Shloka 1.4.8
कुशिलवगानप्रशंसा — The Commissioning and Public Performance of the Rāmāyaṇa
पाठ्ये गेये च मधुरं प्रमाणैस्त्रिभिरन्वितम्।जातिभिस्सप्तभिर्बद्धं तन्त्रीलयसमन्वितम्।।1.4.8।। रसैश्शृङ्गारकारुण्यहास्यवीरभयानकै:।रौद्रादिभिश्च संयुक्तं काव्यमेतदगायताम्।।1.4.9।। तौ तु गान्धर्वतत्त्वज्ञौ मूर्छनास्थानकोविदौ।भ्रातरौ स्वरसम्पन्नौ गन्धर्वाविव रूपिणौ।।1.4.10।। रूपलक्षणसम्पन्नौ मधुरस्वरभाषिणौ।बिम्बादिवोद्धृतौ बिम्बौ रामदेहात्तथाऽपरौ।।1.4.11।।
pāṭhye geye ca madhuraṃ pramāṇais tribhir anvitam |
jātibhiḥ saptabhir baddhaṃ tantrī-laya-samanvitam || 1.4.8 ||
rasaiḥ śṛṅgāra-kāruṇya-hāsya-vīra-bhayānakaiḥ |
raudrādibhiś ca saṃyuktaṃ kāvyam etad agāyatām || 1.4.9 ||
tau tu gāndharva-tattva-jñau mūrchanā-sthāna-kovidau |
bhrātarau svara-sampannau gandharvāv iva rūpiṇau || 1.4.10 ||
rūpa-lakṣaṇa-sampannau madhura-svara-bhāṣiṇau |
bimbād ivoddhṛtau bimbau rāma-dehāt tathā ’parau || 1.4.11 ||
That epic was sweet both for recitation and for singing, fitted to the three rhythmic measures, bound in seven musical modes, and aligned with the tempo of strings and laya. Endowed with rasas—love, compassion, laughter, heroism, fear, and also fury and the rest—those two brothers sang it. Knowing the essence of gandharva-music, skilled in melodic movements and pitches, and gifted with a fine voice, they seemed like gandharvas in human form. Handsome in form and auspicious marks, gentle in speech and tone, they were like two reflections drawn from the very body of Rāma.
The twin brothers Kusa and Lava, endowed with a melodious voice, possessed auspicious form and beauty. They were gandharvas in human form. They looked like the two reflected images of Rama. The contents of this epic, apart from being memorable are sweet and suitable for verbal recitation as well as singing. This charming and attractive kavya is fit to be adapted to the three measures of time and to stringed instruments. It possesses seven notes together with various moods-amorous, compassionate, humorous, heroic, fearful and also violent.
Dharma is communicated effectively through disciplined artistry: sacred history is preserved and taught by precise, beautiful recitation that makes truth memorable and transmissible.
Kuśa and Lava perform the Ramayana as a refined musical-oral composition, described in terms of tempo, modes, and rasas, and praised for their resemblance to Rāma.
Śruti-smṛti-saṃrakṣaṇa (guardianship of tradition): mastery of voice, music, and disciplined performance used in service of truthful narration.