Gaining direct knowledge of the life story of Sri Rama

Sloka 1: On hearing the essence of Ramayana from Sage Narada, which is abound with
probity and prosperity, and a propitious one too, that virtue-souled Valmiki started
searching for further known details in the legend of that dexterous Rama.

Sloka 2: Valmiki sitting on a sacred Kusa grass mat, whose tips are towards east, after
sipping the water as per injunctions, and with folded hands in reverence, and then by his
yogic insight started to search comprehensively, for the narrative course of Ramayana.

Sloka 3: Valmiki perceives clearly whatever was attained by Sri Rama, Lakshmana and
Sita as also by king Dasaratha, along with his queens and the people, in exactly the same
manner in which they had occurred.

Sloka 4: Their smiles, their conversations, their deeds and the succession of events as
well, the sage saw all of them wholly and clearly by the yogic power conferred by
Brahma.

Sloka 5: Valmiki visualized all that happened with truth-abiding Rama, while he is
trekking in forests, with a lady being the third partner, where Lakshmana is the lone male
aide.

Sloka 6: Then that virtue-souled sage saw all that has happened earlier, by his yogic
exaltation, as clearly as a fruit kept on the palm of his hand.

Sloka 7: The highly intellectual Valmiki, having learnt about everything as it had
happened, on the strength of his righteous character commenced composing the life-story
of Sri Rama which steals the hearts of all.

Sloka 8: It is rich with the real functional qualities of earthly pleasures and prosperities,
contains the essence of all the Vedas and which clearly elaborates the meaning of probity
and its operative qualities, and thus, heightening the wonder of the reader and is
comparable to the ocean having plentiful precious stones and giving pleasure to the ears
and minds of all the listeners.

Sloka 9: That godly saint Valmiki composed the legend of Rama, the history of the
Raghu dynasty, exactly in the same manner in which he heard it from the divine-soul
Narada.

Sloka 10: The birth of Rama his very great valour, his gracefulness to all, his universal
cordiality, perseverance, courteousness, and his truthful conduct, Valmiki described them
all.

Sloka 11: Narrated are very many other amusing stories, meeting Viswamitra listening to
rare and varied episodes from the sage, Rama breaking the great bow, his marriage with
Janaki.
Sloka 12: Dispute of Rama and Parashurama; the qualities of Sri Rama, preparations for
the coronation of Rama as the crown prince, Queen Kaikeyi's vicious intentions.

Sloka 13: Exile of Rama to forests, King Dasharatha's grief and bewailing, and thus his
departing to other worlds.

Sloka 14: The grief of the subjects; Rama leaving them off; his conversing with tribal
chief Guha; returning the charioteer Sumantra to kingdom from forests, leaving the trio at
the banks of river Ganga.

Sloka 15: Crossing over River Ganga; meeting Sage Bharadwaja; their look up at
Chitrakoota on Sage Bharadwaja's advice.

Sloka 16: Construction of a hermitage and dwelling therein; Bharata's arrival at that
place for the graciousness of Rama to take back the kingdom; Rama's denial of it; Rama's
offering water oblations to his father on hearing the demise of his father.

Sloka17: Enthroning shoe-sandals of Rama by Bharata; Bharata's living in Nandigrama;

Rama's going to Dandaka forests; killing the demon named Viradha.

Sloka 18: Rama's visit to Sage Sarabhanga and Suteekshna; their visiting hermitic lady
Anasuya, and her giving sandal-paste to Sita

Sloka19: Rama's seeing the Sage Agastya, and likewise taking a great bow from that
sage, Jatayu comes to Rama, Rama addressed by Surpanakha and her subsequent
disfigurement.

Sloka 20: Rama killing demons Khara, Trishirasa, the rise of Ravana, killing of demon
Mareecha and Ravana abduct Vaidehi.

Sloka 21: Rama's anguish at the loss of Sita; death of Jatayu; Rama's seeing Kabandha,
and Rama goes to the Pampa Lake.

Sloka 22: Rama's seeing Shabari and his sighting Hanuman at Lake Pampa.

Sloka 23: Rama goes to Mt. Rishyamuka, meeting Sugreeva and generating confidence
in Sugreeva, befriending him and the duel of Vali and Sugreeva.

Sloka 24: Also thus Vali's elimination and establishing Sugreeva on throne of monkey
kingdom, grieving of Tara, the wife of Vali and empress of that kingdom, and as
consented Rama's stopover during the days of rain.

Sloka 25: The wrath of Rama at the delay caused by Sugreeva, and Sugreeva's
foregathering of all troops, and sending them to all quarters, and Sugreeva's description
of earth's topography to monkey-troops.
Sloka 26: Rama's giving his ring to Hanuman as a token and the monkeys thus searching
see Riskha cave, bear-cave, and their fasting unto death for their quest remained
unsuccessful, and their seeing Sampati, who guides the monkeys to the destination where
Sita is held capitive.

Sloka 27: Hanuman's climbing Mt. Mahendra to leap over the ocean, and on the advice
of the Ocean, Mt. Mainaka's coming up from under waters to give rest to Hanuman, and
Hanuman's seeing that mountain are depicted.

Sloka 28: Hanuman's killing the demoness Surasa, and his seeing of Simhika, a rapacious
creature of gigantic origin, which captures its prey by the shadow, and Hanuman's killing
that Simhika, and his seeing the mountain of Lanka, called Mt. Trikuta, on which the
state of Lanka is built, Valmiki described them all.

Sloka 29: In night Hanuman's entry into Lanka, for being lonely his thinking over the
course to search for Sita, and his going to the liquor consumption place, and also his
seeing the palace chambers of Ravana.

Sloka 30: Hanuman's seeing Ravana, and Pushpaka, the divine aircraft, and in Ashoka
gardens, his seeing Sita.

Sloka 31: Presenting his credential, the ring of Rama, to Sita and his talk with Sita, and
also his witnessing the harassing of Sita by women-guards to oblige to Ravana, and his
witnessing demoness Trijata narrating her bad dream, are all narrated in the epic.

Sloka 32: Sita's giving her bejeweled hairslide to be shown to Rama, Hanuman's
uprooting of the trees of that beautiful Ashoka gardens, thereby the demonesses fleeing in
scare, his killing the guards of that garden.

Sloka 33: The capture of Hanuman, by the magical missile of Indrajit, Hanuman burning
down Lanka, and his blaring at the demons, his return flight from Lanka and on his way
back Hanuman's seeing a honey garden, and the appropriation of honey.

Sloka 34: Hanuman gives Rama the token jewel of Sita, Rama's joy, and thus the
meeting of Rama with the Ocean, and Nala's building the bridge on ocean.

Sloka 35: Crossing over the ocean by the boulder bridge built by Nala, and seizure of
Lanka in night, and Vibheeshana comes to meet Rama, and Rama for the destruction of R
avana.

Sloka 36: Destruction of Kumbhakarna, the elimination of Meghanatha, the annihilation

of Ravana, and also retrieval of Sita in enemy's city, all these are narrated in the epic.
Sloka 37 Crowning of Vibheeshana as the king of Lanka, after the demise of Ravana,
Rama's seeing the divine aircraft Pushpaka, the divine aircraft, returning to Ayodhya in
that aircraft and Rama's meeting Sage Bharadwaja on his way back.

Sloka 38: Sending Hanuman to meet Bharata, the coronation festival of Rama;
disbandment of all military troops of monkeys; the glorious Rama-Rajya, and the
desolation of Vaidehi are described by Valmiki.

Sloka 39: The godly sage Valmiki composed the futuristic legend (Uttara Kanda) of
Rama while on the surface of earth, and whatever that is there, that is composed in all its
minuteness, in the coming chapters of this epic.

Thus Ends Sarga 3 of the Bala Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana