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.
रामो ऽपि मुनिभिः सार्धं पार्थिवैश्च महात्मभिः । श्रुत्वा तद्गीतिमाधुर्यं कर्मशालामुपागमत् ।। ७.९४.
Rama, together with the sages and noble kings, having heard the sweetness of that song, approached the hall of deeds.
शुश्राव तत्ताललयोपपन्नं सर्गान्वितं स स्वरशब्दयुक्तम् । तन्त्रीलयव्यञ्जनयोगयुक्तं कुशीलवाभ्यां परिगीयमानम् ।। ७.९४.
He listened to that song, accompanied by rhythm and melody, filled with creation, endowed with notes and sounds, skillfully rendered with the interplay of strings and tempo, sung by the two Kusilavas.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे चतुर्नवतितमः सर्गः
Thus ends the ninety-fourth section in the glorious Uttarakanda of the venerable Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.
रामो बहून्यहान्येवं तद्गीतं परमं शुभम् । शुश्राव मुनिभिः सार्धं पार्थिवैः सह वानरैः ।। ७.९५.
Rama, for many days, listened to that supremely auspicious song together with the sages, kings, and vanaras.
तस्मिन्गीते तु विज्ञाय सीतापुत्रौ कुशीलवौ । तस्याः परिषदो मध्ये रामो वचनमब्रवीत् । दूताञ्छुद्धसमाचारानाहूयात्ममनीषया ।। ७.९५.
In that song, recognizing the two sons of Sita, Kusha and Lava, Rama spoke in the midst of the assembly, summoning messengers of pure conduct according to his own judgment.
मद्वचो ब्रूत गच्छध्वमितो भगवतो ऽन्तिकम् ।। ७.९५.
Go, speak my words, and proceed to the presence of the venerable sage.
परिषदो मध्ये रामो वचनमब्रवीत् । यदि शुद्धसमाचारा यदि वा वीतकल्मषा । करोत्विहात्मनः शुद्धिमनुमान्य महामुनिम् ।। ७.९५.
In the midst of the assembly, Rama spoke: 'If they are of pure conduct, if they are free from sin, let them, with the approval of the great sage, establish their own purity here.'
छन्दं मुनेश्च विज्ञाय सीतायाश्च मनोगतम् । प्रत्ययं दातुकामायास्ततः शंसत मे लघु ।। ७.९५.
Understanding the sage's intent and Sita's thoughts, and wishing to provide assurance, then quickly inform me.
श्वः प्रभाते तु शपथं मैथिली जनकात्मजा । करोतु परिषन्मध्ये शोधनार्थं ममैव च ।। ७.९५.
Tomorrow morning, let Maithili, daughter of Janaka, take an oath in the midst of the assembly for the sake of purification, and for mine as well.
श्रुत्वा तु ऱागवस्यैतद्वचः परममद्भुतम् । दूताः सम्प्रययुर्बाटं यत्रास्ते मुनिपुङ्गवः ।। ७.९५.
Hearing this most wondrous speech of Raghava, the messengers swiftly went to where the foremost sage was.