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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.23.7
Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 23: Story of Tāṭakā’s forest: Indra’s cleansing and the ruined country. The Sarayū’s origin and confluence are explained, Indra’s cleansing gives Malada & Karūṣa their names and Tāṭakā’s devastation makes the region impassable
In the sequence: Viśvāmitra explains that Brahmā created Lake Mānasa on Kailāsa through his mind, and that the Sarayū flows from it past Ayodhyā → the roar arises from the churning and agitation of the waters as the Sarayū meets the Gaṅgā → the brothers salute both rivers, land on the southern bank, and continue. Entering a dense, frightening forest full of predators and harsh animal cries, Rāma asks about it
1.23.7
kailāsaparvate rāma manasā nirmitaṃ saraḥ
brahmaṇā naraśārdūla tenedaṃ mānasaṃ saraḥ
“On Mount Kailāsa, O Rāma, a lake was fashioned by the mind of Brahmā, O tiger among men; hence this is (called) the Mānasa lake.
Words: kailāsaparvate — on Mount Kailāsa; rāma — O Rāma; manasā — by the mind; nirmitaṃ — fashioned, made; saraḥ — a lake; brahmaṇā — by Brahmā; naraśārdūla — O tiger among men; tenedaṃ — hence this; mānasaṃ — the Mānasa (mind-born); saraḥ — lake
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.