← 1.4.11 · Bāla Kāṇḍa 4: Kuśa & Lava perform the poem · 1.4.13 →
Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.4.12
Bāla Kāṇḍa, sarga 4: Kuśa & Lava perform the poem. Kuśa & Lava learn and perform the poem, their singing moves the ṛṣis and brings them before Rāma
In the sequence: the work is called the Rāmāyaṇa, the great story of Sītā, and the slaying of Pulastya's descendant → the brothers master its musical tempos, modes, lute accompaniment, and varied emotions, resembling Rāma himself in appearance. Kuśa and Lava sing before assemblies of ṛṣis and dvijas
1.4.12
ṛṣīṇāṃ ca dvijātīnāṃ sādhūnāṃ ca samāgame
yathopadeśaṃ tattvajñau jagatus tau samāhitau
mahātmānau mahābhāgau sarvalakṣaṇalakṣitau
in the assembly of seers, brahmins, and holy men, those two knowers of truth, composed, sang it as instructed — the two great-souled, greatly blessed ones, marked with every (auspicious) sign.
Words: ṛṣīṇāṃ ca — of seers and; dvijātīnāṃ — of the twice-born (brahmins); sādhūnāṃ ca — and of holy men; samāgame — in the assembly, gathering; yathopadeśaṃ — according to instruction; tattvajñau — the two knowers of truth; jagatus — the two sang; tau — the two; samāhitau — composed, concentrated; mahātmānau — the two great-souled; mahābhāgau — the two greatly blessed; sarvalakṣaṇalakṣitau — marked with every (auspicious) sign
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.