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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.4.26
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: seated on his golden throne with his ministers and brothers, he asks Lakṣmaṇa, Śatrughna, and Bharata to listen → the brothers begin, and Rāma becomes absorbed in their song.
1.4.26
imau munī pārthivalakṣmaṇānvitau kuśīlavau caiva mahātapasvinau
mamāpi tad bhūtikaraṃ pracakṣate mahānubhāvaṃ caritaṃ nibodhata
“These two sages, endowed with royal marks, Kuśa and Lava, great ascetics — they proclaim this to bring welfare even to me; hear this narrative of great import.”
Words: imau munī — these two sages; pārthivalakṣmaṇānvitau — endowed with royal marks; kuśīlavau caiva — and indeed Kuśa and Lava; mahātapasvinau — the two great ascetics; mamāpi — even for me; tad — that; bhūtikaraṃ — bringing welfare, prosperity; pracakṣate — they proclaim, declare; mahānubhāvaṃ — of great dignity/import; caritaṃ — the story; nibodhata — hear, learn (you all)
Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. 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.