In the sacred land of Nandigrama, Rama, having completed his period of exile, shed his matted hair and, pure in heart, reunited with his brothers and with Sita. He reclaimed his rightful kingdom, and the people rejoiced. Joy and delight filled the land; everyone was content, prosperous, and righteous. Disease and illness vanished, and famine was unknown. No parent would ever witness the death of a son, and women remained ever devoted to their husbands, never suffering widowhood. There was no fear from fire, nor did creatures drown in water; the wind brought no harm, and fever was absent. Hunger and thieves caused no anxiety, for cities and kingdoms overflowed with wealth and grain. All lived in perpetual joy, as in the age of truth. Rama performed hundreds of horse sacrifices and gave abundant gold. He bestowed tens of millions of cows upon the learned, according to proper rites, and immeasurable wealth upon the Brahmins. The illustrious Raghava established royal lineages a hundredfold greater, and set the four classes to their proper duties throughout the world. After ruling for ten thousand and ten hundred years, Rama departed for the world of Brahma. This sacred, sin-destroying, meritorious account, approved by the Vedas, grants freedom from all sins to those who recite the story of Rama. Whoever recites this life-giving Ramayana is honored in heaven after death, along with his sons, grandsons, and companions. A Brahmin who recites it attains eloquence; a Kshatriya gains lordship over the earth; a merchant achieves success in trade; and even a Shudra attains greatness. Now begins the second chapter in the glorious Valmiki Ramayana, the Balakanda, which is to be heard. Hearing Narada’s words, Valmiki, the virtuous and skilled in speech, together with his disciples, honored the great sage. After a moment, when Narada departed for the world of the gods, Valmiki went to the bank of the Tamasā river, not far from the Jahnavī. Upon reaching the bank, the sage saw a ford free from mud and spoke to his disciple standing nearby, “See, Bharadvāja, this ford is free from mud, delightful, with clear water, pleasing to the minds of good people. Let the water pot be set down, dear one, and give me my bark garment; I will bathe here at this excellent ford of the Tamasā.” Thus addressed, Bharadvāja, disciplined and obedient, handed his teacher the bark garment. Taking it from his disciple’s hand, Valmiki, self-controlled, wandered about, observing the vast forest in every direction. Nearby, he saw a pair of krauñcha birds moving together, inseparable, their calls sweet and lovely. Suddenly, a hunter with evil intent struck down the male bird as the sage watched. Seeing her mate’s body stained with blood and writhing on the ground, the female bird cried out in deep sorrow. Separated from her companion, she mourned, her coppery head and beautiful feathers trembling. Witnessing this, compassion arose in Valmiki’s heart. Moved by the suffering of the bird, he thought, “This is unrighteous,” and, seeing the weeping krauñcha, he spoke: “Hunter, may you never attain enduring fame, since you killed one of the krauñcha pair, driven by lust.” As he spoke, Valmiki wondered at his own utterance, overwhelmed by the bird’s grief. Reflecting deeply, the wise sage composed his mind and said to his disciple, “Bound in meter, with syllables arranged, and joined with melody—let this verse, born of my grief, be so and not otherwise.” His disciple joyfully accepted these words, and Valmiki was pleased. Having performed his ablutions at that holy place, Valmiki returned, his mind dwelling on the event. Bharadvāja, obedient and learned, took up a full water pot and followed behind his teacher. Entering the hermitage, the sage, versed in righteousness, sat down, engaged in conversation, and settled into meditation. Then, Brahmā, the creator of the worlds, the lord himself, four-faced and radiant, came to see that foremost of sages. Valmiki, seeing Brahmā, immediately rose, controlled his speech, joined his palms in reverence, and stood, filled with utmost wonder. He honored the god with offerings of water for the feet, arghya, a seat, and salutations, and, having bowed properly, inquired after his well-being. The blessed one, seated on the honored seat, offered a seat in turn to Valmiki. Having received Brahmā’s approval, Valmiki too took his seat, and when he was seated, the Lord of all beings was visibly present. With his mind absorbed in the event, Valmiki entered into meditation, pondering the cruel deed committed by the wicked-hearted whose mind was set on enmity.