How the Ramayana Wove Its Way to Rama?
Balakanda - Sarga 4
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Balakanda - Sarga 4
The sage Valmiki, blessed with divine wisdom, wrote the entire story of Rama's life after he regained his kingdom. This epic, called the Ramayana, was composed in beautiful verses that amazed listeners. Valmiki created 24,000 verses divided into six main sections (kandas) and 500 chapters. He also wrote an additional section called the Uttarakanda.
After finishing this great work, which included both past and future events, Valmiki wondered who could perform it. As he was thinking, two young men named Kusa and Lava, dressed as ascetics, came and bowed at his feet.
Valmiki noticed that these brothers were:
Princes who understood dharma (righteous living)
Well-known and talented
Blessed with beautiful voices
Living in his hermitage
Seeing their intelligence and knowledge of the Vedas (ancient Hindu scriptures), Valmiki decided to teach them the Ramayana. He did this to help preserve and spread the knowledge of the Vedas.
Valmiki's epic included:
The great story of Sita
The killing of Ravana (also called Paulastya)
The Ramayana was:
Pleasant to recite and sing
Set to three types of rhythm (slow, medium, fast)
Composed using seven musical notes
Matched with instrumental music
Filled with various emotions (love, compassion, humor, heroism, fear, and others)
Kusa and Lava were:
Experts in the art of music
Skilled in melody and pitch
Blessed with sweet voices
As beautiful as celestial musicians (gandharvas) in human form
Handsome and sweet-spoken
Looking like perfect reflections of Rama himself
These flawless princes learned the entire epic by heart. They understood its deep meanings and followed Valmiki's instructions carefully. They began performing the Ramayana at gatherings of sages, learned Brahmins, and holy men.
One day, these great and noble princes, possessing all good qualities, stood before an assembly of honored sages and began to sing the epic.
When the sages heard Kusa and Lava's performance, they were amazed:
Their eyes filled with tears of joy
They exclaimed "Excellent! Excellent!"
They praised the young singers
The sages, who loved dharma, were deeply impressed:
They marveled at the sweetness of the singing
They admired the beauty of the verses
They felt as if the long-past events were happening right before their eyes
Kusa and Lava sang with great skill:
They understood and expressed the emotions perfectly
They sang in perfect harmony
Their voices were sweet and captivating
They used all the musical notes beautifully
The great sages, known for their spiritual practices, praised the twins even more. This encouraged Kusa and Lava to sing with even greater sweetness and charm.
The sages were so pleased that they gave gifts to the young performers:
One sage gave them a water pitcher
Another famous sage gave them bark garments
The epic composed by Valmiki was extraordinary:
It was a wonder to all who heard it
It became the highest standard for all poets
It was completed following specific rules and order
The Ramayana, as sung by Kusa and Lava, had special qualities:
It gave long life to those who listened
It brought prosperity
It was pleasing to everyone's ears
The twins, skilled in all types of songs, sang the epic:
In the streets
On the main roads
Everywhere they went, people admired them
One day, Rama (referred to as "the elder brother of Bharata") saw them performing.
Rama, known for destroying enemies, took action:
He invited Kusa and Lava to his palace
He treated them with great respect
In the palace:
Rama sat on a splendid golden throne
He was surrounded by his ministers and brothers
Rama, impressed by the twins' appearance, spoke to his brothers Lakshmana, Satrughna, and Bharata:
He asked everyone to listen to the story sung by Kusa and Lava
He noted that the epic had excellent meanings and words
He urged the singers, who shone like gods, to begin
Kusa and Lava sang beautifully:
Their voices were sweet and engaging
They sang clearly and meaningfully
They tuned their instruments perfectly
The effect of their singing was powerful:
It brought joy to all parts of the listeners' bodies
It touched their minds and hearts
It was comfortable and pleasing to the ears
The performance shone in the assembly
Rama spoke to the gathering:
He pointed out that Kusa and Lava had both royal and saintly qualities
He said that their performance would bring him good fortune
He asked everyone to listen carefully to the meaningful story
Then:
Encouraged by Rama's words, the twins began to sing in the classical style
Rama, sitting in the assembly, focused his mind on the chanting, seeking inner peace
This concludes the fourth chapter (sarga) of Balakanda, the first book of the Ramayana, the great epic composed by the sage Valmiki.