Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 4: Kuśa and Lava Meet Lord Rāmacandra
Text 1.4.11
रूपलक्षणसम्पन्नौ मधुरस्वरभाषिणौ।
बिम्बादिवोत्थितौ बिम्बौ रामदेहात्तथापरौ॥
rūpa-lakṣaṇa-sampannau madhura-svara-bhāṣiṇau
bimbād ivotthitau bimbau rāma-dehāt tathāparau
rūpa-lakṣaṇa-sampannau = they knew the characteristics of dramatic performances; madhura-svara-bhāṣiṇau = and spoke in sweet tones; bimbāt iva utthitau bimbau = being born just as reflections resemble their originals; rāma-dehāt = born from Lord Rāma’s body; tathā aparau = they were like Him.
They knew the characteristics of dramatic performances and spoke in sweet tones. Born from Lord Rāma’s body, they were like Him just as reflections resemble their originals.
Rūpa-lakṣaṇa-sampanau [in this context] means “knowing the characteristics of dramatic performances,” in accordance with one of the meanings of the word rūpa [22]. It signifies that they knews the methods of dramatically enacting what they were singing. They were habituated to speak in sweet melodious voices. The implied rhetorical question raised is, if in mere conversations their voices were sweet and melodious, how would they be while singing? The root cause of all such qualities in them is that they were Lord Rāmacandra’s sons. They were like His pratibimbas—reflections or replicas [23].