Word

Valmiki

Sanskrit

वल्मिकि

IAST

Valmiki वल्मिकि valmiki

In General

Maharishi Valmiki is the author of the epic Ramayana. The legendary poet is credited with the title, Adikavi, the first poet on earth for writing the literary work Ramayana which is first of its genre. He was a contemporary of Rama, but for a quiet long period he did not know much about Rama, other than that Rama is a mighty King. Valmiki heard of Rama as a symbol of Truth, an ideal person and an Avatar from Sage Narada.

Yoga Vasistha is another work by Valmiki. The Yoga Vasistha is a mind blowing account of a detailed conversation between Sri Rama and his Spiritual teacher Vasistha and is one of the greatest spiritual classics ever recorded. The book is fairly large in its class and deals with six major sections – 1. The dispassion or indifference of young Rama. 2. Longing for liberation. 3. Origin. 4. Preservation. 5. Quiescence of mind. 6. Liberation. This text provides innumerable insights and reveals the secrets of the inner world of consciousness, and covers all the topics that relate to the spiritual study of a seeker. Purana

The epic Ramayana is of 24,253 verses in seven kandas (chapters) and further sub divided into 647 sargas. Uttar kanda, the last chapter in epic Ramayana was added to the basic work of Ramayana by Valmiki himself at a later period. This chapter is more philosophic when compared to other chapter in Ramayana. Other than the classical Ramayana two other versions of Ramayana, namely adbhutha Ramayana and Ananda Ramayana are also ascribed to Valmiki.

Few lower cast poor communities believe Valmiki belong their community and celebrate the birth day of Valmiki with lot of religious and social programs.

Purana

There is a story on how Valmiki got the poetry metre to write Ramayana. One early morning he happened to see a hunter shot his arrow on one of the two birds playing happily nearby his hermitage. The pathetic cry of the birds on separation provokes him to curse the hunter. The curse came out in beautiful anustub metre. He picked up both the feeling and metre and started the unparallel work, the Itihasa called Ramayana and taught this to Lava and Kusa, sons of Sita under his care and presented in the court of Rama.

Valmiki was son of Pracheta Muni. His hermitage was at the foot hills of Himalaya. Sage Bharadwaja was his disciple. Bharadwaja witnessed the incidence of killing of Kraucha birds and the angry words that came out of Valmiki.

Valmiki took care of Sita and her kids, without knowing where they come from. Valmiki taught his poetry to Lava and Kusa, sons of Sita under his care and presented in the court of Rama.

It is said, Valmiki was an orphan and by circumstances he became a robber and was called, Ratnakara. One day while he stopped and threatened group sages they asked him a question: what for he is doing the bad things? Ratnakara justified himself as he have to support his foster father and family. Then the Rishis asked him the second question that everybody under his care may share the papa(ill effects) of his cruelty?. He sought the answer to the family under his care and got the answer, “No”. Ratnakara stunned and repented on his action, renounced the world and became an ascetic. Among the sages Narada was one, Narada initiated Ratnakara into meditation and advised him to chant “Rama, Rama”. He sat on for meditation but nothing came out from his lips as it was so much dirty with bad things. Then Narada advised Ratnakara to chant “Mara, Mara”, meaning wood. Upon repeating these words, it turns out to be “Rama Rama”. After many years Narada again passed through the same path, found Ram Mantra coming out from anthill. It was Ratnakara in a transformed form meditating inside anthill. Narada thus gave the name Valmiki, meaning anthill.

There is a story about how Valmiki got the poetry metre to write Ramayana. One early morning he happened to see a hunter shot his arrow on one of the two birds playing nearby his hermitage. The pathetic cry of the birds on separation provokes him to curse the hunter. The curse came out in beautiful anustub metre. He picked up both the feeling and metre and started the unparallel work, the Itihasa called Ramayana.