Realizing that the story is made glorious by devotion to Rama, good men will listen to it and praise it with fair words. I am no poet, nor am I an adept in the art of speech, all ignorant am I of every art and science.

There are elegant devices of letters, profundities of meaning, various figures of speech, metrical compositions of different kinds, infinite varieties of emotions and sentiments, and all sorts of defects and excellences of verse.

I possess no judgement in the art of poor; I declare and record it on a fair white sheet.

My composition is devoid of all charm; it has only one excellence known throughout the world, which men of sound sense, whose judgement is pure, will ponder and listen.

It contains the gracious name of the lord of Raghus (Raghupati), very pure, the essence of the Puranas and the Vedas, abode of all that is auspicious, the name that destroys ill-fortune, ever repeated in prayer by Uma and Shiva.

The most admirable composition of the most talented poet has no real beauty without the name of Rama, just as a lovely woman, fair as the moon and adorned with the richest jewels, does not look attractive if naked.

But the most worthless production of a poor versifier, if stamped with the glory of Rama’s name, is heard and rehearsed with reverence by the wise, who extract what is good in it as bees suck honey from any flower.