← 1.4.6 · Bāla Kāṇḍa 4: Kuśa & Lava perform the poem · 1.4.8 →
Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.4.7
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
1.4.7
pāṭhye geye ca madhuraṃ pramāṇais tribhir anvitam
jātibhiḥ saptabhir yuktaṃ tantrīlayasamanvitam
sweet whether recited or sung, furnished with the three tempos, joined with the seven melodic modes, and set to the rhythm of the lute;
Words: pāṭhye — in recitation; geye ca — and in song; madhuraṃ — sweet; pramāṇais tribhir — with the three (metric) measures/tempos; anvitam — furnished with; jātibhiḥ saptabhir — with the seven melodic modes; yuktaṃ — joined with; tantrīlayasamanvitam — accompanied by the rhythm of the lute
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.