This chapter surveys various events that make the epic of  Ramayana. Whole of the epic is rendered in its quintessence, ascribing the authorship to Sage Valmiki and as to how he scheduled the narration.

The generous sage Valmiki searched for more details about the story of Rama in addition to what has been told by Sage Narada.

Sage Valmiki touched and sipped a little water, as is done at the start of any ritual or religious ceremony, [which is called aachamana] and sat down eastward on a mat of darbha [grass mat]. He sat there contemplating virtuously about the course of the epic and its presentation.

Sage Valmiki sitting there thus in contemplative meditation saw veritably all events that happened.  He could visualise the actions of Rama, Lakshmana, and Seetha; King Dasaratha's decree and the entire kingdom's destiny. Valmiki was also able to comprehend their smiles, talks, deeds and movements in their entirety with his meditative power.

Sage Valmiki visualised all that happened to the truthful Rama, Seetha and Lakshmana while they were moving around in the forest.
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Thus by his contemplative yoga, Valmiki the virtuous sage could see all that happened clearly, as though seeing a citric fruit in one's own palm.

Valmiki thus saw the entire story of Rama in its actuality by his meditation. This is the story of one who is loved by all  worlds. This epic, if read to or listened to, results in fulfilled desires, enriches virtuous living and is like a great ocean with invaluable gems at the bottom. Valmiki, the great resplendent sage desired to author Ramayana in a way that shall be melodious to the listeners.

That godly saint Valmiki authored Ramayana, the story of Rama, who was born in the dynasty of Raghu, as told to him by divine sage Narada.

The life of Rama [an incarnation of Vishnu] is indeed truly great. It is the life of a courageous one in character and in truthfulness, an exemplary and ideal one to all. In his behaviour, perseverance, and beauty he was a favourite and affectionate one to all in the world.

Valmiki narrates many amusing stories when Rama meets Sage Viswamitra. Seetha's marriage to Rama after breaking a great bow is related elegantly.

Dispute of Rama and Parasurama and the qualities of Rama, the son of Dasaratha are narrated well. Declaration of  Rama as the crown prince and details of that ceremony, Queen Kaikeyi's vicious intentions are also told. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Disruption of celebrations of the crown prince ceremony, Raghava's [Rama's] exile, King Dasaratha's sorrowing over his son's exile and thus departing to other worlds (are also described).

The grief of his subjects; Rama's sending them off; Rama's meeting with Guha, a tribal chief; Sumantra's (the charioteer and Prime Minister of King Dasaratha)  leaving the trio at the banks of river Ganga - all these elements are described well.

Their crossing of river Ganga; reaching the hermitage of Sage Bharadwaja and arriving at Chitrakuta with his advise are described.

Rama, Lakshmana and Seetha constructing a hermitage; Bharata's arrival there to pacify and convince his brother to come back to Ayodhya; Rama's rejecting that request; His hearing the demise of his father and Rama's offering water ablutions to his father are all narrated by Valmiki heart touchingly.

Bharata, who took the sandal shoes of Rama to be enthroned to rule the kingdom in absence of Rama, has placed the shoes on the throne as proxy of Rama and made a village called Nandigrama as capital instead of Ayodhya, the actual capital. Valmiki details Rama's arrival in the forests of Dandaka and killing a demon named Viradha in this epic Ramayana. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rama's visit to the hermitages of Sarabhanga and Suteekshna is narrated. Seetha's meeting with Anasuuya, a great hermitess, and her giving to Seetha a body cream, are incorporated by Valmiki with great detail.

Rama's visit to Sage Agastya; meeting with Jatayu, an eagle; going to a place called Panchavati and seeing Soorpanakha a demoness were detailed.

The argumentative Soorpanakha being deformed of her face; thereby the invading demons Khara and Trisira, brothers of Soorpanakha, being killed and whereby Ravana's starting the effort to harm Rama (are also described).

Rama's killing of Mareecha; abduction of Seetha by Ravana to the agony of Rama; killing of Jatayu by Ravana in the course of abduction are narrated.

Rama's going to the great mountain called Rishyamooka; meeting Sugreeva there; generating confidence in Sugreeva and Sugreeva's fight with Vali are also described.

Rama after killing Vali, established Sugreeva as vanara king and pacified the grieving vanara queen Tara. As per the agreement made with Sugreeva, the rainy season is spent there.

Rama, the lion of Raghu's dynasty was angered by Sugreeva's delay. Fearing that anger Sugreeva gathered all his forces together and ushered them to all sides of earth after giving a beautiful and vivid account of topography of lands, countries and cultures that existed then.

Rama gives his ring to Hanuma as a token of recognition for Seetha. Thus searching for Seetha, the Vanara heroes enter a cave of Ruksha. Some of them who could not locate Seetha, self immolate themselves for not fulfilling Sugreeva's orders. One group in their search sees Sampati, the eagle, and the brother of Jatayu, slain by Ravana while abducting Seetha. Sampati helps them with the direction in which Seetha is taken. Valmiki eventfully narrates all these.

Hanuma's scaling of a great mountain called Mahendragiri, his crossing over the great sea by air, on the advice of Samudra, the Lord of Ocean, one great mountain submerged in the ocean, called Mainaka, was also seen by Hanuma.

Hanuma's killing of Simhika, and on reaching Lanka seeing a mountain; during the night he enters the city alone, in his search for Seetha, thinks over as what to do next.

Hanuma in his search for Seetha sees Ravana, the king and also Pushpaka, the divine aeroplane. After searching at the liquor consuming place, Hanuma enters the highly secured palace.

Hanuma finds Seetha in beautiful Ashoka gardens of Ravana. He presents the ring of Rama as his credentials to her. He also witnesses the arrival and dialogue of Ravana with Seetha.

Hanuma's witnessing of those scenes like the demoness' scaring Seetha, and Trijata, a benign demoness, giving an account of her dream of bad omens to Ravana are narrated. Further events like Seetha giving a jewel to Hanuma for showing it to Rama, whereby Hanuma becomes jubilant and uproots the beautiful garden's trees, are also well narrated by Valmiki. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The events of fleeing demoness from those gardens at the sight of Hanuma, killings of the guards of the gardens, and also the capture of Hanuma, the son of Vayu, the Lord of Wind, and finally the burning of that pompous city Lanka by Hanuma with a roar are described by Valmiki.

Hanuma's return by flying and Vanara heroes usurping and drinking forest honey on their way; on return Rama's getting consoled by Hanuma's presenting the jewel which Seetha gave to Hanuma in Lanka is narrated.

Rama's reaching the ocean; Nala's construction of bridge across the ocean; crossing the ocean and attacking Lanka in the night are also described.

Rama's excellent relationship with Vibheeshana, the younger and noble brother of Ravana; Vibheeshana's telling Rama the way to kill Ravana; killing of Kumbhakarna and Meghanada are described.

Valmiki describes Rama's going to Ayodhya in the Pushpaka aeroplane, his meeting with Bharata, and his crowning ceremony as emperor. Further, disbanding of all his army, ruling his kingdom for its prosperity is detailed. In addition, leaving Seetha is also narrated.

Comment: In this verse, the word uttare is taken by some as Uttara Ramayana, the events occurring after Seetha's departure to forest - birth of Lava and Kusha, the sons of Rama and a battle between father and sons etc., are ascribed to Valmiki's narration. But as per the format of this chapter, which surveys what Valmiki has scheduled to write, the Uttara Ramayana elements occur only in this one word hence Uttara Ramayana is not ascribed to Valmiki. The word uttare, here is taken to mean that henceforth, hereinafter and so on.