Narada's question
The ascetic Valmiki asks Narada whether there is a man alive now who is virtuous, mighty, true to his word and master of his anger. Narada answers with Rama of the Ikshvaku line, and tells his whole story in brief: the exile, Sita's abduction, the alliance with Sugriva, Hanuman's leap, the bridge, Ravana's death and the return to rule in a world without fear. Honoured by Valmiki and his pupil, Narada goes up into the sky.
Narada's question
॥ 1.1.1 ॥
CrEd 1.1.1
Valmikiverse caption
Sanskrit
तपःस्वाध्यायनिरतं तपस्वी वाग्विदां वरम् ।
नारदं परिपप्रच्छ वाल्मीकिर् मुनिपुंगवम् ॥
tapaḥsvādhyāyanirataṃ tapasvī vāgvidāṃ varam
nāradaṃ paripapraccha vālmīkir munipuṃgavam
English
Narada, rapt in austerity and sacred study,
best of all who know the word,
the ascetic Valmiki questioned,
that bull among the sages.
॥ 1.1.2 ॥
CrEd 1.1.2
Valmiki
Sanskrit
को न्व् अस्मिन् साम्प्रतं लोके गुणवान् कश् च वीर्यवान् ।
धर्मज्ञश् च कृतज्ञश् च सत्यवाक्यो दृढव्रतः ॥
ko nv asmin sāmprataṃ loke guṇavān kaś ca vīryavān
dharmajñaś ca kṛtajñaś ca satyavākyo dṛḍhavrataḥ
English
Who is there now in this world
who is virtuous, and who is valiant,
who knows dharma, who is grateful,
true in his word, and firm in his vows?
॥ 1.1.4 ॥
CrEd 1.1.4
Valmiki
Sanskrit
आत्मवान् को जितक्रोधो द्युतिमान् कोऽनसूयकः ।
कस्य बिभ्यति देवाश् च जातरोषस्य संयुगे ॥
ātmavān ko jitakrodho dyutimān ko 'nasūyakaḥ
kasya bibhyati devāś ca jātaroṣasya saṃyuge
English
Who is master of himself, who has conquered anger,
who is radiant, who is free of envy?
Whom do the very gods fear
when his wrath is roused in battle?
॥ 1.1.5–7 ॥
CrEd 1.1.5–7
silent moment
॥ 1.1.7 ॥
CrEd 1.1.7
Narada
Sanskrit
बहवो दुर्लभाश् चैव ये त्वया कीर्तिता गुणाः ।
मुने वक्ष्याम्य् अहं बुद्ध्वा तैर् युक्तः श्रूयतां नरः ॥
bahavo durlabhāś caiva ye tvayā kīrtitā guṇāḥ
mune vakṣyāmy ahaṃ buddhvā tair yuktaḥ śrūyatāṃ naraḥ
English
Many, and rare indeed,
are the virtues you have named.
Sage, I have weighed them, and will speak:
hear of the man who has them.
॥ 1.1.8 ॥
CrEd 1.1.8ab
Narada
Sanskrit
इक्ष्वाकुवंशप्रभवो रामो नाम जनैः श्रुतः ॥
ikṣvākuvaṃśaprabhavo rāmo nāma janaiḥ śrutaḥ
English
Sprung from the line of Ikshvaku,
Rama by name, he is known among men.
॥ 1.1.17–18 ॥
CrEd 1.1.16cd–17
Narada
Sanskrit
समुद्र इव गाम्भीर्ये धैर्येण हिमवान् इव ।
विष्णुना सदृशो वीर्ये सोमवत् प्रियदर्शनः ।
कालाग्निसदृशः क्रोधे क्षमया पृथिवीसमः ॥
samudra iva gāmbhīrye dhairyeṇa himavān iva
viṣṇunā sadṛśo vīrye somavat priyadarśanaḥ
kālāgnisadṛśaḥ krodhe kṣamayā pṛthivīsamaḥ
English
Like the ocean in his depth,
in steadfastness like the Himalaya,
like Vishnu in his valour,
lovely to see as the moon,
like the fire of Time in anger,
in patience equal to the earth.
॥ 1.1.19–23 ॥
CrEd 1.1.18cd–21
Narada
Sanskrit
तस्याभिषेकसंभारान् दृष्ट्वा भार्याथ कैकयी ।
पूर्वं दत्तवरा देवी वरम् एनम् अयाचत ।
विवासनं च रामस्य भरतस्याभिषेचनम् ।
स सत्यवचनाद् राजा धर्मपाशेन संयतः ।
विवासयाम् आस सुतं रामं दशरथः प्रियम् ॥
tasyābhiṣekasaṃbhārān dṛṣṭvā bhāryātha kaikayī
pūrvaṃ dattavarā devī varam enam ayācata
vivāsanaṃ ca rāmasya bharatasyābhiṣecanam
sa satyavacanād rājā dharmapāśena saṃyataḥ
vivāsayām āsa sutaṃ rāmaṃ daśarathaḥ priyam
English
Seeing the things made ready for his crowning,
Kaikeyi, the king’s wife,
the queen once granted boons,
asked of him this boon:
Rama sent into exile,
and Bharata consecrated.
The king, for his word of truth,
bound in the noose of dharma,
sent into exile his son,
Rama, Dasharatha’s beloved.
॥ 1.1.24–25; 1.1.27–28 ॥
CrEd 1.1.22–24
Narada
Sanskrit
स जगाम वनं वीरः प्रतिज्ञाम् अनुपालयन् ।
पितुर् वचननिर्देशात् कैकेय्याः प्रियकारणात् ।
तं व्रजन्तं प्रियो भ्राता लक्ष्मणोऽनुजगाम ह ।
स्नेहाद् विनयसंपन्नः सुमित्रानन्दवर्धनः ।
सर्वलक्षणसंपन्ना नारीणाम् उत्तमा वधूः ।
सीताप्य् अनुगता रामं शशिनं रोहिणी यथा ॥
sa jagāma vanaṃ vīraḥ pratijñām anupālayan
pitur vacananirdeśāt kaikeyyāḥ priyakāraṇāt
taṃ vrajantaṃ priyo bhrātā lakṣmaṇo 'nujagāma ha
snehād vinayasaṃpannaḥ sumitrānandavardhanaḥ
sarvalakṣaṇasaṃpannā nārīṇām uttamā vadhūḥ
sītāpy anugatā rāmaṃ śaśinaṃ rohiṇī yathā
English
The hero went to the forest,
keeping faith with his promise,
at the bidding of his father’s word,
to do what Kaikeyi desired.
As he went, his dear brother
Lakshmana followed him,
for love, rich in modesty,
the joy of Sumitra’s heart.
Graced with every auspicious mark,
best of women, his bride,
Sita too followed Rama,
as Rohini follows the moon.
॥ 1.1.32–34; 1.1.37–39 ॥
CrEd 1.1.28–31
Narada
Sanskrit
चित्रकूटं गते रामे पुत्रशोकातुरस् तदा ।
राजा दशरथः स्वर्गं जगाम विलपन् सुतम् ।
… पादुके चास्य राज्याय न्यासं दत्त्वा पुनः पुनः ।
निवर्तयाम् आस ततो भरतं भरताग्रजः ।
स कामम् अनवाप्यैव रामपादाव् उपस्पृशन् ।
नन्दिग्रामेऽकरोद् राज्यं रामागमनकाङ्क्षया ॥
citrakūṭaṃ gate rāme putraśokāturas tadā
rājā daśarathaḥ svargaṃ jagāma vilapan sutam
… pāduke cāsya rājyāya nyāsaṃ dattvā punaḥ punaḥ
nivartayām āsa tato bharataṃ bharatāgrajaḥ
sa kāmam anavāpyaiva rāmapādāv upaspṛśan
nandigrāme 'karod rājyaṃ rāmāgamanakāṅkṣayā
English
When Rama had gone to Chitrakuta,
then, sick with grief for his son,
King Dasharatha went to heaven,
lamenting for his son.
… His sandals, a pledge for the kingdom,
he gave him, again and again,
and so Bharata’s elder brother
turned Bharata back.
His wish unwon, touching
the feet of Rama,
he ruled the kingdom from Nandigrama,
longing for Rama’s return.
॥ 1.1.46–49 ॥
CrEd 1.1.36–38
Narada
Sanskrit
तेन तत्रैव वसता जनस्थाननिवासिनी ।
विरूपिता शूर्पणखा राक्षसी कामरूपिणी ।
… निजघान रणे रामस् तेषां चैव पदानुगान् ।
रक्षसां निहतान्य् आसन् सहस्राणि चतुर्दश ॥
tena tatraiva vasatā janasthānanivāsinī
virūpitā śūrpaṇakhā rākṣasī kāmarūpiṇī
… nijaghāna raṇe rāmas teṣāṃ caiva padānugān
rakṣasāṃ nihatāny āsan sahasrāṇi caturdaśa
English
While he dwelt in that very place,
she who dwelt in Janasthana,
Shurpanakha, was disfigured,
the rakshasi who took what shape she pleased.
… Rama slew them in battle,
and their followers too;
of the rakshasas there were slain
fourteen thousand.
॥ 1.1.49–52 ॥
CrEd 1.1.39–41
Narada
Sanskrit
ततो ज्ञातिवधं श्रुत्वा रावणः क्रोधमूर्छितः ।
सहायं वरयाम् आस मारीचं नाम राक्षसम् ।
वार्यमाणः सुबहुशो मारीचेन स रावणः ।
न विरोधो बलवता क्षमो रावण तेन ते ।
अनादृत्य तु तद् वाक्यं रावणः कालचोदितः ।
जगाम सहमारीचस् तस्याश्रमपदं तदा ॥
tato jñātivadhaṃ śrutvā rāvaṇaḥ krodhamūrchitaḥ
sahāyaṃ varayām āsa mārīcaṃ nāma rākṣasam
vāryamāṇaḥ subahuśo mārīcena sa rāvaṇaḥ
na virodho balavatā kṣamo rāvaṇa tena te
anādṛtya tu tad vākyaṃ rāvaṇaḥ kālacoditaḥ
jagāma sahamārīcas tasyāśramapadaṃ tadā
English
Then, hearing his kinsmen slain,
Ravana, senseless with rage,
chose for his helper
a rakshasa, Maricha by name.
Again and again held back
by Maricha was Ravana:
“A quarrel with one so strong
is not fit for you, Ravana.”
But heedless of those words,
Ravana, driven on by Time,
went, Maricha at his side,
to the place of Rama’s hermitage.
॥ 1.1.52–53 ॥
CrEd 1.1.42
Narada
Sanskrit
तेन मायाविना दूरम् अपवाह्य नृपात्मजौ ।
जहार भार्यां रामस्य गृध्रं हत्वा जटायुषम् ॥
tena māyāvinā dūram apavāhya nṛpātmajau
jahāra bhāryāṃ rāmasya gṛdhraṃ hatvā jaṭāyuṣam
English
Through that master of illusion
he drew the princes far away,
and carried off the wife of Rama,
when he had slain the vulture Jatayu.
॥ 1.1.53–54 ॥
CrEd 1.1.43
Valmikiverse caption
Sanskrit
गृध्रं च निहतं दृष्ट्वा हृतां श्रुत्वा च मैथिलीम् ।
राघवः शोकसंतप्तो विललापाकुलेन्द्रियः ॥
gṛdhraṃ ca nihataṃ dṛṣṭvā hṛtāṃ śrutvā ca maithilīm
rāghavaḥ śokasaṃtapto vilalāpākulendriyaḥ
English
Seeing the vulture slain,
and hearing Maithili taken,
Raghava, burning with grief,
lamented, his senses in turmoil.
॥ 1.1.58–59; 1.1.64–65; 1.1.70 ॥
CrEd 1.1.47–48; 1.1.51; 1.1.55
Narada
Sanskrit
पम्पातीरे हनुमता संगतो वानरेण ह ।
हनुमद्वचनाच् चैव सुग्रीवेण समागतः ।
… पादाङ्गुष्ठेन चिक्षेप संपूर्णं दशयोजनम् ।
… ततः सुग्रीववचनाद् धत्वा वालिनम् आहवे ।
सुग्रीवम् एव तद् राज्ये राघवः प्रत्यपादयत् ॥
pampātīre hanumatā saṃgato vānareṇa ha
hanumadvacanāc caiva sugrīveṇa samāgataḥ
… pādāṅguṣṭhena cikṣepa saṃpūrṇaṃ daśayojanam
… tataḥ sugrīvavacanād dhatvā vālinam āhave
sugrīvam eva tad rājye rāghavaḥ pratyapādayat
English
On the Pampa’s bank he met
Hanuman, the vanara;
and at Hanuman’s word
he came together with Sugriva.
… With his great toe he hurled it
a full ten yojanas.
… Then, at Sugriva’s word, he slew
Vali in battle,
and Sugriva himself, in that kingdom,
Raghava established.
॥ 1.1.71–72 ॥
CrEd 1.1.56–57
Valmikiverse caption
Sanskrit
स च सर्वान् समानीय वानरान् वानरर्षभः ।
दिशः प्रस्थापयाम् आस दिदृक्षुर् जनकात्मजाम् ।
ततो गृध्रस्य वचनात् संपातेर् हनुमान् बली ।
शतयोजनविस्तीर्णं पुप्लुवे लवणार्णवम् ॥
sa ca sarvān samānīya vānarān vānararṣabhaḥ
diśaḥ prasthāpayām āsa didṛkṣur janakātmajām
tato gṛdhrasya vacanāt saṃpāter hanumān balī
śatayojanavistīrṇaṃ pupluve lavaṇārṇavam
English
He gathered all the vanaras,
that bull among the vanaras,
and sent them to every quarter,
eager to see Janaka’s daughter.
Then, at the vulture Sampati’s word,
Hanuman the mighty
leapt the salt sea,
a hundred yojanas wide.
॥ 1.1.73–74; 1.1.77 ॥
CrEd 1.1.58–59; 1.1.62
Narada
Sanskrit
तत्र लङ्कां समासाद्य पुरीं रावणपालिताम् ।
ददर्श सीतां ध्यायन्तीम् अशोकवनिकां गताम् ।
निवेदयित्वाभिज्ञानं प्रवृत्तिं च निवेद्य च ।
… ततो दग्ध्वा पुरीं लङ्काम् ऋते सीतां च मैथिलीम् ।
रामाय प्रियम् आख्यातुं पुनर् आयान् महाकपिः ॥
tatra laṅkāṃ samāsādya purīṃ rāvaṇapālitām
dadarśa sītāṃ dhyāyantīm aśokavanikāṃ gatām
nivedayitvābhijñānaṃ pravṛttiṃ ca nivedya ca
… tato dagdhvā purīṃ laṅkām ṛte sītāṃ ca maithilīm
rāmāya priyam ākhyātuṃ punar āyān mahākapiḥ
English
There, reaching Lanka,
the city Ravana guarded,
he saw Sita, lost in thought,
gone into the Ashoka grove.
He gave the token of remembrance,
and told her all that had passed …
… Then, burning Lanka’s city,
all but Sita, Maithili,
to tell Rama the welcome news
the great monkey came back.
॥ 1.1.78 ॥
CrEd 1.1.63
Narada
Sanskrit
सोऽभिगम्य महात्मानं कृत्वा रामं प्रदक्षिणम् ।
न्यवेदयद् अमेयात्मा दृष्टा सीतेति तत्त्वतः ॥
so 'bhigamya mahātmānaṃ kṛtvā rāmaṃ pradakṣiṇam
nyavedayad ameyātmā dṛṣṭā sīteti tattvataḥ
English
Coming to the great-souled one,
he walked round Rama in reverence,
and told him truly, that boundless soul:
“Seen is Sita.”
॥ 1.1.79–80 ॥
CrEd 1.1.64–65
Narada
Sanskrit
ततः सुग्रीवसहितो गत्वा तीरं महोदधेः ।
समुद्रं क्षोभयाम् आस शरैर् आदित्यसंनिभैः ।
दर्शयाम् आस चात्मानं समुद्रः सरितां पतिः ।
समुद्रवचनाच् चैव नलं सेतुम् अकारयत् ॥
tataḥ sugrīvasahito gatvā tīraṃ mahodadheḥ
samudraṃ kṣobhayām āsa śarair ādityasaṃnibhaiḥ
darśayām āsa cātmānaṃ samudraḥ saritāṃ patiḥ
samudravacanāc caiva nalaṃ setum akārayat
English
Then, with Sugriva, going
to the shore of the great sea,
he shook the ocean
with arrows like the sun.
And the ocean showed himself,
the lord of rivers;
at the ocean’s word
he had Nala build the bridge.
॥ 1.1.81; 1.1.85 ॥
CrEd 1.1.66
Narada
Sanskrit
तेन गत्वा पुरीं लङ्कां हत्वा रावणम् आहवे ।
अभ्यषिञ्चत् स लङ्कायां राक्षसेन्द्रं विभीषणम् ॥
tena gatvā purīṃ laṅkāṃ hatvā rāvaṇam āhave
abhyaṣiñcat sa laṅkāyāṃ rākṣasendraṃ vibhīṣaṇam
English
Crossing by it to Lanka’s city,
slaying Ravana in battle,
he consecrated in Lanka
Vibhishana, lord of the rakshasas.
॥ 1.1.86; 1.1.88–89 ॥
CrEd 1.1.69–70
Narada
Sanskrit
देवताभ्यो वरान् प्राप्य समुत्थाप्य च वानरान् ।
पुष्पकं तत् समारुह्य नन्दिग्रामं ययौ तदा ।
नन्दिग्रामे जटां हित्वा भ्रातृभिः सहितोऽनघः ।
रामः सीताम् अनुप्राप्य राज्यं पुनर् अवाप्तवान् ॥
devatābhyo varān prāpya samutthāpya ca vānarān
puṣpakaṃ tat samāruhya nandigrāmaṃ yayau tadā
nandigrāme jaṭāṃ hitvā bhrātṛbhiḥ sahito 'naghaḥ
rāmaḥ sītām anuprāpya rājyaṃ punar avāptavān
English
Winning boons from the gods,
raising the vanaras up,
he mounted the Pushpaka
and went then to Nandigrama.
At Nandigrama, his matted hair put off,
with his brothers, the sinless one,
Rama, with Sita won again,
has gained his kingdom once more.
॥ 1.1.89 ॥
CrEd 1.1.70
silent moment
॥ 1.1.90–92 ॥
CrEd 1.1.71–73
Narada
Sanskrit
प्रहृष्टमुदितो लोकस् तुष्टः पुष्टः सुधार्मिकः ।
निरामयो अरोगश् च दुर्भिक्षभयवर्जितः ।
न पुत्रमरणं के चिद् द्रक्ष्यन्ति पुरुषाः क्व चित् ।
… न वातजं भयं किं चिन् नाप्सु मज्जन्ति जन्तवः ।
न चाग्रिजं भयं किं चिद् यथा कृतयुगे तथा ॥
prahṛṣṭamudito lokas tuṣṭaḥ puṣṭaḥ sudhārmikaḥ
nirāmayo arogaś ca durbhikṣabhayavarjitaḥ
na putramaraṇaṃ ke cid drakṣyanti puruṣāḥ kva cit
… na vātajaṃ bhayaṃ kiṃ cin nāpsu majjanti jantavaḥ
na cāgrijaṃ bhayaṃ kiṃ cid yathā kṛtayuge tathā
English
Glad and joyful is the world,
content, well fed, and righteous,
free of sickness, free of disease,
free from the fear of famine.
Nowhere will any man
look upon a son’s death.
… No fear from the wind at all,
no creature drowns in the waters,
and no fear at all from fire:
as in the Krita age, so now.
॥ 1.1.97 ॥
CrEd 1.1.76
Narada
Sanskrit
दशवर्षसहस्राणि दशवर्षशतानि च ।
रामो राज्यम् उपासित्वा ब्रह्मलोकं गमिष्यति ॥
daśavarṣasahasrāṇi daśavarṣaśatāni ca
rāmo rājyam upāsitvā brahmalokaṃ gamiṣyati
English
Ten thousand years,
and ten hundred years more,
Rama will rule the kingdom,
and go to the world of Brahma.
॥ 1.2.1 ॥
CrEd 1.2.1
Valmikiverse caption
Sanskrit
नारदस्य तु तद् वाक्यं श्रुत्वा वाक्यविशारदः ।
पूजयाम् आस धर्मात्मा सहशिष्यो महामुनिः ॥
nāradasya tu tad vākyaṃ śrutvā vākyaviśāradaḥ
pūjayām āsa dharmātmā sahaśiṣyo mahāmuniḥ
English
Hearing those words of Narada,
he who was skilled in words,
the righteous one, honoured him,
the great sage, with his pupil.
॥ 1.2.2 ॥
CrEd 1.2.2
Valmikiverse caption
Sanskrit
यथावत् पूजितस् तेन देवर्षिर् नारदस् तदा ।
आपृष्ट्वैवाभ्यनुज्ञातः स जगाम विहायसम् ॥
yathāvat pūjitas tena devarṣir nāradas tadā
āpṛṣṭvaivābhyanujñātaḥ sa jagāma vihāyasam
English
Honoured by him as was due,
Narada, the divine seer, then
took his leave, and, given leave,
went away into the sky.
॥ 1.2.2 ॥
CrEd 1.2.2
silent moment