Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 2: Lord Brahmā Instructs Vālmīki
Text 1.2.22
स प्रविश्याश्रमपदं शिष्येण सह धर्मवित्।
उपविष्टः कथाश्चान्याश्चकार ध्यानमास्थितः॥
sa praviśyāśrama-padaṁ śiṣyeṇa saha dharmavit
upaviṣṭaḥ kathāś cānyāś cakāra dhyānam āsthitaḥ
saḥ = sage Vālmīki; praviśya = entered; aśrama-padam = his āśrama; śiṣyeṇa = his disciple; saha = with; dharmavit = the knower of Vedic dharma; upaviṣṭaḥ = sat down comfortably; kathāḥ = on topics; ca = and; anyāḥ = other; cakāra =spoke; dhyānam = in contemplation; āsthitaḥ = while absorbed.
Sage Vālmīki, the knower of Vedic dharma, entered his āśrama with his disciple, sat down comfortably and spoke on other topics while absorbed in contemplation.
Dharmavit indicates that after entering his āśrama, the sage knew the duties of Vedic dharma including the duty of worshipping the Supreme Lord. He was contemplating on the śloka that he had involuntarily uttered. He spoke on other topics, that is, he explained the Purāṇas.