Ramayana the ancient and highly revered and
evergreen epic is known all over the world and in particular to every Indian.
And today, Ashwija Masam Punnama day (the month of Ashwin, full Moon day) is the
birth anniversary of Maharishi Valmiki who authored Ramayana for us. Today is
observed with great enthusiasm and devotion especially in North India by
remembering Sage Valmiki and reading or listening to Ramayana and offering
prayers to Lord Rama. There are many Temples in India including a few in
Hyderabad dedicated to Maharishi Valmiki.
Maharishi Valmiki is the first poet of Sanskrit
literature. He wrote Ramayana in 24,000 verses (slokas), in seven chapters
known as Kandas. He is also referred as Adi Kavi meaning the first poet of
Sanskrit language. He lived during the Treta Yuga and through guidance from
heaven, he wrote the Ramayana prior to Lord Rama’s advent. Valmiki was also
present during Lord Rama’s lifetime. He had a hermitage in the forest and was
visited by Lord Rama, Sita Devi and Rama’s brother Lakshmana during their
fourteen year exile. Lord Rama asked Valmiki if he knew a good place where they
could stay. He gave them the directions to Panchavati, which we believe is the
place called 'Parnashala' near Bhadrachalam in
Telangana. Valmiki also provided shelter to Sita Devi when she was abandoned.
Lord Rama and Sita Devi’s two sons, Lava and Kusha were born at Valmiki’s
hermitage and he acted as their spiritual teacher. Valmiki taught Ramayana to
Lava and Kusha, who later sang the divine story in Ayodhya during the
Ashwamedha Yagna by Lord Rama, to the pleasure of the audience. King Rama
questioned who they were and later visited Sage Valmiki’s hermitage to be
united with Sita Devi and his sons.
In Uttara Kanda Valmiki Maharishi mentions about
his earlier life and how he became a hermit and wrote Ramayana. His early life
is perhaps not well known to many. It has a great message. His life teaches
that no one is born good or evil; it is their deeds that determine their
greatness.
Maharishi Valmiki was born as Ratnakara to sage
Prachetasa. At a very young age, Ratnakara went into the forest and got lost. A
hunter, who was passing by, saw Ratnakara and took him under his own care.
Under the love and care of his foster parents, Ratnakara forgot his original
parents. Under his foster father’s guidance, Ratnakara turned out to be an
excellent hunter. As he approached marriageable age, Ratnakara was married to a
beautiful girl from a hunter’s family. He initially lived by hunting birds and
animals. But as his family grew larger, Ratnakara found it next to impossible
to feed them. As a result, he took to robbery and began looting people who were
passing from one village to another. One day, the great sage Narada, while
passing through the jungle, was attacked by Ratnakara. He jumped out in front
of Narada and demanded, “Hand over all you have or else I will break your head”.
With love flowing from his eyes, Narada said smilingly, “My dear man all that I
have are these rags I wear and my Veena. Why do you want to kill me for these
and become a sinner”. Ratnakara replied saying that he does all this as a duty
to feed his family. Narada told him that he is sinning a lot and will have to
face the consequences all alone. Hearing this Ratnakara says that his family
would share whatever the outcome may be. Narada said that his family would not
share his sins and asked him to go and ascertain this. Ratnakara tied Narada to
a tree and went home to find out from his family. On hearing that he is a
dacoit, his father and then his mother and even his wife loathed him and said
that they would not share his sins. Hearing this he returned to Narada, untied
him and fell at his feet and sought forgiveness and advice to lead a pious
life. Narada taught him to recite the sacred name of Rama and asked him to go
into penance. His concentration was so deep that he remained in meditation for
years. In fact, he sat there so long in meditation that an anthill grew all around
and above him. One day Narada came that way and carefully cleared the anthill,
blessed him and declared him as a sage. He said that this is your rebirth as a
great saint and I and the world shall henceforth call you as “Valmiki”.
Val-mika means one born out of an Ant-hill. Valmiki then started living in an
Ashram along River Ganges.
Sometime later Sage Narada visited Maharishi
Valmiki in his Ashram and narrated the story of Lord Rama. Thereafter Valmiki
received a vision from Lord Brahma in which the Lord instructed him to write
Ramayana in slokas, which the sage readily followed.
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