Introduction

Divine sage Narada arrives at the hermitage of sage Välmiki in order to enlighten him and keep him informed of his duty to author the epic poem Ramayana. In the dialogue between these two sages, Valmiki solicits from Narada about most virtuous person on earth, Rama. Narada while eulogizing Rama, gives an outline of Ramayana, truly highlighting those aspects that are keynotes in this epic, like virtuosity, generosity, morality, chastity and the like. Here starts the first verse in bala kanda:

Sage Valmiki inquired thus with the Divine sage Narada, who always takes pleasure in ascetic meditation, devout study of Vedas and who is acclaimed as an august sage of higher learning.

" Who in this world, at present, is that great person with high attributes, valiant, virtuous, thankful, and also true to his word, and determined in his deed. "

"Who has good conduct of high order, benign to all beings, scholar with adorable ability and admirable personality, and who is pleasant to look at."

"Who is that courageous one, who has controlled ire, who is non-emulative, non-jealous and by whom, even the gods are afraid, when angered in a battlefield."

"I wish to hear all about him from you, as my inquisitiveness is high. Oh! Great sage of eminence, you are competent to know about that Man [with all the godly qualities]. "

Comment: Valmiki wanted to know about that man - a man with godly qualities; this is the possible link for Rama becoming a god incarnate. Sage Valmiki's thinking aloud about the qualities of his prospective hero of this epic are the very opening questions put to an Omniscient Sage Narada.

Sage Narada, the perceptor of all the three worlds, listened to the words of Valmiki. Then Sage Narada said with an appeased heart, duly beckoning Valmiki to listen attentively, "listen thus...."

Comment: The perceptor of three worlds, where the three worlds are 'bhu loka', this world, 'bhuvar loka', the intermediary heaven, 'suvar loka', the heavens themselves. In addition, they mean, heaven, earth, and hell.

" Oh! Sage Valmiki, those many virtues, cited by you are impossible to find in a single individual. But, I will tell you about such a man, who has all these attributes, listen...." said Narada.

"He sparkled in Ikshwaku dynasty, and known to his subjects by name Rama. He is conscientious, valorous, radiant,  brilliant and a controller of vice and vile."

" He is clever, moralist, learned, wealthy, and a destroyer of enemies. He is broad-shouldered with powerful arms. His neck is like a conch-shell and he has high cheekbones. "

Comment: These and some of the following stanzas describe the physical qualities an Emperor should have by birth.

" His chest is broad, bow is great, scapulae strong, and he is a conqueror of enemies. His arms are long, and he has emperor's continence, with a high crowning head and great forehead, has a  beautiful gait. " ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" His body frame is symmetrical with symmetrical body parts and with beautiful glow of the skin. Gallant person he is, with strong chest, eyes are wide, with a radiant personality with all the auspicious qualities. "

"He is a great Scholar of virtue, cognizes truth, always delights himself in the welfare of his subjects. He is renowned, erudite, clean, protector of dependents and also a great thinker."

" He equals the Omniscient, splendid and sustainer of the worlds. He is an eliminator of enemies, guardian of all  living beings and protects virtue."

"He is the protector of his own personal virtue, thus protects the general; He is a scholar of Vedas and their ancillaries also. He is an expert in the science of archery as contained in the canon, Dhanur Veda. "

Comment: These are the ancillary subjects of Vedas called anga [ part ] and upaanga [sub-part] Siksha [ritual rigor] vyakarana [grammar] chandas [prosody] jyotish [astrology] nirukta [recital rules] kalpa [procedure rules]. This apart, the dhanur veda [science of archery] itself is treated as  an exclusive Veda taught to warriors. The Danur Veda is not to be construed as simple bow and arrow and "shooting the target" education. It is a 'canon of missiles' that existed in those ages. Down the memory lane, O.A.Vijayan, the eminent Indian journalist has reflected in The Illustrated Weekly Of India, that the Soviet scholar Dr.A.A. Gorbovsky said in his article with heading 'Ancient India may have had N-arms', in the Statesman, with dateline Moscow, Sept. 8, 1986. Among other things, the scientist observes by the stanzas that describe the disaster caused by such astras, [now loosely termed as a well crafted bow and sky rocketing arrows,] as below: " A blazing shaft which possessed all the effulgence of smokeless fire was let off.. all directions were enveloped by darkness..the very elements seemed to be perturbed.. the sun seemed to turn...the universe, scorched with heat, seemed to be in fever... the survivors lost their hair and nails... for years the sun and sky remained shrouded with clouds..." Thus the narration goes on. This is the account of Brahmastra, as in Mahabharata, the other Epic of India. Thus the Dhanur Veda, may be taken as the canon of missile sciences, which fortunately has not been handed over to the successive generations, lest everything would have been annihilated by now. In Ramayana too, which is much earlier to Mahabharata, there are elaborate accounts of such astras in the coming chapters. Viswamitra, another Sage who is well-versed in warfare, gives many such weapons to Rama, in the forthcoming chapters. For now, these bow and arrow references may not be taken as those of Robin Hood. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" He is a very learned person in the essence of all the scriptures with excellent memory and brilliance. He is dear to all the worlds, gentle, unperturbed at heart, and has clear thinking. "

"Like a sea adored by many rivers reaching it, he too, is accessible and reached by learned men adoring him; he treats all equally, and always has same pleasant look. "

"He is endowed with all great attributes and he is the delight of his mother Kousalya. He in his inscrutability is like an ocean and in courage, solid like Himavaan, an icy mountain."

"He resembles Lord Vishnu in courage, and his looks are pleasant as those of a full moon. He looks like a blazing fire when angered; yet he, in perseverance, is like the Mother Earth."

"He equals Lord Kubera in donation, and in administering virtue is like Lord Dharma on earth. He alone, the virtuous Rama, truthful, courageous, possessor of high virtues [shall be the king, so thought his father Dasaratha, is the sub text.]"

Comment: From now poet tells the story in a gist like a trial part to the magnum opus. The chapter from now on is known as Bala Ramayana and as Samskhepa Ramyana meaning that it is aimed at children and it has been told in an abridged version. Thus, it will be a very cryptic rendering. The very cryptic rendering of the synopsis makes it impossible to contain two foots of each stanza in its number. To give a simple meaning one foot of a stanza is taken to the next, or three foots are grouped into one to chance a meaning. Hence, stanza numbers may please be checked for a detailed study. This odd grouping persists now and then only to facilitate a meaningful sentence in prose, rather than high poetry. " sense often overruns the couplets boundary.." Dr. Charles Barber, Poetry in English, U.K. N.B: The words, api, cha, eva, tu, and some others will be found here and there in excess. These are to be taken to mean something or otherwise used to fill the metrical rule of a foot. They may not mean anything at some places, but some commentators [bhashya karas] attribute very great meaning .

"Dasaratha, the welfare minded king, thus wanted Rama, who was the first born and so the natural heir apparent, who has best virtues required of a king, and who was also his dearest son, to be the crown prince."

"Observing the arrangements made for the crowning ceremony of Rama, Queen Kaikèyi, the wife of Dasaratha, demanded from him, the boons once promised to her [and they are] banishing Rama to forests and bestowing prince-hood [to her son] Bharata. "

"King Dasaratha, abiding by his virtuous word, and tied bound by the thread of truthfulness, rendered his dear son Rama homeless and exiled him. "

"Rama went to forest, faithful to his solemn vow of obeying father's hapless boons accorded to Kaikèyi, his father's dear queen."

"That lone traveler Rama is accompanied by his dear younger brother Lakshmana, with all his friendship and humbleness towards his elder brother. Rama is also very fond of his younger brother Lakshmana, the delightful son of Queen Sumitra. Thus, Lakshmana exemplified the true brotherhood by following Rama to forests."

Comment: The deities have their wives always with them. Chandra [Moon] has Rohini [the Moon Light] and Sürya [Sun] has Prabha [Sun Shine]. Minus these wives, their glow and glitter is void. So also Rama has an inseparable wife; though Seetha and Lakshmana were not exiled, they followed Rama out of love and togetherness.

"The citizens and subjects, even father Dasaratha, followed them for long."

Comment: Rama asks them to return to their homes and not to follow him.

"Rama, left suta [the charioteer, named Sumantra,] on the banks of river Ganga, at the town Sringaberipura [a domain in the borders of their kingdom]. They reached Guha, the kind hearted tribal chief. Later Guha, the tribal chief, sails Rama, along with Lakshmana and Seeta on the waters of Ganga."

"They traveled on, from wood to wood, crossing many a water-full river. They arrived at Chitrkuta as ordained by Sage Bharadwaja."

"Three of them built a handsome dwelling hut in those beautiful woods. They dwelt in there happily like divine and celestial beings."

Comment: Devas and Gandharwas are celestial beings who always live a luxuriant living unperturbed by any.

"After Rama's arrival at Chitrakuta, a place in the forests, King Dasaratha lamented and was buried in sorrow on his son's exile. Thus sorrowing and lamenting, he departed to heavens [breathed his last]."

"After the demise of the King Dasaratha, in agony about Rama's exile, Bharata [the crown prince, as per his mother's boons], though capable to take reins of kingdom, refused to rule the country, although being persuaded by courtiers and other well-wishers like Vasistha etc. and Bharata was very sturdy at will."

"Bharata went to woods to pacify Rama of his terrible vow."

"On approaching that very pleasant hearted Rama, whose very courage is truthfulness, Bharata, humble thoughts prevailing on his mind, begged of his brother [to come back]."

" 'Oh! Righteous one, you shall be the king ' to Rama he said. "

"Rama, though a very benevolent man willing to keep others happy, a person willing to donate anything, fulfiller of any request made to him, did not agree with Bharata or his requests. He rejected the kingdom, as avowed by his father's word, and he is very determined at it."

"Sandal shoes of Rama are given to Bharata to replicate Rama's rule for their kingdom, till the arrival of Rama. Again and again, Bharata who is repeatedly requesting Rama for a come back, is pacified and turned away, by the elder brother of Bharata [i.e. Rama]."

"He [Bharata] with his desire unfulfilled, [of convincing and taking his brother along with him], touched the feet of Rama in reverence, [and departed]. Bharata ruled the kingdom as a proxy, from Nandigrama, a village, [instead of from the capital Ayodhya], expecting an early homecoming of Rama."

"After the departure of Bharata, Rama, who is word bound, and well composed, thought over that other citizens may also rush in here [like Bharata] and disturb him, and hence went away from there to Dandakaranya, another forest. "

"Thus entering Dandakaranya, a great forest, Rama, the lotus eyed, killed a demon named Viradha, and visited sages Sarabhanga, Suteekkshna, Agastya and his brother named Sudarsana."

"On the advise of Sage Agastya, Rama received pleasingly, a bow, a sword and a quiver that always replenishes the arrows. Indra [Lord of Heavens] once gave these to Sage Agastya ."

"Rama lived with the tribesmen, moving from forest to forest. Sages came to him [with requests] to kill all the demons and demonic beings."

"He conceded to their requests about the demons that inhabited in that forest."

"Rama avowed that the demons would be killed by him in battle before the sages who are the habitants of Dandakaranya,whose glow is radiant like that of ritual fire."

"By him, Soorpanakha, a demoness who could transform herself into any form she wished, and who was a resident of Janasthana moving thereabout with malign motives, is defaced."

Comment: This is metonymy. Rama did not do it himself, but his brother Lakshmana does the act of cutting the nose and ears of this demoness, which is the twisting point of the story.

Sarga 1 - Verses 47 - 100