Balakanda
Part of Ramayana describing Rama's childhood
Bala Kanda (Sanskrit: बालकाण्ड; IAST: bālakāṇḍa', lit. 'Book on Childhood') is the first book of the Valmiki Ramayana. Bala Kanda, carries the central theme of the epic and serves as integral introduction to the Valmiki Ramayana. It narrates the birth of Rama, his childhood pastimes, and youthful adventures.
Structure
The book consists of seventy-six sargas (sometimes translated as chapters or "cantos") of Sanskrit verse.
Synopsis
The Bāla Kāṇḍa begins with the sage Vālmīki asking Nārada if there is a righteous man still left in the world, to which Nārada replies that such a man is Rāma. After seeing two birds being shot, Vālmīki creates a new form of meter called śloka, and then is granted the ability to compose an epic poem about Rāma. He teaches his poem to the boys Lava and Kuśa, who recite it throughout the land and eventually at the court of king Rāma, which then begins the main narrative.
The king of Kosala, Daśaratha, lives in Ayodhyā, a utopian city, however he has no son. He and his court resolve to bring the sage R̥śyaśr̥ṅga in order to grant him sons. After the performance of an Aśvamedha (Horse Sacrifice), R̥śyaśr̥ṅga performs a Putrīyā Iṣṭi for the attainment of sons.
“Balakanda” enters the record as part of Ramayana describing Rama's childhood. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Balakanda, Part and Ramayana can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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This entry incorporates text from “Balakanda” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.