33 shlokas
तौ रजन्यां प्रभातायां स्नातौ हुतहुताशनौ । यथोक्तमृषिणा पूर्वं सर्वं तत्रोपगायताम् ।। 7.94.1 ।।
tau rajanyāṃ prabhātāyāṃ snātau hutahutāśanau | yathoktamṛṣiṇā pūrvaṃ sarvaṃ tatropagāyatām || 7.94.1 ||
Translation
When the night had brightened into dawn, the two of them, having bathed and offered oblations into the sacred fire, sang there all that the sage had earlier directed.
तां स शुश्राव काकुत्स्थः पूर्वाचार्यविजिर्मिताम् । अपूर्वां पाठ्यजातिं च गेयेन समलङ्कृताम् ।। 7.94.2 ।।
tāṃ sa śuśrāva kākutsthaḥ pūrvācāryavijirmitām | apūrvāṃ pāṭhyajātiṃ ca geyena samalaṅkṛtām || 7.94.2 ||
Translation
That scion of Kakutstha heard it, fashioned by the masters of old, an unprecedented mode of recitation and adorned with melody.
प्रमाणैर्बहुभिर्बद्धां तन्त्रीलयसमन्विताम् । बालाभ्यां राघवः श्रुत्वा कौतूहलपरो ऽभवत् ।। 7.94.3 ।।
pramāṇairbahubhirbaddhāṃ tantrīlayasamanvitām | bālābhyāṃ rāghavaḥ śrutvā kautūhalaparo 'bhavat || 7.94.3 ||
Translation
Hearing it sung by the two boys, bound to many metrical measures and furnished with the melody of the lute-strings and rhythm, Raghava was filled with curiosity.
अथ कर्मान्तरे राजा समाहूय महामुनीन् । पार्थिवांश्च नरव्याघ्रः पण्डितान्नैगमांस्तथा ।। 7.94.4 ।।
atha karmāntare rājā samāhūya mahāmunīn | pārthivāṃśca naravyāghraḥ paṇḍitānnaigamāṃstathā || 7.94.4 ||
Translation
Then, in an interval between the rites, the king, that tiger among men, summoned the great sages, the princes, and likewise the learned men versed in scripture.
पौराणिकाञ्छब्दविदो ये च वृद्धा द्विजातयः । स्वराणां लक्षणज्ञांश्च उत्सुकान्द्विजसत्तमान् ।। 7.94.5 ।।
paurāṇikāñchabdavido ye ca vṛddhā dvijātayaḥ | svarāṇāṃ lakṣaṇajñāṃśca utsukāndvijasattamān || 7.94.5 ||
Translation
He summoned those who knew the Puranas, who were masters of words, the aged brahmins, those who knew the marks of the accents, and the eager and most excellent of the twice-born.
लक्षणज्ञांश्च गान्धर्वान्नैगमांश्च विशेषतः । पादाक्षरसमासज्ञांश्छन्दःसु परिनिष्ठितान् ।। 7.94.6 ।।
lakṣaṇajñāṃśca gāndharvānnaigamāṃśca viśeṣataḥ | pādākṣarasamāsajñāṃśchandaḥsu pariniṣṭhitān || 7.94.6 ||
Translation
And especially those who knew the marks of music, the Gandharvas, and the men learned in scripture, those who understood feet, syllables, and compounds, and those thoroughly accomplished in metres.
कलामात्राविशेषज्ञाञ्ज्योतिषे च परं गतान् । क्रियाकल्पविदश्चैव तथा कार्यविदो जनान् ।। 7.94.7 ।।
kalāmātrāviśeṣajñāñjyotiṣe ca paraṃ gatān | kriyākalpavidaścaiva tathā kāryavido janān || 7.94.7 ||
Translation
He summoned those who knew the distinctions of the kala and matra measures of time, those who had attained the highest skill in astronomy, those versed in the rules of ritual action, and likewise the men who understood practical affairs.
भाषाज्ञानिङ्गितज्ञांश्च नैगमांश्चाप्यशेषतः । हेतूपचारकुशलान् वचने चापि हैतुकान् ।। 7.94.8 ।।
bhāṣājñāniṅgitajñāṃśca naigamāṃścāpyaśeṣataḥ | hetūpacārakuśalān vacane cāpi haitukān || 7.94.8 ||
Translation
He summoned those who knew languages and those who could read gestures, and the men learned in scripture without exception, those skilled in the proper application of arguments, and those expert in reasoned discourse in speech.
छन्दोविदः पुराणज्ञान्वैदिकान्द्विजसत्तमान् । चित्रज्ञान्वृत्तसूत्रज्ञान्गीतनृत्यविशारदान् ।। 7.94.9 ।।
chandovidaḥ purāṇajñānvaidikāndvijasattamān | citrajñānvṛttasūtrajñāngītanṛtyaviśāradān || 7.94.9 ||
Translation
He summoned those who knew metre, those versed in the Puranas, the most excellent twice-born ones learned in the Vedas, those skilled in painting, those who knew verse and aphorism, and those accomplished in song and dance.
शास्त्रज्ञान्नीतिनिपुणान्वेदान्तार्थप्रबोधकान् । एतान्सर्वान्समानीय गातारौ समवेशयत् ।। 7.94.10 ।।
śāstrajñānnītinipuṇānvedāntārthaprabodhakān | etānsarvānsamānīya gātārau samaveśayat || 7.94.10 ||
Translation
He summoned those who knew the sciences, those skilled in statecraft, and those who could expound the meaning of the Vedanta; and having gathered all these together, he seated the two singers in their midst.
दृष्ट्वा मुनिगणाः सर्वे पार्थिवाश्च महौजसः । पिबन्त इव चक्षुर्भ्यां राजानं गायकौ च तौ ।। 7.94.11 ।।
dṛṣṭvā munigaṇāḥ sarve pārthivāśca mahaujasaḥ | pibanta iva cakṣurbhyāṃ rājānaṃ gāyakau ca tau || 7.94.11 ||
Translation
Seeing them, all the hosts of sages and the princes of great might gazed, as though drinking in with their eyes both the king and those two singers.
ऊचुः परस्परं चेदं सर्व एव समन्ततः । उभौ रामस्य सदृशौ बिम्बाद्बिम्बमिवोत्थितौ ।। 7.94.12 ।।
ūcuḥ parasparaṃ cedaṃ sarva eva samantataḥ | ubhau rāmasya sadṛśau bimbādbimbamivotthitau || 7.94.12 ||
Translation
And every one of them, all around, said this to one another: "These two are alike to Rama, as though one image had arisen from another image."
जटिलौ यदि न स्यातां न वल्कलधरौ यदि । विशेषं नाधिगच्छामो गायतो राघवस्य च ।। 7.94.13 ।।
jaṭilau yadi na syātāṃ na valkaladharau yadi | viśeṣaṃ nādhigacchāmo gāyato rāghavasya ca || 7.94.13 ||
Translation
"Were it not that they wore matted locks, and were it not that they were clad in bark garments, we could find no difference between the singers and Raghava himself."
तेषां संवदतामेवं श्रोतऽणां हर्षवर्धनम् । गेयं प्रचक्रतुस्तत्र तावुभौ मुनिदारकौ ।। 7.94.14 ।।
teṣāṃ saṃvadatāmevaṃ śrota'ṇāṃ harṣavardhanam | geyaṃ pracakratustatra tāvubhau munidārakau || 7.94.14 ||
Translation
While they were thus conversing, those two boys, the sons of the sage, began to perform there the song that increased the joy of the listeners.
ततः प्रवृत्तं मधुरं गान्धर्वमतिमानुषम् । न च तृप्तिं ययुः सर्वे श्रोतारो गानसम्पदा ।। 7.94.15 ।।
tataḥ pravṛttaṃ madhuraṃ gāndharvamatimānuṣam | na ca tṛptiṃ yayuḥ sarve śrotāro gānasampadā || 7.94.15 ||
Translation
Then the sweet, superhuman celestial music flowed forth, and all the listeners could not reach satiety from that wealth of song.
प्रवृत्तमादितः पूर्वसर्गं नारददर्शितम् । ततः प्रभृति सर्गांश्च यावद्विंशत्यगायताम् ।। 7.94.16 ।।
pravṛttamāditaḥ pūrvasargaṃ nāradadarśitam | tataḥ prabhṛti sargāṃśca yāvadviṃśatyagāyatām || 7.94.16 ||
Translation
They began from the very beginning with the first canto as shown by Narada, and from there onward they sang the cantos up to the twentieth.
ततो ऽपराह्णसमये राघवः समभाषत । श्रुत्वा विंशतिसर्गांस्तान्भ्रातरं भ्रातृवत्सलः ।। 7.94.17 ।।
tato 'parāhṇasamaye rāghavaḥ samabhāṣata | śrutvā viṃśatisargāṃstānbhrātaraṃ bhrātṛvatsalaḥ || 7.94.17 ||
Translation
Then, in the afternoon, Raghava, who was affectionate toward his brother, having heard those twenty cantos, spoke to his brother.
अष्टादशसहस्राणि सुवर्णस्य महात्मनोः । प्रयच्छ शीघ्रं काकुत्स्थ यदन्यदभिकाङ्क्षितम् । ददौ शीघ्रं स काकुत्स्थो बालयोर्वै पृथक्पृथक् ।। 7.94.18 ।।
aṣṭādaśasahasrāṇi suvarṇasya mahātmanoḥ | prayaccha śīghraṃ kākutstha yadanyadabhikāṅkṣitam | dadau śīghraṃ sa kākutstho bālayorvai pṛthakpṛthak || 7.94.18 ||
Translation
"O Kakutstha, swiftly give to these two noble ones eighteen thousand pieces of gold, and whatever else they may desire." And that Kakutstha swiftly gave it to the two boys, to each one separately.
दीयमानं सुवर्णं तु नागृह्णीतां कुशीलवौ । ऊचतुश्च महात्मानौ किमनेनेति विस्मितौ ।। 7.94.19 ।।
dīyamānaṃ suvarṇaṃ tu nāgṛhṇītāṃ kuśīlavau | ūcatuśca mahātmānau kimaneneti vismitau || 7.94.19 ||
Translation
But Kusha and Lava did not accept the gold that was being given, and, astonished, those two great-souled ones said: "What is this for?"
वन्येन फलमूलेन निरतौ वनवासिनौ । सुवर्णेन हिरण्येन किं करिष्यावहे वने ।। 7.94.20 ।।
vanyena phalamūlena niratau vanavāsinau | suvarṇena hiraṇyena kiṃ kariṣyāvahe vane || 7.94.20 ||
Translation
"We are forest dwellers, content with the wild fruits and roots of the forest. What shall we do with gold and silver in the forest?"
तथा तयोः प्रब्रुवतोः कौतूहलसमन्विताः । श्रोतारश्चैव रामश्च सर्व एव सुविस्मिताः ।। 7.94.21 ।।
tathā tayoḥ prabruvatoḥ kautūhalasamanvitāḥ | śrotāraścaiva rāmaśca sarva eva suvismitāḥ || 7.94.21 ||
Translation
As the two thus spoke, the listeners and Rama as well, all of them indeed, were filled with curiosity and utterly amazed.
तस्य चैवागमं रामः काव्यस्य श्रोतुमुत्सुकः । पप्रच्छ तौ महातेजास्तावुभौ मुनिदारकौ ।। 7.94.22 ।।
tasya caivāgamaṃ rāmaḥ kāvyasya śrotumutsukaḥ | papraccha tau mahātejāstāvubhau munidārakau || 7.94.22 ||
Translation
And Rama of great splendour, eager to hear the origin of that poem, questioned those two, the sons of the sage.
किम्प्रमाणमिदं काव्यं का प्रतिष्ठा महात्मनः । कर्ता काव्यस्य महतः क्व चासौ मुनिपुङ्गवः ।। 7.94.23 ।।
kimpramāṇamidaṃ kāvyaṃ kā pratiṣṭhā mahātmanaḥ | kartā kāvyasya mahataḥ kva cāsau munipuṅgavaḥ || 7.94.23 ||
Translation
"What is the extent of this poem? What is the standing of that great soul? Who is the author of this mighty poem, and where is that foremost of sages?"
पृच्छन्तं राघवं वाक्यमूचतुर्मुनिदारकौ ।। 7.94.24 ।।
pṛcchantaṃ rāghavaṃ vākyamūcaturmunidārakau || 7.94.24 ||
Translation
To Raghava, who was thus questioning, the two sons of the sage replied with these words.
वाल्मीकिर्भगवान्कर्ता सम्प्राप्तो यज्ञसंविधम् । येनेदं चरितं तुभ्यमशेषं सम्प्रदर्शितम् ।। 7.94.25 ।।
vālmīkirbhagavānkartā samprāpto yajñasaṃvidham | yenedaṃ caritaṃ tubhyamaśeṣaṃ sampradarśitam || 7.94.25 ||
Translation
"The blessed Valmiki is its author; he has arrived at the place of the sacrifice — he by whom this whole history of yours has been fully set forth to you."
सन्निबद्धं हि श्लोकानां चतुर्विशत्सहस्रकम् । उपाख्यानशतं चैव भार्गवेण तपस्विना ।। 7.94.26 ।।
sannibaddhaṃ hi ślokānāṃ caturviśatsahasrakam | upākhyānaśataṃ caiva bhārgaveṇa tapasvinā || 7.94.26 ||
Translation
"For it has been composed by the ascetic descendant of Bhrigu as twenty-four thousand shlokas together with a hundred episodes."
आदिप्रभृति वै राजन्पञ्चसर्गशतानि च । काण्डानि षट् कृतानीह सोत्तराणि महात्मना । कृतानि गुरुणास्माकमृषिणा चरितं तव ।। 7.94.27 ।।
ādiprabhṛti vai rājanpañcasargaśatāni ca | kāṇḍāni ṣaṭ kṛtānīha sottarāṇi mahātmanā | kṛtāni guruṇāsmākamṛṣiṇā caritaṃ tava || 7.94.27 ||
Translation
"From the very beginning, O king, five hundred sargas, and six Kandas together with the Uttara, have here been made by that great soul — by the sage, our teacher, who composed your history."
प्रतिष्ठा ऽ ऽजीवितं यावत्तावत्सर्वस्य वर्तते ।। 7.94.28 ।।
pratiṣṭhā ' 'jīvitaṃ yāvattāvatsarvasya vartate || 7.94.28 ||
Translation
"And it endures, established for everyone, for as long as life shall last."
सोत्तराणि महात्मना । यदि बुद्धिः कृता राजञ्छ्रवणाय महारथ । कर्मान्तरे क्षणीभूतस्तच्छृणुष्व सहानुजः ।। 7.94.29 ।।
sottarāṇi mahātmanā | yadi buddhiḥ kṛtā rājañchravaṇāya mahāratha | karmāntare kṣaṇībhūtastacchṛṇuṣva sahānujaḥ || 7.94.29 ||
Translation
"...together with the Uttara, by that great soul. If, O king, O mighty warrior, your mind is set on hearing it, then in an interval of your duties, when you have a free moment, hear it along with your younger brothers."
बाढमित्यब्रवीद्रामस्तौ चानुज्ञाप्य राघवम् । प्रहृष्टौ जग्मतुः स्थानं यत्रास्ते मुनिपुङ्गवः ।। 7.94.30 ।।
bāḍhamityabravīdrāmastau cānujñāpya rāghavam | prahṛṣṭau jagmatuḥ sthānaṃ yatrāste munipuṅgavaḥ || 7.94.30 ||
Translation
Rama said, "So be it," and the two, having taken leave of Raghava, went joyfully to the place where the foremost of sages was dwelling.
रामो ऽपि मुनिभिः सार्धं पार्थिवैश्च महात्मभिः । श्रुत्वा तद्गीतिमाधुर्यं कर्मशालामुपागमत् ।। 7.94.31 ।।
rāmo 'pi munibhiḥ sārdhaṃ pārthivaiśca mahātmabhiḥ | śrutvā tadgītimādhuryaṃ karmaśālāmupāgamat || 7.94.31 ||
Translation
Rama too, together with the sages and the great-souled kings, having heard the sweetness of that song, came to the hall of the sacrificial work.
शुश्राव तत्ताललयोपपन्नं सर्गान्वितं स स्वरशब्दयुक्तम् । तन्त्रीलयव्यञ्जनयोगयुक्तं कुशीलवाभ्यां परिगीयमानम् ।। 7.94.32 ।।
śuśrāva tattālalayopapannaṃ sargānvitaṃ sa svaraśabdayuktam | tantrīlayavyañjanayogayuktaṃ kuśīlavābhyāṃ parigīyamānam || 7.94.32 ||
Translation
He heard it furnished with rhythm and tempo, arranged in sargas, endowed with melody and articulate sound, joined with the play of strings, measure, and consonant tone, being sung by Kusha and Lava.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे चतुर्नवतितमः सर्गः ।। 94 ।।
ityārṣe śrīmadrāmāyaṇe vālmīkīye ādikāvye śrīmaduttarakāṇḍe caturnavatitamaḥ sargaḥ || 94 ||
Translation
Thus, in the venerable Ramayana of Valmiki, the first poem, in the holy Uttara Kanda, the ninety-fourth sarga.