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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.2.30

Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 2: Grief becomes the first śloka. A bird’s death moves Vālmīki to utter the first śloka, Brahmā asks him to compose Rāma’s life in that form

In the sequence: still absorbed in the birds' suffering, he repeats the verse. Brahmā confirms that it is a śloka and says that speech arose through his will

1.2.30

macchandād eva te brahman pravṛtteyaṃ sarasvatī
rāmasya caritaṃ kṛtsnaṃ kuru tvam ṛṣisattama

By my will alone, O brahmin, has this (goddess of) speech flowed forth in you; compose the entire story of Rāma, O best of seers.

Words: macchandād eva — by my will alone; te — in you; brahman — O brahmin; pravṛtteyaṃ — this has flowed forth; sarasvatī — Sarasvatī (speech, eloquence); rāmasya — of Rāma; caritaṃ — the deeds, story; kṛtsnaṃ — entire, whole; kuru — make, compose; tvam — you; ṛṣisattama — O best of seers

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.