Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 2: Lord Brahmā Instructs Vālmīki
Text 1.2.9
तस्याभ्याशे तु मिथुनं चरन्तमनपायिनम्।
ददर्श भगवांस्तत्र क्रौञ्चयोश्चारुनिःस्वनम्॥
tasyābhyāśe tu mithunaṁ carantam anapāyinam
dadarśa bhagavāṁs tatra krauñcayoś cāru-niḥsvanam
tasya = that sacred spot; abhyāśe tu = near; mithunam carantam = couple; anapāyinam = an inseparable; dadarśa = saw; bhagavān = the great sage; tatra = there; krauñcayoḥ = of krauñca birds; cāru-niḥsvanam = cooing in lovely melodious notes.
The great sage saw there, near that sacred spot, an inseparable couple of krauñca birds cooing in lovely melodious notes.
[6] bhagaḥ śrī-kāma-māhātmya-vīrya-yatnārka-kīrtiṣu (Amara).
Bhagavān [here] indicates that sage Vālmīki possessed greatness [6]. He possessed the capacity to curse or bless. He noticed the krauñca bird couple near the sacred spot where he was bathing. They were inseparable. It is well known that krauñca bird couples cannot be separated for even a moment. Cāru-niḥsvanam indicates that they were cooing melodiously at the time of mating.