Passage 1
ब्रह्मोवाच— कदाचिद्रघुशार्दूलं रामं त्रैलोक्यसुन्दरम्। प्रभाविणं विक्रमिणमुत्तरोत्तरगुणाकरम्॥१॥
Brahmā said: Once the tiger among the Raghus, Rāma, beauty of the three worlds, shone as a mighty hero and an ever-increasing treasury of virtues. Source note: The edition marks one pāda of passage 1 with पादेऽस्मिन्नक्षराधिक्यमार्षः, identifying its extra syllable as an archaic metrical usage.
Passage 2
ज्ञात्वा पुरुषवर्यं तं साक्षाद् रामं परं विभुम्। अयोध्यास्था जनाः सर्वे ऊचिरेऽन्योन्यमादृताः॥२॥
Knowing that foremost person, Rāma, to be the supreme Lord himself, all the people living in Ayodhyā spoke respectfully to one another.
Passage 3
जना ऊचुः— अहो अयं कोऽपि महान् वरेण्यो रामः कलाकोटिधरोऽवतारी। आजन्मतोऽद्यावधि सर्वमुत्तमं चक्रे चरित्रं परदुःखवारणः॥३॥
The people said: Ah, this Rāma is some great and supremely worthy avatārin, bearer of countless divine powers. From birth until this very day, he who removes the suffering of others has performed only the most excellent deeds.
Passage 4
तथा ह्यनेन प्रसभं निपातिता दैतेयवंशाः कति नो धरण्याम्। येषां बलं शक्रमुखैः सुरैरपि प्रभावयुक्तैरपि दुर्निवार्यम्॥४॥
How many Daitya lineages has he not forcibly struck down upon the earth, though their power was difficult to withstand even for mighty gods headed by Indra?
Passage 5
अनेन बालेन हता जिघांसुः सा राक्षसी द्वित्रिमासोद्भवेन। याभूद् बहुक्रोशमितोग्रविग्रहा शैलेन्द्रवक्षोजवतीव पूतना॥५॥
When this child was only two or three months old, he killed the murderous demoness Pūtanā, whose terrible body extended for many krośas and whose breasts were like great mountains.
Passage 6
हतः स खट्वामधिशय्य तिष्ठता खट्वासुरो नाम परः शिशुग्रहः। अदृश्यरूपः खलु रावणस्य यो हितप्रदः कुञ्जरकोटिविग्रहः॥६॥
While lying upon his cot, he killed the formidable infant-seizing spirit named Khaṭvāsura, an invisible ally of Rāvaṇa whose strength equaled that of ten million elephants.
Passage 7
हतः स वात्याप्रचयात्मना चरन् महासुरो बालकेलीपरेण। येनान्तरिक्षेऽप्युपात्तवेगिना बलाधिकेन प्रसभं हारकेण॥७॥
Absorbed in a child's play, he killed the great demon who moved as a mass of whirlwind and, gathering terrible speed and strength, had carried him forcefully into the sky.
Passage 8
यः कावपि क्षितिरुहो गगनस्पृशाङ्गो शाखाभुजैरपि गतो घनमण्डलान्तम्। स्पृष्टा पदाम्बुजयुगेन च शापजातो कौचित्सुरो समुदपाटयदात्तलीलः॥८॥
In effortless play he uprooted a certain tree whose body touched the sky and whose branch-arms reached into the clouds. Touched by his pair of lotus feet, a god who had entered that condition through a curse was released. Source note: Passage 8 is preserved in the dense printed form यः कावपि ... स्पृष्टा ... कौचित्सुरो. Its tree, divine touch, curse, and released god are clear; the English does not silently regularize the edition's unusual case forms.
Passage 9
येनातिवेगादुदपाटि भूरुहो माङ्गल्यकामातृनिबद्धदाम्ना। ततो विनिर्गम्य च केनचित्स्तुतः पुंसा सुवेशेन कृताञ्जलेन॥९॥
Bound with a cord by his mother Māṅgalyakā, he swiftly uprooted that tree. A beautifully formed man then emerged from it and praised him with folded hands.
Passage 10
साक्षान्महाविष्णुरिति प्रतीयते भाग्येन तेनामितवैभवाढ्यः। यः कुञ्जरैरप्यतिविक्रमोद्धुरैर्न भञ्जनीयोऽप्यतियत्नेन तावत्॥१०॥
By that deed he appeared to be Mahāviṣṇu himself, endowed with immeasurable glory, for even the most powerful elephants could not have broken the tree despite every effort.
Passage 11
यः कालमेघामितवृष्टिवेपितं संलक्ष्य लोकं निजमातपत्रम्। विस्तारयामास दशैकयोजनच्छायाकरं गोपतिगोधनोपरि॥११॥
Seeing the people shaken by the boundless rain of the dark clouds, he spread his own great umbrella above the cowherd lord and the cattle, casting shade for eleven yojanas.
Passage 12
यस्यैव सापश्यदशेषविश्वकं माङ्गल्यका श्रीजननी समन्ततः। सपर्वतं सान्ध्रिजलं सकाननं विचित्ररूपं सर्वमेकत्र संस्थम्॥१२॥
Within him his blessed mother Māṅgalyakā saw the entire universe all around—mountains, dense waters, forests, and every wondrous form gathered together in one place.
Passage 13
वितर्कयामास प्रथमं ततस्तं लोकं धात्रा सहितं सभूधरम्। कदाचित्कर्तुं श्रीभगवान् राघवेन्द्रः परीक्षणं समवेक्ष्य विचित्रलीलः॥१३॥
Then the Creator first pondered that world with all its mountains. Seeing Rāghavendra's wondrous play, he once resolved to test the blessed Lord.
Passage 14
योऽयं ततः समभवत्सकलस्वरूपः स्वांशके न हि रचिताखिलसत्त्वपञ्चः। दृष्टा च यस्य बहुरूपतया व्रजान्तरेऽद्भुतां भवनशक्तिमनन्तशक्तेः॥१४॥
He then became every form through his own portions, manifesting the entire company of beings. His many forms throughout Vraja revealed the wondrous power of manifestation belonging to the Lord of infinite power.
Passage 15
धाता पदाम्बुरुहयोन्यपतत्रभग्नलोकेशमानविभवोन्नतिरात्तदास्यः। गावश्च येन परतः खलु पाल्यमानाः साक्षान्महोपनिषदश्च तदेकदेशाः॥१५॥
The lotus-born Creator's lofty pride as lord of the worlds fell at those lotus feet, and he accepted servitude. The cows protected by Rāma were themselves the great Upaniṣads, or portions of them. Source note: Passages 14–15 contain compressed compounds describing the Lord's many manifestations, Brahmā's humbled sovereignty, and the cows as Mahopaniṣadic forms. The translation follows those explicit claims without expanding the compounds into an unattested narrative.
Passage 16
शाखाः पयश्च परमाः खलु भक्तिरासौ तद्दोहनं विहितवान् ननु यः परोक्षः। गोपाश्च ते वै गुरवः सम्प्रतीता वेदाचार्याः केवलं दिव्यरूपाः॥१६॥
Their branches and their supreme milk were indeed that devotion, and he invisibly performed its milking. Those cowherds were recognized as gurus—teachers of the Veda in wholly divine forms.
Passage 17
गोप्यस्तथा भक्तितन्व्यः प्रतीतास्तावदप्रतीता भुवने सन्ति नान्याः। पश्चेन्द्रयागविभवैर्निजवैष्णवानां पूजां विधापयितवान्नृपति समर्थः। तेनोद्दुःखं च सुरराजमपीपतद्यो लोकेशगर्वगुरुशैलभरात्प्रमत्तम्॥१७॥
The gopīs were likewise known as bodies of devotion; no other women like them were known in the world. After the splendor of Indra's sacrifice, the mighty prince instituted worship of his own Vaiṣṇavas. He cast the king of the gods into distress and brought down the pride-intoxicated lord of the worlds beneath the immense weight of the mountain.
Passage 18
यो रासभाकृतिधरं खलु राक्षसेन्द्रं सद्यो व्यनाशयदनन्तबलः प्रमत्तः। पश्चादहिं च निरकाशयदुद्रमन्तं ज्वालाविषं व्रजगवामहितं सरय्वाः॥१८॥
Possessing infinite strength, he swiftly destroyed the arrogant demon-lord who had assumed the form of a donkey. Later he expelled from the Sarayū the raging serpent whose flaming poison threatened the cows of Vraja.
Passage 19
यश्च द्विजेषु कृतयाचनकोऽन्नहेतोर्यागक्रियाविवशमूढसमस्तधीषु। तेषां वधूश्च परमान्नकृतोपहारानभ्युदधार पतिभिः सह दिव्यकेलिः॥१९॥
When the brahmins, wholly absorbed and bewildered by sacrificial procedure, would not answer his request for food, he of divine play uplifted their wives, who brought offerings of excellent food, together with their husbands.
Passage 20
माङ्गल्यकापतिमथो सुखिताख्यगोपं नीतं यमेन निजसादनमुग्रशक्तिः। पश्चान्निनाय च स्वयं विहितात्मपूजो वित्रासयन् प्रसभमन्तुमचन्तसारः॥२०॥
Then the Lord of terrible power rescued Māṅgalyakā's husband, the cowherd named Sukhita, after Yama had taken him to his own abode. Frightening Yama by his irresistible essence, he brought Sukhita back and caused himself to be worshiped. Source note: The terminal compound of passage 20 is densely printed as प्रसभमन्तुमचन्तसारः. The English keeps the evident action—Rāma's forceful intervention before Yama and Sukhita's return—without manufacturing a lexical segmentation not supplied by the witness.
Passage 21
यश्च स्वसौन्दर्यविमोहिताभ्यो व्रजाङ्गनाभ्यो व्रतकर्शिताभ्यः। ददौ स्वरूपं जनकेन्द्रपुत्रो प्रसादकाले परमप्रसन्नः॥२१॥
Supremely pleased at the time of grace, Janaka's royal son bestowed his own form upon the women of Vraja, emaciated by their vow and enchanted by his beauty.
Passage 22
दुर्वाससा दापयदात्मलब्धये यो जानकीमन्त्रवरं तथाभ्यः। आविष्टरूपाश्च तया तथेता रासप्रसङ्गेऽरमयत् प्रवीणः॥२२॥
For their attainment of him, he had Durvāsas give them the excellent Jānakī-mantra. Through it they assumed manifest forms, and the master of loving play delighted with them during the rāsa.
Passage 23
यश्च व्रजान्तर्निवसन्गवेन्द्रं माङ्गल्यकां चैव विमुक्तभेदी। तौ पुत्रभावेन पुपोष पूर्णप्रेमामृतेनातिसुदुर्लभेन॥२३॥
Dwelling within Vraja and free from all distinction, he nourished Gopendra and Māṅgalyakā in the relation of parents with the exceedingly rare nectar of perfect love.
Passage 24
यश्च स्वरूपं विधिशेषलक्ष्मीरुद्राद्यलभ्यं परमं ब्रह्मसंज्ञम्। वितीर्णवाञ्छीपशुयाङ्गनाभ्यः प्रेमप्रवृत्तिं भुवि दर्शयानः॥२४॥
Showing the way of love upon earth, he bestowed upon the cowherd women who longed for him his own form, known as the supreme Brahman and unattainable even to Brahmā, Śeṣa, Lakṣmī, Rudra, and the others. Source note: The compound वितीर्णवाञ्छीपशुयाङ्गनाभ्यः is retained exactly as printed. Its governing claim is clear: the supreme form inaccessible even to the great deities is bestowed upon the longing women of the pastoral community through prema.
Passage 25
यः प्रायशो लभ्यत एव नागमैर्न योगदृष्टिप्रसरैस्तपोभिः। न ज्ञानमार्गेण न कर्मणा च प्रेमाख्यभक्तिप्रियतामभ्युपेतः॥२५॥
He is not generally attained through scriptures, the extended vision of yoga, austerities, the path of knowledge, or ritual action. He becomes beloved through devotion called prema.
Passage 26
यो मोहयन् मुरलीनाददिव्यपीयूषधाराभिरनङ्गगर्वभित्। नागीनरीश्चैव नारीः सुरीश्च गन्धर्वयक्षोत्तमकन्यकाश्च॥२६॥
Breaking the pride of the bodiless god of love, he enchanted nāga women, human women, divine women, and the finest daughters of gandharvas and yakṣas with streams of celestial nectar flowing from his flute.
Passage 27
योऽपादवानलमनल्पमुदग्ररूपं संशुष्कतिन्दुकवनीवरुजातलग्नम्। उज्ज्वालजिह्वमपिधाय नभोग्रसन्तं गोसंघगोपतिसमूहकृतासुरक्षः॥२७॥
To protect the herds of cows and companies of cowherds, he swallowed the immense and towering forest fire that had seized the dried tinduka woodland, its blazing tongues devouring the sky. Source note: Passage 27 is translated from the complete printed compound beginning योऽपादवानलम्; its controlling images are the spreading forest fire, its sky-consuming flames, and Rāma's protection of the cows and cowherds.
Passage 28
इच्छामात्रेण यश्चक्रे बाणप्रेरणया परम्। लङ्केशसैन्यकदनं लङ्केशं च न्यपातयत्॥२८॥
By mere will, through the discharge of his arrows, he utterly destroyed the army of Laṅkā's lord and struck down the lord of Laṅkā himself.
Passage 29
यो तौ शरौ प्रहितौ राघवेण तौ भूत्वा च स्वं रूपमङ्गीकृतवन्तौ। गोदावरीतीरमुपेत्य चक्रतुर्दिव्यां केलिं सीतया सार्धमुच्चैः॥२९॥
Those two arrows loosed by Rāghava assumed their own forms, went to the bank of the Godāvarī, and there performed exalted divine play together with Sītā. Source note: Passage 29 uses a sustained dual construction for the two arrows. The English preserves the witness's explicit claim that both assume forms and participate in the Godāvarī-bank līlā.
Passage 30
इत्याद्यनेकानि दधच्चरित्राण्युपागतो राघवेन्द्रस्य गेहे। कौसल्याया दृष्टिसुखं वितन्वन्नेको रामः सम्प्रतीतश्चतुर्धा॥३०॥
Bearing these and many other deeds, the one Rāma appeared in Rāghavendra's house, expanding the delight of Kausalyā's eyes, and was perceived in four forms.