तदुपगतसमाससन्धियोगं सममधुरोपनतार्थवाक्यबद्धम्।
रघुवरचरितं मुनिप्रणीतं दशशिरसश्च वधं निशामयध्वम्॥
tad upagata-samāsa-sandhi-yogaṁ sama-madhuropanatārtha-vākya-baddham
raghuvara-caritaṁ muni-praṇītaṁ daśaśirasaś ca vadhaṁ niśāmayadhvam
tat = this; upagata-samāsa-sandhi-yogam = using flawless compound words, euphonic combinations and etymological derivations; sama-madhura-upanata-artha-vākya-baddham = composed with statements that are of equal beat, sweet and with unlimited import; raghuvara-caritam = to narrations about Rāmacandra, the best of Raghus; muni-praṇītam = by the sage Vālmīki; daśaśirasaḥ = of the ten-headed Rāvaṇa; ca = and; vadham = the death of; niśāmayadhvam = listen.
Listen to this narration by the sage Vālmīki about Rāmacandra, the best of the Raghus, and the death of the ten-headed Rāvaṇa, using flawless compound words, euphonic combinations and etymological derivations, and composed with statements that are of equal beat, sweet and with unlimited import.
Having stated that he composed such a literature, he briefly reveals that he handed it over to Kuśa, Lava and other disciples to propagate it.
In order to point out that the poem is a first-class poem, he points out that it is flawless in terms of its composition, that is, the usage of Sanskrit compounds such as the tatpuruṣa, euphonic combinations (sandhi) and the etymological derivations of words are all flawless—in line with the authoritative texts of Sanskrit grammar. These refer to the primary flaws in compositions and by stating that his work does not possess such flaws, the sage Vālmīki indicates that there are no secondary flaws in his composition too. The Rāmāyaṇa is “composed with statements that are of equal beat, sweet and with unlimited import.”
These reveal the poetic excellences of the text. By repeatedly exhorting his disciples to listen to the Rāmāyaṇa with this verse, the sage had them perceive the events that are recorded in the Rāmāyaṇa. This will be referred to in Rāmāyaṇa 1.4.17.