकं तव
While he was still unconscious from the king's blow, another arrived; by him, Shatrughna was revived, and your army was destroyed.
सर्वेषां मूर्च्छितानां तु शस्त्राण्याभरणानि च । गृहीत्वा वानरौ बद्धौ जग्मतुः स्वाश्रमं प्रति
Taking the weapons and ornaments from all those who had fallen unconscious, the two sons of the Wind bound the monkeys and went back to their hermitage.
कृपां कृत्वा पुनस्तेन दत्तोऽश्वो यज्ञियो महान् । जीवनं प्रापितं सर्वं कटकं नष्टजीवितम्
Out of compassion, that great sacrificial horse was returned by him; all your army, whose lives had been lost, was restored to life.
वयं गृहीत्वा तं वाहं प्राप्तास्तव समीपतः । एतदेव मया ज्ञातं तदुक्तं ते पुरोवचः
We, having taken that steed, have now arrived near you; this is all I have known, and I have told you exactly as it happened.
शेष उवाच। कथितौ वै सुमतिना वाल्मीकेराश्रमे शिशू । पुत्रौ स्वीयाविति ज्ञात्वा वाल्मीकिं प्रति संजगौ
Śeṣa said: Sumati told all this in Vālmīki's hermitage, knowing that the boys were his own sons, and he spoke to Vālmīki.
श्रीराम उवाच। कौ शिशू मम सारूप्यधारकौ बलिनां वरौ । किमर्थं तिष्ठतस्तत्र धनुर्विद्याविशारदौ
Śrī Rāma said: Who are these boys, bearing my likeness and the best among the strong? For what reason are they staying there, so skilled in the science of archery?
अमात्यकथितौ श्रुत्वा विस्मयो मम जायते । यौ शत्रुघ्नं हनूमंतं लीलयांग बबंधतुः
Hearing what the ministers said, I am filled with wonder—how those two, with ease, bound Śatrughna and Hanuman.
तस्माच्छंस मुने सर्वं बालयोश्च विचेष्टितम् । यथा मे परमा प्रीतिर्भवत्येवमभीप्सिता
Therefore, sage, tell me everything about the actions of those boys, so that I may feel the utmost joy, as I desire.
इति तत्कथितं श्रुत्वा राजराजस्य धीमतः । उवाच परमं वाक्यं स्पष्टाक्षरसमन्वितम्
Having heard this account, the wise king of kings spoke the highest words, clear and well-articulated.
वाल्मीकिरुवाच। तवांतर्यामिणो नॄणां कथं ज्ञानं च नो भवेत् । तथापि कथयाम्यत्र तव संतोषहेतवे
Vālmīki said: How could we know the inner knowledge of people such as you? Still, I will tell you here, for your satisfaction.
राजन्यौ बालकौ मह्यमाश्रमे बलिनां वरौ । त्वत्सारूप्यधरौ स्वांगमनोहरवपुर्धरौ
The two royal boys, foremost among the strong, were with me in the hermitage, bearing your likeness and possessing captivating forms.
त्वया यदा वने त्यक्ता जानकी वै निरागसी । अंतर्वत्नी वने घोरे विलपंती मुहुर्मुहुः
When you abandoned Sītā, free from blame, in the forest, she, your beloved wife, lamented again and again in that dreadful wood.
कुररीमिव दुःखार्तां वीक्ष्याहं तव वल्लभाम् । जनकस्य सुतां पुण्यामाश्रमे त्वानयं तदा
Seeing your virtuous beloved, daughter of Janaka, suffering like a distressed female curlew, I brought her to the hermitage at that time.
तस्याः पर्णकुटीरम्या रचिता मुनिपुत्रकैः । तस्यामसूत पुत्रौ द्वौ भासयंतौ दिशो दश
A pleasant leaf-hut was built for her by the sons of sages; there she gave birth to two sons who illuminated the ten directions.
तयोरकरवं नाम कुशो लव इति स्फुटम् । ववृधातेऽनिशं तत्र शुक्लपक्षे यथा शशी
I gave them the names Kuśa and Lava, clearly; they grew there constantly, like the moon waxing in the bright fortnight.
कालेनोपनयाद्यानि सर्वाणि कृतवानहम् । वेदान्सांगानहं सर्वान्ग्राहयामास भूपते
In time, I performed all the initiatory rites for them; I taught them all the Vedas with their branches, O king.
सर्वाणि सरहस्यानि शृणुष्व मुखतो मम । आयुर्वेदं धनुर्विद्यां शस्त्रविद्यां तथैव च
Listen from my own mouth to all the secret sciences: Ayurveda, the science of archery, the knowledge of weapons, and so forth.
विद्यां जालंधरीं चाथ संगीतकुशलौ कृतौ । गंगाकूले गायमानौ लताकुंजवनेषु च
I also taught them the magical science of Jālandhara, and made them skilled in music, singing on the banks of the Ganges and in groves of vines.
चंचलौ चलचित्तौ तौ सर्वविद्याविशारदौ । तदाहमतिसंतोषं प्राप्तश्चाहं रघूत्तम
Those two, lively and restless in mind, were accomplished in all branches of knowledge; at that time, O best of Raghus, I felt great satisfaction.
दत्त्वा सर्वाणि चास्त्राणि मस्तके निहितः करः । अतीवगानकुशलौ दृष्ट्वा लोका विसिष्मिरे । षड्जमध्यमगांधारस्वरभेदविशारदौ
Having given them all the weapons, placing my hand on their heads, I saw that they were extremely skilled in melody; the worlds marveled at them, experts in the notes Ṣaḍja, Madhyama, and Gāndhāra.
तथाविधौ विलोक्याहं गापयामि मनोहरम् । भविष्यज्ञानयोगाच्च कृतं रामायणं शुभम्
Seeing them thus, I had them sing enchanting songs; and through the power of foreknowledge, I composed the auspicious Rāmāyaṇa.
मृदंगपणवाद्यादि यंत्रवीणाविशारदौ । वनेवने च गायंतौ मृगपक्षिविमोहकौ
Skilled in playing the mṛdaṅga, paṇava, and other instruments, as well as the lute, they sang in forest after forest, enchanting beasts and birds.
अद्भुतं गीतमाधुर्यं तव रामकुमारयोः । श्रोतुं तौ वरुणो बाला वा निनाय विभावरीम्
The wondrous sweetness of song in your sons, O Rāma, was such that even Varuṇa spent the night listening to those boys.
मनोहरवयोरूपौ गानविद्याब्धिपारगौ । कुमारौ जगदुस्तत्र लोकेशादेशतः कलम्
Those boys, with charming youth and form, having crossed the ocean of musical knowledge, sang there at the command of the lords of the world.