Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 4: Kuśa and Lava Meet Lord Rāmacandra
Text 1.4.4
तस्य चिन्तयमानस्य महर्षेर्भावितात्मनः।
अगृह्णीतां ततः पादौ मुनिवेषौ कुशीलवौ॥
tasya cintayamānasya maha-rṣer bhāvitātmanaḥ
agṛhṇītāṁ tataḥ pādau muni-veṣau kuśī-lavau
tasya =that; cintayamānasya = was thinking thus; mahā-ṛṣeḥ = of [Śrī Vālmīki] that great sage; bhāvita-ātmanaḥ = meditating on [the Supreme Soul Nārāyaṇa]; agṛhṇītām = touched; tataḥ = then; pādau = the feeet; muni-veṣau = dressed as ascetics; kuśī-lavau = Kuśa and Lava.
Then, Kuśa and Lava, dressed as ascetics, touched the feet of the great sage Vālmīki who was thinking thus while meditating on the Supreme Soul Nārāyaṇa.
Kuśa and Lava were actually princes, though dressed as ascetics. Bhāvitātmanaḥ, “meditating on the Supreme Soul,” indicates that Vālmīki offered his obeisances unto the Supreme Soul Nārāyaṇa in order to obtain favorable disciples for this purpose. The two boys touched his feet, expecting to be taught the Rāmāyaṇa.