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8
 
THE RAMAYANA
 
यावत् स्थास्यन्ति गिरयस् सरितश्च महीतले ।
तावद्रामायणकथा लोकेषु प्रचरिष्यति ॥
 
* As long as the hills stand and the rivers
flow on the surface of the earth, so long
shall the story of the Ramayana be current
in the worlds."
 
स यथाकथितं पूर्वं नारदेन महर्षिणा ।
रघुवंशस्य चरितं चकार भगवानृषिः ॥
 
The venerable sage then composed the
story of the family of the Raghus, as it was
narrated before by the great sage Narada,
 
कुशीलवौ तु धर्मज्ञौ राजपुत्रौ यशास्विनौ ।
बिम्बादिवोद्धतौ बिम्बौ रामदेहात्तथाऽपरौ ।
यथोपदेशं तत्त्वज्ञौ जगतुस्तौ समाहितौ ॥
 
The royal sons, Kusa and Lava, posses-
sed of fame and well-versed in Duty and
Truth, sprung from Rama's body like two
images taken by reflection from
original, sang it carefully, exactly as they
had been taught :-
one
 
सर्वा पूर्वमियं येषाम् आसीत् कृत्स्ना वसुन्धरा ।
इक्ष्वाकूणामिदं तेषां राज्ञां वंशे महात्मनाम् ।
महदुत्पन्नमाख्यानं रामायणमिति श्रुतम् ॥