Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 4: Kuśa and Lava Meet Lord Rāmacandra
Text 1.4.14
तौ कदाचित्समेतानामृषीणां भावितात्मनाम्।
आसीनानां समीपस्थौ इदं काव्यमगायताम्॥
tau kadācit sametānām ṛṣīṇāṁ bhāvitātmanām
āsīnānāṁ samīpasthau idaṁ kāvyam agāyatām
tau = Kuśa and Lava; kadācit = once upon a time; sametānām = in an assembly; ṛṣīṇām = of sages; bhāvita-ātmanām = of fixed minds; āsīnānām = sitting; samīpasthau = in the presence; idam = this; kāvyam =poem; agāyatām = sang.
Once upon a time, Kuśa and Lava sang this poem in the presence of sages of fixed minds sitting in an assembly.
The sage points out that the Rāmāyaṇa was respectfully received by great personalities. “Once upon a time” denotes the time of Lord Rāma’s Aśvamedha sacrifice. The sages had assembled for that event and were comfortably sitting at the end of the ritualistic duties.