Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 2: Lord Brahmā Instructs Vālmīki
Text 1.2.31
मच्छन्दादेव ते ब्रह्मन्प्रवृत्तेयं सरस्वती।
रामस्य चरितं कृत्स्नं कुरु त्वमृषिसत्तम॥
mac-chandād eva te brahman pravṛtteyaṁ sarasvatī
rāmasya caritaṁ kṛtsnaṁ kuru tvam ṛṣi-sattama
mat-chandāt = by my desire; eva = simply; te = to you; brahman = O brāhmaṇa; pravṛttā = appeared; iyam = this; sarasvatī = verse; rāmasya = of Lord Rāma; caritam = of the activities; kṛtsnam = all; kuru tvam= describe; ṛṣi-sattama = O best of the sages.
O brāhmaṇa, this verse appeared to you simply by my desire. O best of the sages, describe all of the activities of Lord Rāma.
[17] nānṛṣiḥ kurute kāvyam.
Lord Brahmā clarified that the best of sages Vālmīki had uttered a śloka (text 15) and was astonished about it. Vālmīki had received the potency to compose poetry, for only a true sage can compose true poetry [17]. The implication is, “Compose a book on Lord Rāma’s activities in ślokas like this.”