The Arival of Brahma (Brahma’s Visit)

Sloka 1: On hearing the words of eminent sentence-maker Narada, the great sage
Valmiki worshipped him along with his disciples.

Sloka 2: Thus duly worshipped, that divine sage Narada taking leave of Valmiki left for
his heavenly adobe.

Sloka 3: A while after the departure of Narada to heaven, Valmiki went to the banks of
the river Tamasa, which is not far from River Ganga.

Sloka 4: Valmiki on reaching the banks of river Tamasa, looking at the clean strand of
that river spoke to his disciple who was at his side.

Sloka 5: “Oh Bharadwaja! Look at this charming bathing place flowing with crystal clear
and sparkling water, resembling a noble man’s heart.

Sloka 6: Place the water vessel on the ground and may you hand over to me my
loincloth. I am entering the waters of this holy Tamasa”.

Sloka 7: Spoken to thus by the great souled Valmiki, Bharadwaja gave the cloth to the
sage.

Sloka 8: The self-controlled Sage Valmiki on taking loincloth from his disciple's hands,
indeed ambled towards the river, looking everywhere at the wide of forest.

Sloka 9: There the great sage saw a couple of lovely Krouncha birds, moving about, in
inseparable company and possessing melodious voice.

Sloka 10: A tribal hunter with all his evil intent killed the male bird of the pair while
Valmiki was looking at the birds.

Sloka 11: The female bird thereupon wailed piteously, seeing the male bird felled and
rolling on the ground and its body covered with blood.

Sloka 12: The female bird was now separated from its mate, which was always in its
company now bewailed with piteous utterances.

Sloka 13: On seeing that bird felled that way by the tribal hunter, sympathy is aroused in
that kind-hearted sage Valmiki.

Sloka 14: Then on seeing the wailing female Krounchi bird, growing compassionate and
thinking the killing of male bird as unjust, the sage uttered the following words.

Sloka 15: "Oh Ill-fated Hunter! You have killed one male bird of the couple, when
mating; you will not live for long.
Sloka 16: On saying thus, and pondering for a while in his heart, ‘What is it that I have
uttered impelled by sorrow on the account of this bird?’

Sloka 17: On thinking, the best among sages, of massive intellect and well-versed in the
code of conduct having decided, addressed the following words to his disciple.

Sloka 18: "This utterance of mine has emerged out of anguished annoyance, and it is
well- arranged with letters metrically posited, tuneful and rhythmical to be sung with
string instrument, and hence, this shall be a known as Sloka (verse), and let it not be
otherwise.”

Sloka 19: The disciple also, with a happy state of mind, committed to memory those
invaluable words of that sage at that time and the master also became pleased thereupon
with his disciple.

Sloka 20: Then the saint performing his bathing in those waters according to custom, and
still thinking about the incident, returned towards his hermitage.

Sloka 21: Then Bharadwaja, the obedient disciple, having knowledge about right conduct
and endowed with excellent memory, followed the sage carrying the water-vessel full of
water.

Sloka 22: Knower of Dharma Valmiki entered his hermitage, along with his disciple, sat
down, entered into trance and then engaged in the study of scriptures.

Sloka 23: Then, the great resplendent Four-faced creator of the worlds, almighty
Brahma, arrived there on his own, to see that eminent saint Valmiki.

Sloka 24: The pious saint Valmiki is highly surprised on seeing Brahma, and on quickly
getting up from his seat with folded hands he stood there in great astonishment.

Sloka 25: Valmiki venerated Brahma, on inquiring into his well-being, washed his feet,
drenched his thirst, seated him to rest, and adored at best with customarily obeisance.

Sloka 26: Thus greatly worshipped, that God sat on the seat and beckoned at Valmiki to
take a seat.

Sloka 27: Being asked by Lord Brahma, he then occupied the seat.

Sloka 28: Even in the presence of the Grandparent of the worlds sitting before him
Valmiki was thinking about the incident that happened that day.

Sloka 29: He that tribal hunter has done a cruel act by killing the Krouncha bird
possessing melodious voice for no good reason than intending to capture the kill, is an
evil souled.
Sloka 30: Lapsing into sorrow, thinking about the Krauncha bird again and again and
grieving, he repeated sang the same verse for some time.

Sloka 31: Brahma smilingly spoke to that eminent saint Valmiki, "What is composed by
you is a verse only and there is no need to worry about all this.

Sloka 32: Oh eminent sage! These words of yours have emerged due to my will. You
shall compose the legend of Rama entirely.

Sloka 33: You shall narrate the life-history of Rama, who is high-souled, virtuous,
intellectual and capable of discriminating the good from the bad, in the same manner as
you had heard from sage Narada.

Sloka 34: The adventures of valorous Rama, details of all happenings relating to the
demons and in respect of Rama, along with Lakshmana, whether they are matters of
public knowledge or secret, will be clear to you.

Sloka 35: Similarly, all matters relating to the plight of Vaidehi will also be known to
you, whether they be secret or hitherto unknown or well known and whatever legend
that has happened, all that will also be known to you, even if it were to be unknown, as
yet.

Sloka 36: In this poetical work of yours, your words will not be even a bit untrue and
therefore may you compose the sacred life-story of Rama, which pleases the mind, in the
form of verses.

Sloka 37: As long as the mountains and even rivers flourish on the surface of the earth,
so long the legend of Ramayana will flourish in this world.

Sloka 38: And as long as Rama's legend authored by you flourishes, till then you will
reside permanently in all my worlds.

Sloka 39: On saying thus Brahma vanished then and there only, leaving the high souled
sage Valmiki in extreme astonishment, along with his disciples.

Sloka 40: Thereafter all of the disciples of Valmiki, in a state of wonder, uttered again
and again this verse and in a state of ecstasy also rendered it musically.

Sloka 41: Equally lettered, four-footed is that verse when great Sage Valmiki composed
it, and when repetitively recited by one and all, it attained prominence as verse.

Sloka 42: Valmiki, who was meditating on the Supreme Being, came to the conclusion
that `I shall compose' the entire Ramayana in this form.
Sloka 43: That sage of wide intellect and fame composed that poem of this noble Rama
which would bestow fame, and comprised the most delightful and choicest words, their
meaning exquisite and noble, the meter is musical, the lines are symmetrical and
hundreds of such verses pleasing to the mind.

Sloka 44: May you make listening possible of the legend of the best one among Raghus
namely Rama, as also the destruction of the ten-headed Ravana, which is composed by
the great sage with appropriate compound words, conjunctions, symmetrical and musical
letters and sentences conveying charming meanings.

Thus Ends Sarga 2 of the Bala Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana