Sarga 4: Kusa and Lava Sing the Epic
Kusilava Charitam
Valmiki completes the 24,000-verse epic and teaches it to his pupils Kusa and Lava, who recite it before sages and finally before Rama himself.
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प्राप्तराज्यस्य रामस्य वाल्मीकिर्भगवानृषि:। चकार चरितं कृत्स्नं विचित्रपदमात्मवान्।।1.4.1।।
Meaning
After Rama had regained his kingdom, the divine and wise sage Valmiki composed his entire life-story in astonishing, wonderfully crafted verse.
चतुर्विंशत्सहस्राणि श्लोकानामुक्तवानृषि:। तथा सर्गशतान्पञ्च षट्काण्डानि तथोत्तरम् ।।1.4.2।।
Meaning
The sage composed the epic in twenty-four thousand verses, five hundred cantos, and six kandas, along with the Uttara Kanda besides.
कृत्वापि तन्महाप्राज्ञस्सभविष्यं सहोत्तरम्। चिन्तयामास कोन्वेतत्प्रयुञ्जीयादिति प्रभु:।।1.4.3।।
Meaning
Having composed the whole work, including events yet to come, the great and capable sage wondered to himself who might carry it forward into performance.
तस्य चिन्तयमानस्य महर्षेर्भावितात्मन:। अगृह्णीतां तत: पादौ मुनिवेषौ कुशीलवौ ।।1.4.4।।
Meaning
While the honored sage sat pondering this, two youths in the dress of ascetics — Kusa and Lava — came and touched his feet.
कुशीलवौ तु धर्मज्ञौ राजपुत्रौ यशस्विनौ। भ्रातरौ स्वरसम्पन्नौ ददर्शाश्रमवासिनौ ।।1.4.5।।
Meaning
Valmiki saw before him two illustrious princely brothers, learned in dharma, gifted with sweet voices, living right there in his own hermitage.
स तु मेधाविनौ दृष्ट्वा वेदेषु परिनिष्ठितौ। वेदोपबृंहणार्थाय तावग्राहयत प्रभु:।।1.4.6।।
Meaning
Finding them intelligent and well-grounded in the Vedas, the master had the two of them learn the epic by heart, meant to nourish and support the Vedas themselves.
काव्यं रामायणं कृत्स्नं सीतायाश्चरितं महत्। पौलस्त्यवधमित्येव चकार चरितव्रत:।।1.4.7।।
Meaning
The devout sage composed this whole epic under the names Ramayana, the great story of Sita, and the Slaying of Paulastya's kin.
पाठ्ये गेये च मधुरं प्रमाणैस्त्रिभिरन्वितम्। जातिभिस्सप्तभिर्बद्धं तन्त्रीलयसमन्वितम्।।1.4.8।। रसैश्शृङ्गारकारुण्यहास्यवीरभयानकै:। रौद्रादिभिश्च संयुक्तं काव्यमेतदगायताम्।।1.4.9।। तौ तु गान्धर्वतत्त्वज्ञौ मूर्छनास्थानकोविदौ। भ्रातरौ स्वरसम्पन्नौ गन्धर्वाविव रूपिणौ।।1.4.10।। रूपलक्षणसम्पन्नौ मधुरस्वरभाषिणौ। बिम्बादिवोद्धृतौ बिम्बौ रामदेहात्तथाऽपरौ।।1.4.11।।
Meaning
Sweet to recite and to sing, set to three tempos and seven musical notes and tuned to stringed instruments, filled with the moods of romance, compassion, humor, heroism and terror among others — this was the poem the two brothers sang. Skilled in music and pitch, sweet-voiced and beautiful as gandharvas, Kusa and Lava looked like two living reflections cast from Rama's own form.
तौ राजपुत्रौ कार्त्स्न्येन धर्म्यमाख्यानमुत्तमम्। वाचोविधेयं तत्सर्वं कृत्वा काव्यमनिन्दितौ।।1.4.12।। ऋषीणां च द्विजातीनां साधूनां च समागमे। यथोपदेशं तत्त्वज्ञौ जगतुस्सुसमाहितौ।।1.4.13।।
Meaning
The blameless princes committed the whole dharma-centered epic perfectly to memory, and, well disciplined and true to their training, recited it in the gatherings of sages, learned brahmins and saints.
महात्मानौ महाभागौ सर्वलक्षणलक्षितौ। तौ कदाचित्समेतानामृषीणां भावितात्मनाम्। आसीनानां समीपस्थाविदं काव्यमगायताम्।।1.4.14।।
Meaning
On one occasion these two dignified, blessed princes, marked by every good quality, sang this great epic before an assembly of honored, seated sages.