Balakanda

Chapter 4

बालकांड
चतुर्थ सर्ग

प्राप्त राज्यस्य रामस्य वाल्मीकिर्भगवान् ऋषिः ।
चकार चरितं कृत्स्नं विचित्र पद मात्मवान् ॥

The great sage Valmiki composed a poem with excellent expressions and meaningful words depicting the story of Rama who got back his kingdom.

चतुर्विंशत् सहस्राणि श्लोकानाम् उक्तवान् ऋषिः ।
तथा सर्गशतान् पंच षट्कांडानि तथोत्तरम्॥

Sage Vlmiki composed a poem with twenty fourthousand slokas and five hundred sargas in six kandas. The later story he the composed as uttakaanda.

कृत्वा अपि तन्महाप्राज्ञः सभविष्यं सहोत्तरम् ।
चिंतयामास कोन्वेतत् प्रयुंजीयादिति प्रभुः ॥

Having composed the poem and including the future story also as Uttarakanda , the highly experienced sage fell into a contemplation as to who can recite this great story.

तस्य चिंतयमानस्य महर्षेः भावितात्मनः ।
अगृह्णीतां ततः पादौ मुनिवेषौ कुशीलवौ ॥

As he was thus contemplating, the two brothers Kusa and Lava wearing hermits clothes touched his feet.

कुशीलवौ तु धर्मज्ञौ राजपुत्रौ यशस्विनौ ।
भ्रातरौ सर्व संपन्नौ ददर्शाश्रम वासिनौ ॥

Then the sage saw the two brothers Kusa and Lava who are well known the residents of that hermitage , who know their duties , who are of princely heritage endowed with all excellent qualities .

सतु मेधाविनौ दृष्ट्वा वेदेषु परिनिष्ठितौ ।
वेदोप बृंहणार्थाय तावग्राहयत प्रभुः ॥

Seeing those two who are well versed in Vedas, the sage immediately felt that these two higly intelligent brothers are the fit people to propagate the Ramayana which is equivalent of Vedas.

काव्यं रामायणम् कृत्स्नं सीतायाश्चरितं महत् ।
पौलस्त्यवथ मित्येव चकार चरितव्रतः ॥

The poem consisted mainly of the Rama's story , the story of Sita , and the killing of Ravana and will be known as Ramayana or the story of Sita or the killing of Ravana.

पाठ्ये गेयेच मथुरं परमाणैस्त्रिभिरन्वितम् ।
जातिभिः सप्तभिर्बद्धं तंत्रीलय समन्वितम् ॥
रसैः शृंगार कारुण्य हास्य वीर भयानकैः ।
रौद्रादिभिश्च संयुक्तं काव्यमेतदगायताम् ॥

This poem is good for reading , singing soulfully. It can be sung to the three beats of time, and has the seven ragas. It can be sung to the accompaniment of strings and percussion instruments. It has the sentiments of love, pathos, mirth , valor , terror, and wrath. Such was the Ramayan sung by these two brothers.

तौ तु गांधर्व तत्वज्ञौ मूर्चनास्थानकोविदौ ।
भ्रातरौ सर्वसंपन्नौ गंधर्वाविव रूपिणौ ॥
रूपलक्षण संपन्नौ मथुरस्वरभाषिणौ ।
बिंबादिवोद्दृतौ बिंबौ रामदेहात् तथापरौ ॥

The two brothers are experts in all the arts. They are capable of singing at any of the three defined pitches. They are endowed with all riches. In having riches of looks they look like Gandharvas. They are experts in speaking with sweet voice . Endowed with looks and excellences they looked like mirror images of SriRama himself !

तौ राजपुत्रौ कार्त्स्न्येन धर्मं आख्यानमुत्तमम् ।
वचो विधेयं तत्सर्वं कृत्वा काव्यमनिंदितौ ॥
ऋषीणां च द्विजातीनां साधूनां च समागमे ।
यथोपदेशं तत्वज्ञौ जगतुस्तौ समाहितौ ॥

The two princely brothers learnt the great poem which speaks of all virtues. In the congregation of sages, brahmans, and saints the two who are experts and who knew the meaning of Vedas , sang the poem as they were taught .

महात्मनौ महभागौ सर्वलक्षण लक्षितौ ।
तौ कदाचित् समेतानां ऋषीणां भावितात्मनाम् ॥
असीनां समीपस्थौ इदं काव्यं अगायताम् ॥
तत् श्रुत्वा मुनयस्सर्वे भाष्पपर्याकुलेक्षणः ।
साधु साद्वीति तावूचुः परम् विश्मयमागतः ॥

Once the highly intelligent brothers endowed with all auspicious qualities sang the poem in a congregation of sages who are of purified and firm mind. Hearing that poem all the sages were moved to tears. Surprised and wonder struck the sages applauded them saying 'well done ', 'excellent' etc.

ते प्रीतमनसः सर्वे मुनयो धर्मवत्सलाः ।
प्रशशंसुः प्रशस्तव्यौ गायमानौ कुशीलवौ ॥
अहो गीतस्य माथुर्यं श्लोकानां तु विशेषतः ।
चिरनिर्वृत्तं अस्येतत् प्रत्यक्षमिव दर्शितम् ॥

The Sages , wedded to virtues , being extremely pleased praised the two brothers Kusa and Lava who sang in praise worthy manner . " Wonderful is the melody of the poem. The speciality of slokas is that they depict the story of events that happenned long ago in a vivid manner as through they happenned in front our eyes "

प्रविश्य तावुभौ सुष्ठु भावं सम्यगगायताम् ।
सहितौ मथुरं रक्तं संपन्नं सर्व संपदा ।
एवं प्रशस्यमानौ तौ तपः श्लाघ्येः माहात्मभिः ।
संरक्ततर मत्यर्थं मथुरं तावगायताम्॥

The two sang the poem in a way to present all the embedded sentiments . They sang the poem in souful tunes embedded with the seven Ragas to the delight of the assembled sages. The two started singing with even more sweetly seeing the delight of the assembled sages.

प्रीतः कश्चिमुनिस्ताभ्यां संस्थितः कलशं ददौ ।
प्रसन्नो वल्कलं कश्चिद्ददौ ताभ्यां महायशाः ॥
अन्यः कृष्णाजिनं प्रादात् मौंजीमन्यो महामुनिः ।
कश्चित् कमंडुलं प्रादात् यज्ञसूत्रं तथापरः ॥

Some of the delighted sages presented their little water pitcher, some gave them clothes, some gave the deer skin to sit on , some gave thread made of dharbha grass , some gave them a kamandalu , and some gave them the sacred thread .

औदुंबरीं ब्रुसीमन्यो जपमालां अथापरः ।
ब्रुसीमन्यत् तदा प्रादात् कौपीनं अपरो मुनिः ॥
ताभ्यां ददौ तदाह्रुष्टः कुठारं अपरो मुनिः ।
काषायमपरो वस्त्रं चीरमन्यो ददौ मुनिः ॥

Some gave them a seat made of wood from odumbari tree and some gave them a soft cusshion to place on the same. Some gave them a rosary for meditation. some gave them a hatchet to chop the wood , some gave them ochre robes and some others gave a scarf.

जटाबंधनमन्यस्तु काष्ठरज्जुं मुदान्वितः ।
यज्ञभांडं ऋषिः कश्चित् काष्ठभारं तथापरः ॥
आयुष्यमपरे प्राहुः मुदा तत्र महर्षयः ।
ददुश्चैव वरान् सर्वे मुनयः सत्यवादिनः ॥

Some gave a string to tie their hair. Some gave them a rope to tie the bundles of wood, some gave sacrificial vessels, some gave them vessels of oblation. The delighted sages who are adherents to truth, blessed the two and gave them many boons.

आश्चर्यमिदमाख्यानं मुनिना संप्रकीर्तितम् ।
परं कवीनामाथारं समाप्तं च यथाक्रमम् ॥

This poem composed by the great sage is a wonderful and told exquisitly till the end and it is model poem for all poets.

अभिगीतमिदं गीतं सर्वगीतेषु कोविदौ ।
आयुष्यं पुष्ठिजनकं सर्वश्रुतिमनोहरम्॥

" Oh Princes ! this poem has been sung wonderfully . It is conducive to long life and begets health. And it is a song worth listening too.

प्रशस्यमानौ सर्वत्र कदाचित् तत्र गायकौ।
रथ्यासु राजमार्गेषु ददर्श भरताग्रजः ॥

Rama , the elder brother of Bharata , saw those singers who have been praised as above and who have been singing the poem along the lanes and streets of the city.

स्ववेश्मचानीय तदा भ्रातरौ च कुशीलवौ ।
पूजयामास पूजार्हौ रामश्शत्रुनिबर्हणः ॥

Rama the destroyer of foes , invited the two brothers to his palace . Then he duly honored the two who deserve all such honour.

असीनः कांचने दिव्ये स च सिंहासने प्रभुः ।
उपोविष्ठः सचिवैः भ्रातृभिश्च परंतपः ॥
दृष्ट्वातु रूपसंपन्नौ तावुभौ नियत स्तदा ।
उवाच लक्ष्मणं रामः शतृघ्नं भरतं तदा ॥
श्रूयतामिदमाख्यानं अनयोः देववर्चसोः ।
विचित्रार्थ पदं सम्यक् गायकौ तावचोदयत् ॥

Seated on his celestial throne of gold and surrounded by his ministers and brothers and looking at the two brothers endowed with riches of looks Rama said as follows. " Hear the poem endowed with wonderful expressions, being sung by these two brothers with celestial bearings". saying so Rama encouraged the two singers.

तौपि मथुरं रक्तं स्वंचितायत निस्वनम् ।
तंत्रीलयवदत्यर्थं विश्रुतार्थ मगायताम् ॥
ह्लादयत् सर्वगात्राणि मनांसि हृदयानि च ।
श्रोत्राश्रयसुखं गेयं तद्बभौ जनसंपदि ॥

The two boys too sang the poem set to tunes and sung to the accompaniment of strings and presussion instruments. The poem sung by them in the court of people was melodious and pleasing to the mind , it was soulful touching every pore of the body and providing a pleasing sense of happiness to those who hear the poem.

इमौ मुनी पार्थिवलक्षणान्वितौ
कुशीलवौ चैव महातपस्विनौ ।
ममापि तद्भूतिकरं प्रवक्ष्यते
महानुभावं चरितं निबोधत ॥

" These two boys have princely features though they are in the garb of hermits. They are ascetics rich with the power of penance. Their song is said to be conducive to my own well-being. Hence let us hear the poem."

ततस्तु तौ रामवचः प्रचोदितौ
अगायतां मार्गविधान संपदा ।
स चापि रामः परिषद्गतः शनैः
बुभूषयासक्तमना बभूव ह ॥

Thus having been encouraged by Rama , the two sand the song in the style known as 'Marga'. SriRama too having slowly joined the assembly with a view to imbibe the enjoyment quickly became absorbed listening to that poem.

इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे आदिकाव्ये
वाल्मीकीये बालाकांडे
चतुर्थस्सर्गः
समाप्तं॥

Thus ends the chapter four of Balakanda on the first poem Srimad Ramaayanam written by the great sage Valmiki.

|| om tat sat ||