Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 2: Lord Brahmā Instructs Vālmīki
Text 1.2.5
अकर्दममिदं तीर्थं भरद्वाज निशामय।
रमणीयं प्रसन्नाम्बु सन्मनुष्यमनो यथा॥
akardamam idaṁ tīrthaṁ bharadvāja niśāmaya
ramaṇīyaṁ prasannāmbu san-manuṣya-mano yathā
akardamam = it is mudless; idam = this; tīrtham = at sacred spot; bharadvājaḥ = Bharadvāja; niśāmaya = look at; ramaṇīyam = pleasing; prasanna-ambu = and with clear water; sat-manuṣya-manaḥ = the mind of a spiritual man; yathā = like.
Bharadvāja, look at this sacred spot. It is mudless, pleasing and with clear water, like the mind of a spiritual man.
Bharadvāja is the name of Vālmīki’s chief disciple. The sage pointed out that that [particular] spot in the water did not have any mud at the bottom. Ordinarily, even if a spot in a water body does not have any mud at the bottom, the water is unclear. Or, even if the water is clear, there is mud at the bottom. The tranquil waters were pleasing like the heart of a spiritual man. Or, the waters were tranquil like the heart of spiritualist.