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So Wien Rama had obtained his kingdom, that worsl ful sage Valmiki, composed the entire history [of that h in excellent metre and fraught with high meaning. saint recited twenty-four thousand s/okas; and it consi of five hundred sections, and is divided into six Kandas the Uttara. And having composed it, including as well fut, incidents to happen afterwards, that lord reflected as to should publish the same before assemblies. And as t great sage of purified soul was thus pondering, in came

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sand Lava, in the guise of the sons of ascetics, and touched his feet. And he found those illustrious princes, the brothers Kusi and Lava, knowing morality, and living in a hermitage, and endowed with sweet voices,—apt at taking in the meaning of poetry. And finding them of a retentive endowment, and initiated into Vedic studies, that lord taught them how to interpret the Vedas, and that vow-observing One taught them the great Ramayana in full, treating of Sit&’s life, and the destruction of Paulastya. And those sweet -voiced brothers, resembling Gandharbas in grace, accomplished in music and dancing, and cognizant of Sthana and Murchhana, began to chaunt this poem delightful in recitation and in singing, set in three measures, and seven notes, and sung according to time to the accompaniment of stringed instruments, and fraught with the sentiments of love, pathos, risibility, the irascible, the terrible, and the heroic. And knowing the characteristics that go to make up the Drama, and gifted with mellifluous voices, those blameless princes, coming from Rama’s body, and resembling him, even as the reflection of the solar or the lunar disc resembles that disc, got by heart that excellent and moral story in its entirety; and those princes versed in the Fine arts, with a concentrated mind chaunted it as they had learnt it, in the assemblies of ascetics and Brahmanas and good men. . Once upon a time, those high-souled and pious ones, furnished with every auspicious mark, chaunted this poem in an assembly of ascetics of purified souls. Having heard this music, all the ascetics were seized with surprise, and ) with eyes flooded with tears, exclaimed, ‘‘Well done! Well ; done}” And well pleased, those saints cherishing Duty, i praised the praiseworthy Kusa and Lava as they sang, saying,—“Ah! what charming music! What sweetness of the verses! All this happened long ago, yet it seems as if we saw it before us.” And unified with the theme,

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both of them singing together sweetly, and at a high pit by means of saraja and the other notes, they entranced audience. And the two thus went on sweetly singing a high pitch, praised by those mighty sages priding in th asceticism. Some one in the assembly pleased with th presented them with a water-pitcher; and some one of his! fame, being delighted, made them a present of a bark garmen and some one gave them a dark deer skin ;—and some-he' thread,—and some, a samandalu,* and some great sai conferred on them a maunjat made girdle ; and some pers granted them a vrishi,t and some, a haupina.§ And the some ascetic, well-pleased, gave them an axe; and some, red cloth; and some, a thread for tying up their matted lock: and some gladly gave a twine for binding faggots with-| and some, ascetic presented them with a sacrificial po | and some, a quantity of fire-wood ; and some, a seat mat'| of adumvari.§ And some exclaimed, ‘“Swasé?;” and sor. joyfully cricd—‘May ye be long-lived!” And all thos: ascetics of truthful speech conferred on them blessing’ And the sages said,—“‘Wonderful is the story! And, Or accomplished in all kinds of music! beautifully have « chaunted and finished this poem, charming ear and hea: and conferring long life and prosperty,—which will affo: | themes to poets.” And admired everywhere, on one occasit:| those singers were seen by Bharata’s elder brother, in| street of Ayodhya, sparsely scattered with stalls. Ax, having had the brothers Kusa and Lava brought under ts! roof, that destroyer of enemies, Rama, accorded those op*| worthy of honor, a respectful reception. And having seate'| himself on a throne of excellent gold, in the midst oft) * An earthen or wooden water pot used by an ascetic. +t Akind of grass. } The seat of an ascetic. q A small piece of cloth worn by ascetics. § The glomerous fig tree.

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brothers and counsellors, that lord, Rama, beholding both the brothers, handsome and of modest demeanour, spoke unto Lakshmana, Bharata and Satrughna, saying,—Do ye listen to the story, fraught with excellent sense and composed in excellent measure, as sung by these ones endowed with the divine afflatus.” And then he ordered the singers to begin. Thereupon causing the down of the audience to stand on end, and ravishing their minds and hearts, they began to sing melodiously and distinctly and in as high a pitch as they could command, and in strains rivalling the notes of a Vind. And that song of theirs enchanted the ear of that assembly. And Rama said,—Although these Kusa and Lava, of rigid penances, look like ascetics, yet they bear on their persons the signs of royalty. And, besides, the story conduces to my fame. Do ye, therefore, listen to that history fraught with great worth!’ And then commanded by Rama, they began to chaunt according to the Marga mode, and R4ma seated in the midst of his court, was drawn to the music, anxious for the perpetuation of his history.