| सर्वा पूर्वमियं येषामासीत्कृत्स्ना वसुंधरा | प्रजापतिमुपादाय नृपाणां जयशालिनाम् ||१-५-१|| येषां स सगरो नाम सागरो येन खानितः | षष्टिः पुत्रसहस्राणि यं यान्तं पर्यवारयन् ||१-५-२|| इक्ष्वाकूणामिदं तेषां राज्ञां वंशे महात्मनाम् | महदुत्पन्नमाख्यानं रामायणमिति श्रुतम् || १-५-३ |
| sarvā pūrvam iyaṁ yeṣām āsīt kṛtsnā vasuṁdharā | prajāpatim upādāya nṛpāṇāṁ jayaśālinām ||1-5-1|| yeṣāṁ sa sagaro nāma sāgaro yena khānitaḥ | ṣaṣṭiḥ putrasahasrāṇi yaṁ yāntaṁ paryavārayan ||1-5-2|| ikṣvākūṇām idaṁ teṣāṁ rājñāṁ vaṁśe mahātmanām | mahad utpannam ākhyānaṁ rāmāyaṇam iti śrutam ||1-5-3|| |
| ஸர்வா பூர்வமியம் யேஷாம் ஆசீத்க்ருத்ஸ்நா வசுந்தரா | ப்ரஜாபதிமுபாதாய ந்ருபாணாம் ஜயஶாலிநாம் ||1-5-1|| யேஷாம் ஸ ஸகரோ நாம ஸாகரோ யேந காநித: | ஷஷ்டி: புத்ரஸஹஸ்ராணி யம் யாந்தம் பர்யவாரயன் ||1-5-2|| இக்ஷ்வாகூணாமிதம் தேஷாம் ரஜ்ஞாம் வம்ஶே மகாத்மநாம் | மஹது்த்பந்நம் ஆக்யாநம் ராமாயணமிதி ஶ்ருதம் ||1-5-3|| |
| Once upon a time, this entire earth with all its islands was under the victorious kings, starting from Prajapati. Among them one king named Sagara is well-known for digging the oceans, and whose sixty thousand sons supported all his actions and wishes. In the dynasty of such Ikshvaku kings this highly revered and reputed epic Ramayana has originated |
| Sanskrit | English | Tamil | Meaning |
| पूर्वम् | Pūrvam | பூர்வம் | One upon a time |
| इयं | iyaṁ | இயம் | this (earth) |
| कृत्स्ना वसुंधरा | kṛtsnā vasuṁdharā | க்ருத்ஸ்நா வசுந்தரா | entire earth |
| सर्वा | Sarvā | சர்வா | Encompassing everything |
| आसीत् | Āsīt | ஆசீத் | Was reigned |
| येषाम् | Yeṣām | யேஷாம் | By those |
| जयशालिनाम् | Jayaśālinām | ஜயஷாலிநாம் | victorious |
| नृपाणाम् | Nṛpāṇām | ந்ருபாணாம் | kings |
| प्रजापतिम् उपादाय | prajāpatim upādāya | ப்ரஜாபதிமுபாதாய | beginning from Prajapati |
| येषां | Yeṣām | யேஷாம் | In that dynasty |
| स | Sa | ஸ | A king |
| नाम | Nāma | நாம | by name |
| सगरः | sagaraḥ | சகர: | Sagara |
| येन | Yena | யேந | by whom |
| सागरः | sāgaraḥ | ஸாகர: | the ocean |
| खानितः | khānitaḥ | காநித: | was dug |
| यं | yaṁ | யம் | Whose |
| षष्टिः पुत्रसहस्राणि | ṣaṣṭiḥ Putrasahasrāṇi | ஷஷ்டி: புத்ரஸஹஸ்ராணி | Sixty thousand sons |
| पर्यवारयन् | Paryavārayan | பர்யவரயந் | Supported |
| यान्तं | Yāntam | யாந்தம் | Him for all his actions |
| Sanskrit | English | Tamil | Meaning |
| वंशे | Vaṁśe | வம்ஶே | in the lineage |
| तेषां | Teṣām | தேஷாம் | of |
| राज्ञां | Rājñām | ரஜ்ஞாம் | Kings |
| महात्मनाम् | Mahātmanām | மஹாத்மநாம் | With great souls |
| इक्ष्वाकूणाम् | Ikṣvākūṇām | இக்ஷ்வாகூணாம் | of the Ikshvaku dynasty |
| इदं | idaṁ | இதம் | This |
| आख्यानम् | Ākhyānam | ஆக்யாநம் | Epic |
| रामायणम् इति श्रुतम् | rāmāyaṇam iti śrutam | ராமாயணம் இதி ஶ்ருதம் | known as the Ramayana |
| महदुत्पन्नम् | Mahadutpannam | மஹதுத்பன்னம் | Arose |