The Song of Kusha and Lava

Shloka 1 (uttara.94.1)

तौ रजन्यां प्रभातायां स्नातौ हुतहुताशनौ । यथोक्तमृषिणा पूर्वं सर्वं तत्रोपगायताम् ।। ७.९४.१ ।।

tau rajanyāṃ prabhātāyāṃ snātau hutahutāśanau | yathoktam ṛṣiṇā pūrvaṃ sarvaṃ tatropagāyatām || 7.94.1 ||

When night gave way to dawn, having bathed and offered oblations into the fire, those two began there to sing everything, just as the sage had earlier instructed.

Shloka 2 (uttara.94.2)

तां स शुश्राव काकुत्स्थः पूर्वाचार्यविजिर्मिताम् । अपूर्वां पाठ्यजातिं च गेयेन समलङ्कृताम् ।। ७.९४.२ ।।

tāṃ sa śuśrāva kākutsthaḥ pūrvācāryavinirmitām | apūrvāṃ pāṭhyajātiṃ ca geyena samalaṅkṛtām || 7.94.2 ||

Kakutstha (Rama) listened to that unprecedented style of recitation, composed by the ancient master and adorned with song.

Shloka 3 (uttara.94.3)

प्रमाणैर्बहुभिर्बद्धां तन्त्रीलयसमन्विताम् । बालाभ्यां राघवः श्रुत्वा कौतूहलपरो ऽभवत् ।। ७.९४.३ ।।

pramāṇair bahubhir baddhāṃ tantrīlayasamanvitām | bālābhyāṃ rāghavaḥ śrutvā kautūhalaparo 'bhavat || 7.94.3 ||

Hearing from the two boys that song, composed in many metres and set to the rhythm of the lute, Raghava became filled with wonder.

Shloka 4 (uttara.94.4)

अथ कर्मान्तरे राजा समाहूय महामुनीन् । पार्थिवांश्च नरव्याघ्रः पण्डितान्नैगमांस्तथा ।। ७.९४.४ ।।

atha karmāntare rājā samāhūya mahāmunīn | pārthivāṃś ca naravyāghraḥ paṇḍitān naigamāṃs tathā || 7.94.4 ||

Then, during an interval in the ritual, the king, that tiger among men, summoned the great sages, the kings, the learned men, and the leading citizens.

Shloka 5 (uttara.94.5)

पौराणिकाञ्छब्दविदो ये च वृद्धा द्विजातयः । स्वराणां लक्षणज्ञांश्च उत्सुकान्द्विजसत्तमान् ।। ७.९४.५ ।।

paurāṇikāñ śabdavido ye ca vṛddhā dvijātayaḥ | svarāṇāṃ lakṣaṇajñāṃś ca utsukān dvijasattamān || 7.94.5 ||

And those learned in the Puranas, the aged brahmins skilled in grammar, those who knew the marks of the musical tones, and the eager, foremost brahmins as well.

Shloka 6 (uttara.94.6)

लक्षणज्ञांश्च गान्धर्वान्नैगमांश्च विशेषतः । पादाक्षरसमासज्ञांश्छन्दःसु परिनिष्ठितान् ।। ७.९४.६ ।।

lakṣaṇajñāṃś ca gāndharvān naigamāṃś ca viśeṣataḥ | pādākṣarasamāsajñāṃś chandaḥsu pariniṣṭhitān || 7.94.6 ||

Those skilled in the science of music, the leading citizens especially, those learned in metrical feet, syllables, and compounds, and those thoroughly grounded in prosody.

Shloka 7 (uttara.94.7)

कलामात्राविशेषज्ञाञ्ज्योतिषे च परं गतान् । क्रियाकल्पविदश्चैव तथा कार्यविदो जनान् ।। ७.९४.७ ।।

kalāmātrāviśeṣajñāñ jyotiṣe ca paraṃ gatān | kriyākalpavidaś caiva tathā kāryavido janān || 7.94.7 ||

Those with special knowledge of the finer arts and metrical units, those most accomplished in astrology, those versed in ritual procedure, and men skilled in practical affairs.

Shloka 8 (uttara.94.8)

भाषाज्ञानिङ्गितज्ञांश्च नैगमांश्चाप्यशेषतः । हेतूपचारकुशलान् वचने चापि हैतुकान् ।। ७.९४.८ ।।

bhāṣājñān iṅgitajñāṃś ca naigamāṃś cāpy aśeṣataḥ | hetūpacārakuśalān vacane cāpi haitukān || 7.94.8 ||

Those learned in language, those who could read subtle gestures, and the leading citizens entirely, those skilled in reasoning and rhetoric, and the logicians in speech as well.

Shloka 9 (uttara.94.9)

छन्दोविदः पुराणज्ञान्वैदिकान्द्विजसत्तमान् । चित्रज्ञान्वृत्तसूत्रज्ञान्गीतनृत्यविशारदान् ।। ७.९४.९ ।।

chandovidaḥ purāṇajñān vaidikān dvijasattamān | citrajñān vṛttasūtrajñān gītanṛtyaviśāradān || 7.94.9 ||

Those learned in metrics, those learned in the Puranas, the foremost brahmins versed in the Vedas, those skilled in painting, those who knew the rules of verse, and those accomplished in song and dance.

Shloka 10 (uttara.94.10)

शास्त्रज्ञान्नीतिनिपुणान्वेदान्तार्थप्रबोधकान् । एतान्सर्वान्समानीय गातारौ समवेशयत् ।। ७.९४.१० ।।

śāstrajñān nītinipuṇān vedāntārthaprabodhakān | etān sarvān samānīya gātārau samaveśayat || 7.94.10 ||

Those learned in the scriptures, those skilled in statecraft, and those who could expound the meaning of Vedanta -- having assembled all of these, he seated the two singers before them.

Shloka 11 (uttara.94.11)

दृष्ट्वा मुनिगणाः सर्वे पार्थिवाश्च महौजसः । पिबन्त इव चक्षुर्भ्यां राजानं गायकौ च तौ ।। ७.९४.११ ।।

dṛṣṭvā munigaṇāḥ sarve pārthivāś ca mahaujasaḥ | pibanta iva cakṣurbhyāṃ rājānaṃ gāyakau ca tau || 7.94.11 ||

All the assembled sages and the mighty kings, gazing upon the king and those two singers, seemed to drink them in with their eyes.

Shloka 12 (uttara.94.12)

ऊचुः परस्परं चेदं सर्व एव समन्ततः । उभौ रामस्य सदृशौ बिम्बाद्बिम्बमिवोत्थितौ ।। ७.९४.१२ ।।

ūcuḥ parasparaṃ cedaṃ sarva eva samantataḥ | ubhau rāmasya sadṛśau bimbād bimbam ivotthitau || 7.94.12 ||

All of them together said to one another: "Both of them resemble Rama, as though one reflected image had risen from another."

Shloka 13 (uttara.94.13)

जटिलौ यदि न स्यातां न वल्कलधरौ यदि । विशेषं नाधिगच्छामो गायतो राघवस्य च ।। ७.९४.१३ ।।

jaṭilau yadi na syātāṃ na valkaladharau yadi | viśeṣaṃ nādhigacchāmo gāyato rāghavasya ca || 7.94.13 ||

"If they did not wear matted locks, if they did not wear garments of bark, we would find no difference at all between these two singers and Raghava."

Shloka 14 (uttara.94.14)

तेषां संवदतामेवं श्रोतऽणां हर्षवर्धनम् । गेयं प्रचक्रतुस्तत्र तावुभौ मुनिदारकौ ।। ७.९४.१४ ।।

teṣāṃ saṃvadatām evaṃ śrotṝṇāṃ harṣavardhanam | geyaṃ pracakratus tatra tāv ubhau munidārakau || 7.94.14 ||

While they thus conversed among themselves, those two sage-sons began there their song, ever increasing the delight of the listeners.

Shloka 15 (uttara.94.15)

ततः प्रवृत्तं मधुरं गान्धर्वमतिमानुषम् । न च तृप्तिं ययुः सर्वे श्रोतारो गानसम्पदा ।। ७.९४.१५ ।।

tataḥ pravṛttaṃ madhuraṃ gāndharvam atimānuṣam | na ca tṛptiṃ yayuḥ sarve śrotāro gānasampadā || 7.94.15 ||

Then that sweet, superhuman art of music began, and none of the listeners could ever have their fill of that wealth of song.

Shloka 16 (uttara.94.16)

प्रवृत्तमादितः पूर्वसर्गं नारददर्शितम् । ततः प्रभृति सर्गांश्च यावद्विंशत्यगायताम् ।। ७.९४.१६ ।।

pravṛttam āditaḥ pūrvasargaṃ nāradadarśitam | tataḥ prabhṛti sargāṃś ca yāvad viṃśaty agāyatām || 7.94.16 ||

From the very start they sang that first canto, the one revealed by Narada, and from there on they sang, canto after canto, up to twenty.

Shloka 17 (uttara.94.17)

ततो ऽपराह्णसमये राघवः समभाषत । श्रुत्वा विंशतिसर्गांस्तान्भ्रातरं भ्रातृवत्सलः ।। ७.९४.१७ ।।

tato 'parāhṇasamaye rāghavaḥ samabhāṣata | śrutvā viṃśatisargāṃs tān bhrātaraṃ bhrātṛvatsalaḥ || 7.94.17 ||

Then, in the afternoon, having heard those twenty cantos, Raghava, so affectionate toward his brother, spoke to his brother.

Shloka 18 (uttara.94.18)

अष्टादशसहस्राणि सुवर्णस्य महात्मनोः । प्रयच्छ शीघ्रं काकुत्स्थ यदन्यदभिकाङ्क्षितम् । ददौ शीघ्रं स काकुत्स्थो बालयोर्वै पृथक्पृथक् ।। ७.९४.१८ ।।

aṣṭādaśasahasrāṇi suvarṇasya mahātmanoḥ | prayaccha śīghraṃ kākutstha yad anyad abhikāṅkṣitam | dadau śīghraṃ sa kākutstho bālayor vai pṛthak pṛthak || 7.94.18 ||

"Give quickly, Kakutstha, eighteen thousand pieces of gold to those two great-souled ones, and whatever else they may desire" -- and that Kakutstha promptly gave the gift to the two boys, each separately.

Shloka 19 (uttara.94.19)

दीयमानं सुवर्णं तु नागृह्णीतां कुशीलवौ । ऊचतुश्च महात्मानौ किमनेनेति विस्मितौ ।। ७.९४.१९ ।।

dīyamānaṃ suvarṇaṃ tu nāgṛhṇītāṃ kuśīlavau | ūcatuś ca mahātmānau kim aneneti vismitau || 7.94.19 ||

But Kusha and Lava did not accept the gold being offered, and, astonished, the two great-souled ones said, "What use have we for this?"

Shloka 20 (uttara.94.20)

वन्येन फलमूलेन निरतौ वनवासिनौ । सुवर्णेन हिरण्येन किं करिष्यावहे वने ।। ७.९४.२० ।।

vanyena phalamūlena niratau vanavāsinau | suvarṇena hiraṇyena kiṃ kariṣyāvahe vane || 7.94.20 ||

"We two forest-dwellers, content with the wild fruits and roots, what would we do in the forest with gold and silver?"

Shloka 21 (uttara.94.21)

तथा तयोः प्रब्रुवतोः कौतूहलसमन्विताः । श्रोतारश्चैव रामश्च सर्व एव सुविस्मिताः ।। ७.९४.२१ ।।

tathā tayoḥ prabruvatoḥ kautūhalasamanvitāḥ | śrotāraś caiva rāmaś ca sarva eva suvismitāḥ || 7.94.21 ||

As the two of them spoke thus, all the listeners and Rama too, filled with curiosity, were exceedingly astonished.

Shloka 22 (uttara.94.22)

तस्य चैवागमं रामः काव्यस्य श्रोतुमुत्सुकः । पप्रच्छ तौ महातेजास्तावुभौ मुनिदारकौ ।। ७.९४.२२ ।।

tasya caivāgamaṃ rāmaḥ kāvyasya śrotum utsukaḥ | papraccha tau mahātejās tāv ubhau munidārakau || 7.94.22 ||

Eager to hear the origin of that poem, the greatly radiant Rama questioned those two sage-sons.

Shloka 23 (uttara.94.23)

किम्प्रमाणमिदं काव्यं का प्रतिष्ठा महात्मनः । कर्ता काव्यस्य महतः क्व चासौ मुनिपुङ्गवः ।। ७.९४.२३ ।।

kimpramāṇam idaṃ kāvyaṃ kā pratiṣṭhā mahātmanaḥ | kartā kāvyasya mahataḥ kva cāsau munipuṅgavaḥ || 7.94.23 ||

"What is the extent of this poem? What is the standing of its great author? And where is that foremost of sages, the composer of this great poem?"

Shloka 24 (uttara.94.24)

पृच्छन्तं राघवं वाक्यमूचतुर्मुनिदारकौ ।। ७.९४.२४ ।।

pṛcchantaṃ rāghavaṃ vākyam ūcatur munidārakau || 7.94.24 ||

To Raghava, thus questioning, the two sage-sons spoke this word.

Shloka 25 (uttara.94.25)

वाल्मीकिर्भगवान्कर्ता सम्प्राप्तो यज्ञसंविधम् । येनेदं चरितं तुभ्यमशेषं सम्प्रदर्शितम् ।। ७.९४.२५ ।।

vālmīkir bhagavān kartā samprāpto yajñasaṃvidham | yenedaṃ caritaṃ tubhyam aśeṣaṃ sampradarśitam || 7.94.25 ||

"The blessed Valmiki is its composer, who has come here to this sacrificial rite -- the one by whom this entire deed of yours has been fully revealed."

Shloka 26 (uttara.94.26)

सन्निबद्धं हि श्लोकानां चतुर्विशत्सहस्रकम् । उपाख्यानशतं चैव भार्गवेण तपस्विना ।। ७.९४.२६ ।।

sannibaddhaṃ hi ślokānāṃ caturviṃśatsahasrakam | upākhyānaśataṃ caiva bhārgaveṇa tapasvinā || 7.94.26 ||

"Twenty-four thousand shlokas, composed together with a hundred sub-tales, by that ascetic of the line of Bhrigu."

Shloka 27 (uttara.94.27)

आदिप्रभृति वै राजन्पञ्चसर्गशतानि च । काण्डानि षट् कृतानीह सोत्तराणि महात्मना । कृतानि गुरुणास्माकमृषिणा चरितं तव ।। ७.९४.२७ ।।

ādiprabhṛti vai rājan pañcasargaśatāni ca | kāṇḍāni ṣaṭ kṛtānīha sottarāṇi mahātmanā | kṛtāni guruṇāsmākam ṛṣiṇā caritaṃ tava || 7.94.27 ||

"From the beginning, O king, there are five hundred cantos in all; that great-souled sage, our own teacher, has composed here six books together with the Uttara -- and it is your very life-story."

Shloka 28 (uttara.94.28)

प्रतिष्ठा ऽ ऽजीवितं यावत्तावत्सर्वस्य वर्तते ।। ७.९४.२८ ।।

pratiṣṭhā jīvitaṃ yāvat tāvat sarvasya vartate || 7.94.28 ||

"This renown shall endure for everyone, as long as life itself endures."

Shloka 29 (uttara.94.29)

यदि बुद्धिः कृता राजञ्छ्रवणाय महारथ । कर्मान्तरे क्षणीभूतस्तच्छृणुष्व सहानुजः ।। ७.९४.२९ ।।

yadi buddhiḥ kṛtā rājañ chravaṇāya mahāratha | karmāntare kṣaṇībhūtas tac chṛṇuṣva sahānujaḥ || 7.94.29 ||

"If your mind, O great warrior king, is resolved to hear it, then, in this interval free from the ritual, listen to it together with your younger brothers."

Shloka 30 (uttara.94.30)

बाढमित्यब्रवीद्रामस्तौ चानुज्ञाप्य राघवम् । प्रहृष्टौ जग्मतुः स्थानं यत्रास्ते मुनिपुङ्गवः ।। ७.९४.३० ।।

bāḍham ity abravīd rāmas tau cānujñāpya rāghavam | prahṛṣṭau jagmatuḥ sthānaṃ yatrāste munipuṅgavaḥ || 7.94.30 ||

"So be it," said Rama; and the two of them, taking leave of Raghava, went joyfully to the place where that foremost of sages dwelt.

Shloka 31 (uttara.94.31)

रामो ऽपि मुनिभिः सार्धं पार्थिवैश्च महात्मभिः । श्रुत्वा तद्गीतिमाधुर्यं कर्मशालामुपागमत् ।। ७.९४.३१ ।।

rāmo 'pi munibhiḥ sārdhaṃ pārthivaiś ca mahātmabhiḥ | śrutvā tad gītimādhuryaṃ karmaśālām upāgamat || 7.94.31 ||

Rama too, together with the sages and the great-souled kings, having heard the sweetness of that song, proceeded to the sacrificial hall.

Shloka 32 (uttara.94.32)

शुश्राव तत्ताललयोपपन्नं सर्गान्वितं स स्वरशब्दयुक्तम् । तन्त्रीलयव्यञ्जनयोगयुक्तं कुशीलवाभ्यां परिगीयमानम् ।। ७.९४.३२ ।।

śuśrāva tat tālalayopapannaṃ sargānvitaṃ sa svaraśabdayuktam | tantrīlayavyañjanayogayuktaṃ kuśīlavābhyāṃ parigīyamānam || 7.94.32 ||

There he heard it -- matched with rhythm and tempo, unfolding canto by canto, filled with melodic tone, joined to the lute's rhythm and expression -- being sung by Kusha and Lava.