इति शेषमुखप्रोक्तं श्रुत्वा वात्स्यायनोऽब्रवीत् । रामायणं श्रोतुमनाः सर्वधर्मसमन्वितम्
Hearing what Shesha had spoken, Vatsyayana, desiring to hear the Ramayana, which is endowed with all dharmas, addressed him.
वात्स्यायन उवाच। कस्मिन्काले कृतं स्वामिन्रामायणमिदं महत् । कस्माच्चकार किन्तत्र वर्णनं तद्वदस्व मे
Vatsyayana said: 'At what time, O master, was this great Ramayana composed? By whom was it made, and what is its subject? Tell me of that.'
शेष उवाच-। एकदा गतवान्विप्रो वाल्मीकिर्विपिनं महत् । यत्र तालास्तमालाश्च किंशुका यत्र पुष्पिताः
Shesha said: 'Once, the sage Valmiki went into a great forest, where there were palmyra and tamala trees, and blossoming kimshuka trees.'
केतकी यत्र रजसा कुर्वती सौरभं वनम् । शशिप्रभेव महती दृश्यते शुभ्रकर्णभृत् । चंपकोबकुलश्चापि कोविदारः कुरंटकः
There, the ketaki flowers, with their pollen, filled the forest with fragrance; great white-blossomed trees shone like the moon, and there were champaka, bakula, kovidara, and kurantaka trees.
अनेके पुष्पिता यत्र पादपाः शोभने वने । कोकिलानां विरावेण षट्पदानां च शब्दितैः
In that beautiful forest, many flowering trees stood, resounding with the calls of cuckoos and the buzzing of bees.
संघुष्टं सर्वतो रम्यं मनोहरवयोन्वितम् । तत्र क्रौंचयुगं रम्यं कामबाणप्रपीडितम्
Everywhere, the delightful forest echoed with enchanting sounds; there, a pair of krauncha birds, tormented by the arrows of desire, dwelled.
परस्परं प्रहृषितं रेमे स्निग्धतया स्थितम् । तदा व्याधः समागत्य तयोरेकं मनोहरम्
The two, delighted with each other, enjoyed themselves, remaining together in affection; then a hunter approached and, seeing one of them, beautiful to behold—
अवधीन्निर्दयः कश्चिन्मांसास्वादनलोलुपः । तदा क्रौंची व्याधहतं स्वपतिं वीक्ष्य दुःखिता
Some cruel hunter, greedy for the taste of flesh, mercilessly killed one; then the female Krauñcī, seeing her mate struck down by the hunter, was filled with sorrow.
विललाप भृशं दुःखान्मुंचंती रावमुच्चकैः । तदा मुनिः प्रकुपितो निषादं क्रौंचघातकम्
She wailed intensely in her grief, letting out loud cries; then the sage, enraged, seeing the slayer of the Krauñca bird—
शशाप वार्युपस्पृश्य सरितः पावनं शुभम् । मा निषाद प्रतिष्ठां त्वमगमः शाश्वतीः समाः
Having touched pure water from the sacred river, the sage cursed the hunter: 'May you, Nishāda, never attain lasting establishment for countless ages—'
यत्क्रौंचपक्षिणोरेकमवधीः काममोहितम् । तदा प्रबंधं श्लोकस्य जातं मत्वा ह्यनुद्विजाः
Because you killed one of the pair of Krauñca birds, driven by lust; then, realizing a metrical composition had arisen, the sages—free from agitation—
ऊचुर्मुनिं प्रहृष्टास्ते शंसंतः साधुसाध्विति । स्वामिञ्छापोदिते वाक्ये भारतीश्लोकमातनोत्
Joyfully addressed the sage, exclaiming, 'Well done! Well done!' And as the master uttered the curse, the goddess of speech took the form of a verse.
अत्यंतं मोहनो जातः श्लोकोऽयं मुनिसत्तम । तदा मुनिः प्रहृष्टात्मा बभूव वाडवर्षभ । तस्मिन्काले समागत्य ब्रह्मा पुत्रैः समन्वितः
This verse, O best of sages, became exceedingly enchanting; then the sage, with a delighted heart, shone like a blazing horse; at that moment, Brahmā arrived, accompanied by his sons.
वचो जगाद वाल्मीकिं धन्योसि त्वं मुनीश्वर । भारती त्वन्मुखे स्थित्वा श्लोकत्वं समपद्यत
He spoke to Vālmīki, 'Blessed are you, O lord of sages! The goddess of speech, abiding in your mouth, has taken the form of verse.'
तस्माद्रामायणं रम्यं कुरुष्व मधुराक्षरम् । येन ते विमला कीर्तिराकल्पांतं भविष्यति
Therefore, compose the delightful Rāmāyaṇa in sweet words, by which your spotless fame will endure until the end of the age.
धन्या सैव मुखे वाणी रामनाम्ना समन्विता । अन्या कामकथा नॄणां जनयत्येव पातकम्
Blessed indeed is that speech, joined with the name of Rāma; any other tale of desire among men only produces sin.
तस्मात्कुरुष्व रामस्य चरितं लोकविश्रुतम् । येन स्यात्पापिनां पापहानिरेव पदेपदे
Therefore, compose the renowned story of Rāma, by which, at every step, there will be the destruction of sin for the sinful.
इत्युक्त्वांतर्दधे स्रष्टा सर्वदेवैः समन्वितः । ततः सचिंतयामास कथं रामायणं भवेत्
Having spoken thus, the Creator vanished, accompanied by all the gods; then he began to reflect, 'How shall the Rāmāyaṇa be?'
तदा ध्यानपरो जातो नदीतीरे मनोरमे । तस्य चेतस्यथो रामः प्रादुर्भूतो मनोहरः
Then, absorbed in meditation on the charming riverbank, Rāma, captivating to behold, appeared in his mind.
नीलोत्पलदलश्यामं रामं राजीवलोचनम् । निरीक्ष्य तस्य चरितं भूतंभाविभवच्च यत्
He saw Rāma, dark as a blue lotus petal, with lotus-like eyes, and beheld his deeds—past, present, and future.
तदात्यंतं मुदं प्राप्तो रामायणमथासृजत् । मनोरमपदैर्युक्तं वृत्तैर्बहुविधैरपि
Then, filled with supreme joy, he composed the Rāmāyaṇa, adorned with delightful words and many kinds of meters.
षट्कांडानि सुरम्याणि यत्र रामायणेऽनघ । बालमारण्यकं चान्यत्किष्किंधा सुंदरं तथा
In the Rāmāyaṇa, O sinless one, there are six most beautiful books: Bāla, Āraṇyaka, Kiṣkindhā, Sundara—
युद्धमुत्तरमन्यच्च षडेतानि महामते । शृणुयाद्यो नरः पुण्यात्सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते
Yuddha, Uttara, and another—these six, O wise one; whoever hears them, being virtuous, is freed from all sins.
तत्र बाले तु संतुष्टः पुत्रेष्ट्या चतुरस्सुतान् । प्राप पंक्तिरथः साक्षाद्धरिं ब्रह्मसनातनम्
There, in the Bāla book, satisfied by the Putreṣṭi sacrifice and his four sons, the king, with his retinue, directly obtained Hari, the eternal Brahman.
स कौशिकमखं गत्वा सीतामुद्वाह्य भार्गवम् । आगत्य पुरमुत्कृष्टो यौवराज्यप्रकल्पनम्
He went to the Kauśika sacrifice, married Sītā, and returned, distinguished in the city, with preparations for the royal succession.
मातृवाक्याद्वनं प्रागाद्गंगामुत्तीर्य पर्वतम् । चित्रकूटं महिलया लक्ष्मणेन समन्वितः
At his mother's command, he departed for the forest, crossing the Gaṅgā and the mountain, arriving at Citrakūṭa with his wife and accompanied by Lakṣmaṇa.
भरतस्तं वने श्रुत्वा जगाम भ्रातरं नयी । तमप्राप्य स्वयं नंदिग्रामे वासमचीकरत्
Bharata, hearing of him in the forest, went to his brother with noble intent; not finding him, he himself stayed in Nandigrāma.
बालमेतच्छृणुष्वान्यदारण्यकसमुद्भवम् । मुनीनामाश्रमे वासस्तत्र तत्रोपवर्णनम्
Listen, child, to another account arising from the forest: residence in the hermitage of sages, and the description thereof.
नासाच्छेदः शूर्पणख्याः खरदूषणनाशनम् । मायामारीचहननं दैत्याद्रामापहारणम्
There was the mutilation of Śūrpaṇakhā, the destruction of Khara and Dūṣaṇa, the slaying of the illusory Mārīca, and the abduction of Sītā by the demon.
वने विरहिणा भ्रांतं मनुष्यचरितं भृतम् । कबंधप्रेक्षणं तत्र पम्पायां गमनं तथा
In the forest, wandering in separation, bearing the conduct of a man, there was the encounter with Kabandha, and then the journey to Pampā.