Passage 1
साधु पृष्टं महाभागा लोकोत्पत्तिकारणम्। भक्ताः परमहंसाश्च कृतार्थाः स्युर्यतोऽखिलाः॥१॥
Fortunate ones, you have asked well about the cause from which the world arises—the truth through which every devotee and paramahaṃsa may find complete fulfilment.
Passage 2
राम एवास्य जगतश्चाश्रयः सर्वभूतभृत्। राम एव निमित्तं च निजलीलारसात्मकः॥२॥
Rāma alone is the support of this universe and bearer of every being. Rāma alone is its efficient cause, whose very nature is the rasa of his own divine play.
Passage 3
राम एव परं सारं वेद्यं निगममूर्धसु। ममापि सम्मतं तत्त्वं राम एव न संशयः॥३॥
Rāma alone is the supreme essence to be known at the summit of revelation. Rāma alone is the reality I too accept—of this there is no doubt.
Passage 4
मामादौ सर्वजगतो राम एव नियुक्तवान्। रामस्य च स्वभावोऽस्ति वेदानामप्यगोचरः॥४॥
At the beginning, Rāma alone appointed me over the whole universe; yet Rāma’s own nature lies beyond the reach even of the Vedas.
Passage 5
नीलरूपं चिदाकारः सच्चिदानन्दविग्रहः। प्रतिष्ठा ब्रह्मणोऽप्येतत् परं ब्रह्म च तादृशम्॥५॥
Dark-blue in form, he is shaped of consciousness, his embodied presence being existence, consciousness, and bliss. This is the foundation even of Brahman; the supreme Brahman is of precisely this nature.
Passage 6
सगुणं निर्गुणं चापि भेदाभेदविवर्जितम्। एकरूपं सदा ध्येयं पूर्णं मायाविवर्जितम्॥६॥
He is both with qualities and beyond qualities, free from the division of difference and non-difference. Always meditate upon him as one in form, complete, and untouched by māyā.
Passage 7
चिदानन्दोऽस्य संस्थानं स्थानमस्य सनातनम्। सीतालोकं परं स्थानं चिन्मयानन्दलक्षणम्॥७॥
Consciousness and bliss are his mode of being and his eternal dwelling. His supreme abode is Sītā-loka, whose defining nature is conscious bliss.
Passage 8
कोशलाख्यं पुरं नित्यं चिल्लोक इति कीर्तितम्। अहं च विविधैर्यज्ञैः कोशलाधिपतिं यजे॥८॥
The eternal city called Kośalā is celebrated as the realm of pure consciousness. Through sacrifices of many kinds, I worship the Lord of Kośalā.
Passage 9
हविर्भुजां च सर्वेषां राम एव परायणम्। हविर्भुजामधिष्ठानं राम एव फलप्रदः॥९॥
Rāma alone is the final refuge of all who receive the oblation. Rāma is the ground of those recipients, and Rāma alone bestows the fruit.
Passage 10
क्रतुयज्ञमये सत्रे सारभुग् राम एव हि। आदिरामायणं नाम श्रीरामचरितं शुभम्॥१०॥
In a sacrificial session made of rites and offerings, Rāma alone receives the essence. The work called the Ādi Rāmāyaṇa is the auspicious account of Śrī Rāma.
Passage 11
किञ्चिन्मूलचरित्रं च पवित्रं मङ्गलालयम्। जन्म कर्म च रामस्य वक्ष्ये त्रिभुवनेशितुः॥११॥
I shall tell something of that primordial account—pure and a dwelling place of auspiciousness—and of the birth and deeds of Rāma, Lord of the three worlds.
Passage 12
एकैकं विमलं गीतं वर्णितं चैव सूरिभिः॥१२॥
Each episode is stainless, sung and described by the illumined sages. The gods said
Passage 13
को वा भुशुण्डनामासौ वैष्णवप्रवरो मतः। तस्मै च कथमाख्यातमादिरामायणं शुभम्॥१३॥
Who is this one named Bhuśuṇḍa, regarded as foremost among Vaiṣṇavas? And how did the auspicious Ādi Rāmāyaṇa come to be related to him?
Passage 14
का च तत्र कथा दिव्या श्रीरामचरितात्मिका। अवतारचरित्रं किं किं वा मूलचरित्रकम्॥१४॥
What divine story of Śrī Rāma’s deeds does it contain? Which part is the story of his descent, and which is the primordial account?
Passage 15
एतन्नो वद भो ब्रह्मन् सन्दिहानान् सभासदः। रामचन्द्रामृतकथाप्रश्नस्योत्तरमद्भुतम्॥१५॥
Brahmā, tell this to us, the members of the assembly who remain in doubt. Give the wondrous answer to our question about the nectar-story of Rāmacandra. --- Thus ends the third chapter, “The Teaching,” in the dialogue of Brahmā and Bhuśuṇḍa in the Śrīmad Ādi Rāmāyaṇa. Textual note In verse 1 the base text’s opaque sabhāstārāḥ is replaced by mahābhāgāḥ, the intelligible Rewa-manuscript reading printed in the 1975 apparatus; the Ayodhya witness instead reads sabhāsadbhiḥ. In verse 3 the editor places tattvam in parentheses as a proposed restoration. Both decisions are made explicit rather than concealed in the displayed text.