SAGE POET VĀLMĪKĪ’S
EPIC OF RĀMA:
Brief Outline)
IN BRIEF
Vālmīki’s Shrimad Rāmāyaṇa is a major epic in humanity’s rich cultural heritage. The original work is in Sanskrit. The entire opus contains twenty-four thousand couplets.
The Epic is presented in seven books. Each book is called a Kāṇda and bears a different name.
I BĀLAKĀṆDA
INTRODUCTION
The Sage Nārada was the one who recounted
The saga of Shri Rāma to the great Vālmīki.
Right then Creator Brahmā paid a visit to this poet
To inspire him in the composition of this epic.
Now the poet gave a brief outline of the work.
After Rāma became King of Ayodhya
His two charming sons named Lava and Kusha
Recited for their father the epic from start to end.
Oh, what a wonderful rendition it must have been!
AYODHYA, ITS KING, AND ASHVAMEDA
They began with a description of Ayodhya City,
Capital of the country ruled by Dasaratha.
This king had eight ministers, upright and wise,
Who assisted him in ruling righteously.
The King had all he wanted, except for one thing:
He had no male progeny to succeed him.
So, Dasaratha wanted to perform ashvamedha:
This was a traditional Horse-sacrifice
Which used to be done by kings
To obtain specific results.
This idea was fully approved and blessed
By the king’s ministers and all his priests.
Spurts of Thought 