Passage 1
तत्र काकुत्स्थवंशे तु जनिता वो हितप्रदः। तस्य सेवार्थममरा अग्रतो यूयमासथ॥१॥
There in Kakutstha’s lineage your benefactor will be born. Gods, go before him so that you may serve him.
Passage 2
कोटिब्रह्माण्डलक्ष्मीनामंशिनी ब्रह्मरूपिणी। आद्या श्रीर्भविता तस्य तोषणार्थं तु जानकी॥२॥
To bring him delight, Jānakī will become the primordial Śrī, embodiment of Brahman and source of the Lakṣmīs of millions of cosmic eggs.
Passage 3
स जातो भगवान् रामो राघवेन्द्रो परात्परः। हरिष्यति भुवो भारं धर्मं च स्थापयिष्यति॥३॥
Born there as the blessed Rāma, Rāghavendra beyond the highest, he will remove the earth’s burden and establish dharma.
Passage 4
आदिदेव्याश्च पद्मायाः करिष्यति सुखं महत्। देवीनां मानुषीणां च किन्नरीणां तथैव च॥४॥
He will bring immense happiness to Padmā, the primordial Goddess, and likewise to divine women, human women, and kinnara women.
Passage 5
नागीनां च नगीणां च दृङ्मोदं जनयिष्यति। प्रमोदविपिने स्थित्वा सम्प्रयुक्तस्तदाज्ञया॥५॥
Dwelling in the Pramoda grove and acting under her command, he will awaken delight in the eyes of serpent women and mountain women as well.
Passage 6
तदंशभूता अन्याश्च रामाः सम्मोदयिष्यति। परमा सा स्वयं लक्ष्मीः सीता साकेतपत्तने। प्रमोदने तथा राज्ञी सहजानन्दरूपिणी॥६॥
He will also fill with joy the other lovely women who are portions of her. She is supreme Lakṣmī herself: Sītā in the city of Sāketa and queen in Pramodana, whose form is spontaneous bliss. Bhuśuṇḍa said
Passage 7
श्रीरामचरितं ब्रूहि ब्रह्मन् संशृण्वतो मम। जायते परमानन्दो रोमहर्षश्च गद्गदः॥७॥
Brahmā, tell me the deeds of Śrī Rāma. As I listen, supreme bliss arises in me; my hair stands on end and my voice falters with emotion.
Passage 8
यस्यांशा मत्स्यकूर्माद्याः बलकृष्णादयस्तथा। तं राममपहायान्यं श्रोतुमिच्छामहे कथम्॥८॥
Matsya, Kūrma, and the others, as well as Bala, Kṛṣṇa, and the rest, are his portions. Leaving that Rāma aside, how could we wish to hear of anyone else?
Passage 9
यः पश्यतो मे धृतचापहस्तो भ्रूभङ्गमात्रे जलधिं निबध्य। चकार लङ्कां निजदासनाथां निहत्य वेगेन च राक्षसेन्द्रम्॥९॥
Before my very eyes, bow in hand, he bound the ocean with no more than a bend of his brow. Swiftly slaying the king of the rākṣasas, he placed Laṅkā under the lordship of his own servant.
Passage 10
लङ्काधिपः संयति जिष्णुजैत्रो वरोर्जितो भूरितेजा दशास्यः। यद्बाणवह्नेः सहसा पतङ्गतां जगाम साकं परिवारवगैः॥१०॥
The ten-faced lord of Laṅkā had conquered Jiṣṇu in battle, was fortified by boons, and possessed tremendous splendour. Yet he and the hosts of his retinue suddenly became moths in the fire of Rāma’s arrows.
Passage 11
तस्य श्रीरघुवीरस्य चरितं मे निशामय। कल्पे कल्पे तु यज्जातं विदितं चैव यत्तव॥११॥
Teach me the deeds of that Śrī Raghuvīra—whatever has occurred in kalpa after kalpa and is known to you. Brahmā said
Passage 12
अनन्तं चरितं तस्य वक्तुं नो पारये द्विज। समाधौ तु सकृद्दृष्ट्वा वाल्मीकिः कथयिष्यति॥१२॥
Twice-born one, I am not capable of telling the whole of his infinite deeds. Vālmīki will behold them once in samādhi and relate them.
Passage 13
मयापि भवते वाच्यं समाधावुपलभ्य हि। विना समाधिसंयोगं कथं वक्तुं क्षमोऽस्म्यहम्॥१३॥
I too must speak to you only after apprehending them in samādhi. Without the union of samādhi, how could I be capable of telling them?
Passage 14
वाल्मीकिनोदितं दिव्यं रामायणमुदाहृतम्। अन्यत्तु रामानुक्रीडं तद्रामायणमेव हि॥१४॥
The divine account spoken by Vālmīki is called the Rāmāyaṇa. Any other account that follows Rāma’s play is indeed a Rāmāyaṇa as well.
Passage 15
मत्स्योऽस्य हृदयं विष्णुर्योगरूपी जनार्दनः। कूर्मोऽस्य धारणाशक्तिर्वराहो भुजयोर्बलम्॥१५॥
Matsya is his heart; Viṣṇu, Janārdana in the form of yoga. Kūrma is his power of concentration, and Varāha the strength of his arms.
Passage 16
नारसिंहो महान् रोषो वामनः कटिमेखला। भार्गवोऽस्य परो धर्मो बलरामश्च सम्मदः॥१६॥
Nārasiṃha is his mighty wrath and Vāmana his girdle. Bhārgava is his supreme dharma, and Balarāma his exultant joy.
Passage 17
बुद्धस्तु करुणा साक्षात्कल्की चैतस्य संस्मृतिः। कृष्णोंऽशांशो ह एवास्य वृन्दावनविभूषणः॥१७॥
Buddha is compassion itself, and Kalkī is his recollective power. Kṛṣṇa, the ornament of Vṛndāvana, is but a portion of one of his portions.
Passage 18
एते चांशकलाश्चैव रामस्तु भगवान् स्वयम्। ब्रह्मा विष्णुश्च रुद्रश्च महेन्द्रः श्रीस्तथैव च॥१८॥
These are portions and fractional powers, but Rāma is the blessed Lord himself. Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Rudra, Mahendra, and Śrī—
Passage 19
सनातनस्तथा धर्मो राम एव स्वयं द्विज। न रामात्परतस्तत्त्वं वेदैरपि निचीयते॥१९॥
as well as the Eternal and dharma itself—are Rāma alone, twice-born one. Even the Vedas establish no reality higher than Rāma.
Passage 20
वेदान्ता ब्रह्मसूत्राणि चत्वारो निगमास्तथा। सेतिहासानि सर्वाणि पुराणानि तथा द्विज॥२०॥
The Vedāntas and Brahma-sūtras, the four Vedas, and likewise, twice-born one, all the works of history and all the Purāṇas—
Passage 21
धर्मः सांङ्ख्यं तथा योगः सर्वं रामस्य सूचकम्। तत्सङ्कोचविकाशाभ्यां राम एव प्रतिष्ठितम्॥२१॥
dharma, Sāṅkhya, and yoga all point toward Rāma. Through the contraction and expansion of that name, Rāma alone is established.
Passage 22
रकारेण विकाशः स्यात्सङ्कोचस्तु मकारतः। वेदशास्त्रपुराणौघैरेकं तत्त्वं विनिश्चितम्॥२२॥
Expansion comes through the syllable ra, and contraction through ma. The floods of Veda, śāstra, and Purāṇa have ascertained this single reality.
Passage 23
परं ब्रह्म स्वयं रामः सच्चिदानन्दविग्रहः। अहो रामस्य चरितं महानारायणेशितुः॥२३॥
Rāma himself is supreme Brahman, the embodied form of existence, consciousness, and bliss. Ah, the deeds of Rāma, Lord of Mahānārāyaṇa!
Passage 24
जिह्वाकोटिशतेनापि मया वक्तुं न शक्यते। यस्य लोकः सदा भाति गोलोकात्परतस्तु सः॥२४॥
Even with a hundred crores of tongues I could not describe them. His realm shines eternally beyond Goloka.
Passage 25
महावैकुण्ठमेतद्धि व्यापि वैकुण्ठसंज्ञकम्। तत्र तस्य पदाम्भोजद्वयं सम्यक्प्रतिष्ठितम्॥२५॥
That all-pervading realm, called Vaikuṇṭha, is indeed Mahāvaikuṇṭha. There his two lotus feet are perfectly established.
Passage 26
तत्परस्तस्य वै रूपं सीतावैकुण्ठसंज्ञकम्। रामवैकुण्ठसंज्ञं तु प्रमोदवनमुदाहृतम्॥२६॥
Beyond it is his form called Sītā-vaikuṇṭha. Pramoda-vana is declared to be the realm called Rāma-vaikuṇṭha.
Passage 27
यतो विनिर्गताश्चांशा विस्फुलिङ्गा इवारणेः। बलकृष्णादयः सर्वेऽप्यवतारपदं मताः॥२७॥
From him portions stream forth like sparks from a fire. Bala, Kṛṣṇa, and all the others are understood to occupy the station of divine descents.
Passage 28
अवतारी स्वयं रामः सर्वांशानां निधिः परः। कस्तस्य महिमानं च वक्तुं शक्नोति दैवतः॥२८॥
Rāma himself is the source of the descents, the supreme treasury of every portion. What deity is capable of describing his greatness?
Passage 29
हयग्रीवेण यत्प्रोक्तं यच्च वल्मीकजेन च। मया त्वया च यत्प्रोक्तं वसिष्ठेन तथोदितम्॥२९॥
What was spoken by Hayagrīva and by the son of Vālmīki, what has been spoken by me and by you, and what was likewise declared by Vasiṣṭha—
Passage 30
तदंशमात्रकं विद्धि रामायणमनन्तकम्। यदि वालुकरेणूनां गणना स्यान्महामते॥३०॥
know all of it to be only a fractional part of the infinite Rāmāyaṇa. Great- minded one, if the grains of sand could ever be counted,
Passage 31
तदा श्रीरामवीर्याणां गणना भवति क्वचित्। अन्यदेव हि तद्वीर्यं कल्पे कल्पे युगे युगे॥३१॥
then perhaps the mighty deeds of Śrī Rāma could be counted. Yet his power takes a different form in every kalpa and in every age.
Passage 32
अथाभवद्दशरथमन्दिरे परे पुमानसौ भुवनभरोद्धृतिक्षमः। मृगीदृशां नयनविमोहनाकृतिः स राघवः क्षपयतु वाक्यचापलम्॥३२॥
Then in Daśaratha’s palace appeared that Supreme Person, capable of lifting the worlds’ burden, whose beauty enchants the eyes of doe-eyed women. May that Rāghava bring an end to the restlessness of my speech. --- Thus ends the ninth chapter, “The Greatness of Rāma,” in the dialogue of Brahmā and Bhuśuṇḍa in the Śrīmad Ādi Rāmāyaṇa. Textual note Verse 4 follows the photographed edition’s kinnarīṇām, and verse 26 its clearly printed Sītā-vaikuṇṭha; both repair defective forms in the private aid. The unusual parivāra-vagaiḥ in verse 10 and the transmitted sandhi in verse 17 are retained rather than silently rewritten. Verse 29’s valmīkajena is translated literally; the identity intended by that compact epithet is not certain from this passage alone.