Shloka 1.2.40
द्वितीयः सर्गः — श्लोकप्रादुर्भावः (The Manifestation of the Śloka)
समाक्षरैश्चतुर्भिर्य: पादैर्गीतो महर्षिणा ।
सोऽनुव्याहरणाद्भूयश्श्लोकश्श्लोकत्वमागत: ।।1.2.40।।
samākṣaraiś caturbhir yaḥ pādair gīto maharṣiṇā |
so ’nuvyāharaṇād bhūyaḥ ślokaḥ ślokatvam āgataḥ ||1.2.40||
That utterance, sung by the great seer in four quarters with equal syllables, by repeated recitation became firmly established in the world as a ‘śloka’.
This sloka of four lines, each consisting of equal number of syllables, was recited by the maharshi. Constant recitation (by others) elicited admiration (from the listeners).
Dharma is served by making truth memorable and transmissible. A stable poetic form allows ethical teaching and history to be preserved accurately across generations.
The text explains how Vālmīki’s metrically balanced utterance, through repetition by others, becomes recognized as the formal śloka form.
Creative orderliness and clarity: the seer’s disciplined expression (equal syllables, four quarters) turns emotion and insight into teachable literature.