तौ रजन्यां प्रभातायां स्नातौ हुतहुताशनौ । यथोक्तमृषिणा पूर्वं सर्वं तत्रोपगायताम् ।। ७.९४.
At dawn, after bathing and offering oblations into the sacred fire, the two sang everything there just as the sage had previously instructed.
तां स शुश्राव काकुत्स्थः पूर्वाचार्यविजिर्मिताम् । अपूर्वां पाठ्यजातिं च गेयेन समलङ्कृताम् ।। ७.९४.
The descendant of Kakutstha listened to that song, composed by ancient teachers, a new style of recitation, adorned with melody.
प्रमाणैर्बहुभिर्बद्धां तन्त्रीलयसमन्विताम् । बालाभ्यां राघवः श्रुत्वा कौतूहलपरो ऽभवत् ।। ७.९४.
Bound by many measures, accompanied by the rhythm of the lute, Rāghava, hearing it sung by the two boys, became filled with curiosity.
अथ कर्मान्तरे राजा समाहूय महामुनीन् । पार्थिवांश्च नरव्याघ्रः पण्डितान्नैगमांस्तथा ।। ७.९४.
Then, during another task, the king summoned the great sages, the tiger among men, as well as the kings, scholars, and also the merchants.
पौराणिकाञ्छब्दविदो ये च वृद्धा द्विजातयः । स्वराणां लक्षणज्ञांश्च उत्सुकान्द्विजसत्तमान् ।। ७.९४.
He called the reciters of ancient tales, those skilled in language, the elderly twice-born, and the foremost Brāhmaṇas who know the characteristics of musical notes, all eager to listen.
लक्षणज्ञांश्च गान्धर्वान्नैगमांश्च विशेषतः । पादाक्षरसमासज्ञांश्छन्दःसु परिनिष्ठितान् ।। ७.९४.
He especially summoned those skilled in the characteristics of music, the experts in the art of Gandharvas, the merchants, those who know the arrangement of syllables and feet, and those accomplished in metres.
कलामात्राविशेषज्ञाञ्ज्योतिषे च परं गतान् । क्रियाकल्पविदश्चैव तथा कार्यविदो जनान् ।। ७.९४.
He called those who know the distinctions of time and measure, those advanced in astrology, those skilled in ritual procedures, and those knowledgeable in various duties.
भाषाज्ञानिङ्गितज्ञांश्च नैगमांश्चाप्यशेषतः । हेतूपचारकुशलान् वचने चापि हैतुकान् ।। ७.९४.
He summoned those who know languages and gestures, all the merchants, those skilled in reasoning and application, and those adept in logical discourse.
छन्दोविदः पुराणज्ञान्वैदिकान्द्विजसत्तमान् । चित्रज्ञान्वृत्तसूत्रज्ञान्गीतनृत्यविशारदान् ।। ७.९४.
He called the experts in metres, the knowers of ancient lore, the foremost twice-born versed in the Vedas, those skilled in painting, in the rules of poetic composition, and those accomplished in singing and dance.
शास्त्रज्ञान्नीतिनिपुणान्वेदान्तार्थप्रबोधकान् । एतान्सर्वान्समानीय गातारौ समवेशयत् ।। ७.९४.
He gathered together all those who were learned in the scriptures, skilled in policy, and awakened to the meaning of Vedānta, and had the two singers seated among them.
दृष्ट्वा मुनिगणाः सर्वे पार्थिवाश्च महौजसः । पिबन्त इव चक्षुर्भ्यां राजानं गायकौ च तौ ।। ७.९४.
Seeing them, all the groups of sages and the mighty kings gazed upon the king and those two singers as if drinking them in with their eyes.
ऊचुः परस्परं चेदं सर्व एव समन्ततः । उभौ रामस्य सदृशौ बिम्बाद्बिम्बमिवोत्थितौ ।। ७.९४.
All of them, everywhere, said to one another: 'Both are just like Rāma, as if an image had arisen from an image.'
जटिलौ यदि न स्यातां न वल्कलधरौ यदि । विशेषं नाधिगच्छामो गायतो राघवस्य च ।। ७.९४.
If they were not matted-haired and did not wear bark garments, we would find no distinction between them and the singer of Rāghava's deeds.
तेषां संवदतामेवं श्रोतऽणां हर्षवर्धनम् । गेयं प्रचक्रतुस्तत्र तावुभौ मुनिदारकौ ।। ७.९४.
As they conversed in this way, increasing the joy of the listeners, those two young ascetics began to sing there.
ततः प्रवृत्तं मधुरं गान्धर्वमतिमानुषम् । न च तृप्तिं ययुः सर्वे श्रोतारो गानसम्पदा ।। ७.९४.
Then began a sweet, celestial, superhuman song, and all the listeners did not grow satiated with the excellence of the singing.
प्रवृत्तमादितः पूर्वसर्गं नारददर्शितम् । ततः प्रभृति सर्गांश्च यावद्विंशत्यगायताम् ।। ७.९४.
They began from the first, singing the earliest section as revealed by Nārada, and from there continued to sing up to the twentieth section.
ततो ऽपराह्णसमये राघवः समभाषत । श्रुत्वा विंशतिसर्गांस्तान्भ्रातरं भ्रातृवत्सलः ।। ७.९४.
Then, in the afternoon, Rāghava, who cherished his brother, spoke after hearing those twenty sections.
अष्टादशसहस्राणि सुवर्णस्य महात्मनोः । प्रयच्छ शीघ्रं काकुत्स्थ यदन्यदभिकाङ्क्षितम् । ददौ शीघ्रं स काकुत्स्थो बालयोर्वै पृथक्पृथक् ।। ७.९४.
Give at once eighteen thousand pieces of gold to these two great souls, O descendant of Kakutstha, and whatever else they desire; and Kakutstha promptly gave separately to each of the boys.
दीयमानं सुवर्णं तु नागृह्णीतां कुशीलवौ । ऊचतुश्च महात्मानौ किमनेनेति विस्मितौ ।। ७.९४.
But the two, Kuśa and Lava, did not accept the gold being offered; those great souls, astonished, said, 'What is the use of this?'
वन्येन फलमूलेन निरतौ वनवासिनौ । सुवर्णेन हिरण्येन किं करिष्यावहे वने ।। ७.९४.
Dwelling in the forest, devoted to fruits and roots, what would we do with gold or treasure in the woods?
तथा तयोः प्रब्रुवतोः कौतूहलसमन्विताः । श्रोतारश्चैव रामश्च सर्व एव सुविस्मिताः ।। ७.९४.
As the two spoke thus, filled with curiosity, all the listeners and Rāma himself were greatly astonished.
तस्य चैवागमं रामः काव्यस्य श्रोतुमुत्सुकः । पप्रच्छ तौ महातेजास्तावुभौ मुनिदारकौ ।। ७.९४.
Eager to hear the origin of that poem, Rāma, of great splendor, questioned those two young ascetics.
किम्प्रमाणमिदं काव्यं का प्रतिष्ठा महात्मनः । कर्ता काव्यस्य महतः क्व चासौ मुनिपुङ्गवः ।। ७.९४.
What is the measure of this poem? What is its foundation, O great souls? Who is the author of this great poem, and where is that foremost of sages?
पृच्छन्तं राघवं वाक्यमूचतुर्मुनिदारकौ ।। ७.९४.
To Rāghava, who was asking, the two young ascetics replied.
वाल्मीकिर्भगवान्कर्ता सम्प्राप्तो यज्ञसंविधम् । येनेदं चरितं तुभ्यमशेषं सम्प्रदर्शितम् ।। ७.९४.
The venerable Vālmīki is the author; he has come to the sacrificial assembly, and by whom this entire story has been shown to you.
सन्निबद्धं हि श्लोकानां चतुर्विशत्सहस्रकम् । उपाख्यानशतं चैव भार्गवेण तपस्विना ।। ७.९४.
Indeed, it has been composed by the Bhārgava sage, the ascetic, in twenty-four thousand verses and a hundred tales.
आदिप्रभृति वै राजन्पञ्चसर्गशतानि च । काण्डानि षट् कृतानीह सोत्तराणि महात्मना । कृतानि गुरुणास्माकमृषिणा चरितं तव ।। ७.९४.
From the beginning, O King, five hundred sections and six books, including the Uttara, have been composed here by our venerable sage, narrating your story.
प्रतिष्ठा ऽ ऽजीवितं यावत्तावत्सर्वस्य वर्तते ।। ७.९४.
Existence endures for all as long as life remains.
सोत्तराणि महात्मना । यदि बुद्धिः कृता राजञ्छ्रवणाय महारथ । कर्मान्तरे क्षणीभूतस्तच्छृणुष्व सहानुजः ।। ७.९४.
O king, if the great-souled one has resolved to listen to the subsequent deeds, and if another task has become brief, then hear it together with your brother.
बाढमित्यब्रवीद्रामस्तौ चानुज्ञाप्य राघवम् । प्रहृष्टौ जग्मतुः स्थानं यत्रास्ते मुनिपुङ्गवः ।। ७.९४.
Rama replied, 'So be it,' and, having received permission from Raghava, both departed joyfully to the place where the foremost sage resided.