Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 2: Lord Brahmā Instructs Vālmīki
Text 1.2.3
स मुहूर्तं गते तस्मिन्देवलोकं मुनिस्तदा।
जगाम तमसातीरं जाह्नव्यास्त्वविदूरतः॥
sa muhūrtaṁ gate tasmin devalokaṁ munis tadā
jagāma tamasā-tīraṁ jāhnavyās tv avidūrataḥ
saḥ = the; muhūrtam = in a short while; gate = had gone; tasmin = when Śrī Nārada; devalokam = to Brahmaloka; muniḥ = sage [Vālmīki]; tadā jagāma = went; tamasā-tīram = [to] the bank of the river Tamasā; jāhnavyāḥ = from the river Gaṅga; tu avidūrataḥ = not very far.
When Śrī Nārada had gone to Brahmaloka in a short while, the sage Vālmīki went to the bank of the river Tamasā, not very far from the river Gaṅgā.
[4] muhūrtam alpa-kāle syāt (Nighaṇṭu).
Muhūrtam in this context means “in a short while” [4]. Deva-lokam here refers to Brahmaloka. Nārada Muni had gone to inform Lord Brahmā of Vālmīki’s devotion to Śrī Rāma. Vālmīki went to the bank of the river Tamasā in order to carry out his afternoon bathing duties. Tu indicates that Tamasā was distinct from Gaṅgā.