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The Ramayana Book 1

Chapter 4

1 prāptarājyasya rāmasya vālmīkir bhagavān ṛṣiḥ
cakāra caritaṃ kṛtsnaṃ vicitrapadam ātmavān
2 kṛtvā tu tan mahāprājñaḥ sabhaviṣyaṃ sahottaram
cintayām āsa ko nv etat prayuñjīyād iti prabhuḥ
3 tasya cintayamānasya maharṣer bhāvitātmanaḥ
agṛhṇītāṃ tataḥ pādau muniveṣau kuśīlavau
4 kuśīlavau tu dharmajñau rājaputrau yaśasvinau
bhrātarau svarasaṃpannau dadarśāśramavāsinau
5 sa tu medhāvinau dṛṣṭvā vedeṣu pariniṣṭhitau
vedopabṛhmaṇārthāya tāv agrāhayata prabhuḥ
6 kāvyaṃ rāmāyaṇaṃ kṛtsnaṃ sītāyāś caritaṃ mahat
paulastya vadham ity eva cakāra caritavrataḥ
7 pāṭhye geye ca madhuraṃ pramāṇais tribhir anvitam
jātibhiḥ saptabhir yuktaṃ tantrīlayasamanvitam
8 hāsyaśṛṅgārakāruṇyaraudravīrabhayānakaiḥ
bībhatsādirasair yuktaṃ kāvyam etad agāyatām
9 tau tu gāndharvatattvajñau sthāna mūrcchana kovidau
bhrātarau svarasaṃpannau gandharvāv iva rūpiṇau
10 rūpalakṣaṇasaṃpannau madhurasvarabhāṣiṇau
bimbād ivoddhṛtau bimbau rāmadehāt tathāparau
11 tau rājaputrau kārtsnyena dharmyam ākhyānam uttamam
vāco vidheyaṃ tat sarvaṃ kṛtvā kāvyam aninditau
12 ṛṣīṇāṃ ca dvijātīnāṃ sādhūnāṃ ca samāgame
yathopadeśaṃ tattvajñau jagatus tau samāhitau
mahātmānau mahābhāgau sarvalakṣaṇalakṣitau
13 tau kadā cit sametānām ṛṣīṇāṃ bhāvitātmanām
āsīnānāṃ samīpasthāv idaṃ kāvyam agāyatām
14 tac chrutvā munayaḥ sarve bāṣpaparyākulekṣaṇāḥ
sādhu sādhv ity tāv ūcatuḥ paraṃ vismayam āgatāḥ
15 te prītamanasaḥ sarve munayo dharmavatsalāḥ
praśaśaṃsuḥ praśastavyau gāyamānau kuśīlavau
16 aho gītasya mādhuryaṃ ślokānāṃ ca viśeṣataḥ
ciranirvṛttam apy etat pratyakṣam iva darśitam
17 praviśya tāv ubhau suṣṭhu tadā bhāvam agāyatām
sahitau madhuraṃ raktaṃ saṃpannaṃ svarasaṃpadā
18 evaṃ praśasyamānau tau tapaḥślāghyair maharṣibhiḥ
saṃraktataram atyarthaṃ madhuraṃ tāv agāyatām
19 prītaḥ kaś cin munis tābhyāṃ saṃsthitaḥ kalaśaṃ dadau
prasanno valkalaṃ kaś cid dadau tābhyāṃ mahāyaśāḥ
20 āścaryam idam ākhyānaṃ muninā saṃprakīrtitam
paraṃ kavīnām ādhāraṃ samāptaṃ ca yathākramam
21 praśasyamānau sarvatra kadā cit tatra gāyakau
rathyāsu rājamārgeṣu dadarśa bharatāgrajaḥ
22 svaveśma cānīya tato bhrātarau sakuśīlavau
pūjayām āsa pūjārhau rāmaḥ śatrunibarhaṇaḥ
23 āsīnaḥ kāñcane divye sa ca siṃhāsane prabhuḥ
upopaviṣṭaiḥ sacivair bhrātṛbhiś ca paraṃtapaḥ
24 dṛṣṭvā tu rūpasaṃpannau tāv ubhau vīṇinau tataḥ
uvāca lakṣmaṇaṃ rāmaḥ śatrughnaṃ bharataṃ tathā
25 śrūyatām idam ākhyānam anayor devavarcasoḥ
vicitrārthapadaṃ samyag gāyator madhurasvaram
26 imau munī pārthivalakṣmaṇānvitau; kuśīlavau caiva mahātapasvinau
mamāpi tad bhūtikaraṃ pracakṣate; mahānubhāvaṃ caritaṃ nibodhata
27 tatas tu tau rāmavacaḥ pracoditāv; agāyatāṃ mārgavidhānasaṃpadā
sa cāpi rāmaḥ pariṣadgataḥ śanair; bubhūṣayāsaktamanā babhūva

Next: Chapter 5