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| ==Early life== | ==Early life== | ||
| Valmiki was was a robber who stole to provide for his family. Under the name of Daku Ratnakar he would ruthlessly take the lives of animals in the forests and he has taken the lives of so many animals that he had earned the displeasure of the gods,one day a group of ] were gathering in the forest to perform a ] and then they witnessed |
Valmiki was was a robber who stole to provide for his family. Under the name of Daku Ratnakar he would ruthlessly take the lives of animals in the forests and he has taken the lives of so many animals that he had earned the displeasure of the gods, one day a group of ] were gathering in the forest to perform a ] and then they witnessed Valmiki kill a deer, being ] killing of animals or any living creature was forbidden and so they approached Valmiki and told him that he has almost wiped all the animal species in the forest and they told him that the gods will curse him and he will be shunned by all. Valmiki was shocked and so he asked the rishis for a way out of the gods' wrath.The rishis told him to sit under a sal tree with his eyes shut and keep on reciting the syllables "marām" (if recited repeatedly it makes the sound "]") repeatedly until they return after finishing the yagna . And so they left Valmiki there and finished their yagna and returned home without waking up Valmiki, months later ] saw Valmiki who was still devotedly reciting "marām" and was covered with anthills because he did not move at all. He woke up Valmiki, and told him that he had earned a lot of merit and his ] had pleased ] and was no less than that of a rishi. And from that day on he was devoted to Rama for the rest of his life and came to be known as ] Valmiki. He composed the entire ]. ] once told Valmiki that "As long as mountains stand and as long as rivers flow, so long will your Ramayana be read by man." | ||
| ''' |
'''Vālmīki's names, their origin and early life''' | ||
| Even though it is folk lore that |
Even though it is folk lore that Vālmīki was a hunter as a youth, he was in fact born to Brahmin parents and his father’s name was Prachetsa. In Vālmīki's Ramayana itself he is referred as Prachetsa in this verse listed below: | ||
| प्रचेत्सोऽहं दशमः पुत्रो राघवनंन्दन | | प्रचेत्सोऽहं दशमः पुत्रो राघवनंन्दन | | ||
| न स्मराम्यनृतं वाक्यमिमौ तु तव पुत्रकौ || 96:16 | न स्मराम्यनृतं वाक्यमिमौ तु तव पुत्रकौ || 96:16 | ||
| In another verse, it is also stated that is from the lineage of the sage |
In another verse, it is also stated that is from the lineage of the sage Bhārgava | ||
| संनिबद्धं हि श्लोकानां चतुर्विंशत्सहस्रकम् | | संनिबद्धं हि श्लोकानां चतुर्विंशत्सहस्रकम् | | ||
| उपाख्यानशतं चैव भार्गवेण तपस्विना || 94:24 | उपाख्यानशतं चैव भार्गवेण तपस्विना || 94:24 | ||
| Thus, it can be taken as reasonably ascertained that even though he was brought up by foster parents who were hunters, his adoption must have occurred at an age by which time, |
Thus, it can be taken as reasonably ascertained that even though he was brought up by foster parents who were hunters, his adoption must have occurred at an age by which time, Vālmīki was well aware of his lineage and his real parenthood. Legend has it that once when he was a very young boy, he wandered off into the forest while playing. His parents searched for him everywhere and being not able to find him anywhere in the nearby forest areas, finally gave up the search having concluded that they had lost their son in the dangerous parts of the forest, perhaps to some wild beast. | ||
| The young boy was found by a hunter couple and brought up them as if he was their own child. They named him Ratnakara and taught him the art of hunting. Ratnakara learnt to hunt and grew up into a young lad. His parents found a suitable girl who came from a similar hunter family and married him off. As he set up his family and had children, gradually he began to feel it difficult to provide for the family by his hunting alone. Daily hunting had hardened his heart. Slowly he learnt to stop the wayfarers who happened to pass through the forest, threaten them and make them part with all their belongings and brought them to his family. His wife and children would happily partake of whatever he brought them. | The young boy was found by a hunter couple and brought up them as if he was their own child. They named him Ratnakara and taught him the art of hunting. Ratnakara learnt to hunt and grew up into a young lad. His parents found a suitable girl who came from a similar hunter family and married him off. As he set up his family and had children, gradually he began to feel it difficult to provide for the family by his hunting alone. Daily hunting had hardened his heart. Slowly he learnt to stop the wayfarers who happened to pass through the forest, threaten them and make them part with all their belongings and brought them to his family. His wife and children would happily partake of whatever he brought them. | ||
| It is said that he had become such a terror for the animals in the forest that if he walked, the beasts would scatter away fearful of being hunted down by him. One day, he saw the seven sages walking through the forest and jumped in front of them and demanded that they part with all that they had. The seven sages were the Saptarshis who walk the three worlds sanctifying them with their presence. The sages looked at |
It is said that he had become such a terror for the animals in the forest that if he walked, the beasts would scatter away fearful of being hunted down by him. One day, he saw the seven sages walking through the forest and jumped in front of them and demanded that they part with all that they had. The seven sages were the Saptarshis who walk the three worlds sanctifying them with their presence. The sages looked at Vālmīki with compassionate eyes and readily offered the kamandalu that they carried. They said, “This is all we have and you may gladly have it”. Vālmīki was nonplussed by their non-resistance and the deep peace they carried. Normally when he attacked wayfarers they would struggle and sweat or fall at his feet and plead for mercy. These sages remained unperturbed by his ferocity, unmoved by his blood stained weapons and looked at him as if he were a child asking for some toy. Their stillness brought Ratnakara’s rage and passion down. They asked him why he was stealing from wayfarers. | ||
| Vālmīki answered that he was doing it to maintain a standard of living for his family. They queried him if he had the approval of his family to do such a thing and if they would share in his sins. Vālmīki said, “Yes. Of course they know everything and they will share if I commit any sin.” They expressed their honest doubt about it and asked him to go to his family and enquire about this and told him that he would wait to receive his reply. Ratnakara the hunter was still suspicious of the sage and tied him up to a tree and went to his family. | |||
| He asked his wife, “My dear, in order to provide for you and our children, I have been stealing from wayfarers and providing for your living. Do you approve of it? And will you not happily partake if there is any sin attached to my work?” | He asked his wife, “My dear, in order to provide for you and our children, I have been stealing from wayfarers and providing for your living. Do you approve of it? And will you not happily partake if there is any sin attached to my work?” | ||
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| Ratnakara’s face fell and he returned to the sages. A strange veil had been lifted off his mind and he began to see that he had been doing things and adopting new ways without ever considering their impact on his life or without ever seeking the approval even of his own family. He was deeply repentant of his wild and cruel ways and fell at the feet of the sages and asked them to show a way to redeem himself. | Ratnakara’s face fell and he returned to the sages. A strange veil had been lifted off his mind and he began to see that he had been doing things and adopting new ways without ever considering their impact on his life or without ever seeking the approval even of his own family. He was deeply repentant of his wild and cruel ways and fell at the feet of the sages and asked them to show a way to redeem himself. | ||
| Legend has it that the sages taught him the Raama mantra and asked him to repeat it. Not used to Sanskrit, he could not even pronounce the word properly. Thereby the sages who knew that Ratnakara had led a life doing things that were not to be done, leading a life that was morally topsy-turvy, told him to instead say the word, |
Legend has it that the sages taught him the Raama mantra and asked him to repeat it. Not used to Sanskrit, he could not even pronounce the word properly. Thereby the sages who knew that Ratnakara had led a life doing things that were not to be done, leading a life that was morally topsy-turvy, told him to instead say the word, Marā, which was easily pronounced by the hunter. Then they asked him to sit under an ancient tree in the lotus posture, sit erect and just repeat the word, and assured him that all would be well. | ||
| Ratnakara’s focus and intensity in repeating the word given by the sage was so high that it is said that years passed and a great anthill grew over him and he remained still, repeating the mantra in his mind. After many years on a rainy night as heavy clouds showered the forests, the same seven sages were passing by it and took shelter under the great tree where they had left Ratnakara sitting in meditation. The sages found that the heavy rains had started to wash away the mud from the anthill nearby and they were taken aback to find a bearded hairy figure within the anthill. The great sages recognised the hunter and with a divine touch, woke the hunter up from his meditation. When Ratnakara opened his eyes, the sages saw that they were filled with piety and devotion and the depth of a calm and overwhelming peace. “You are a sage now and you shall henceforth be called |
Ratnakara’s focus and intensity in repeating the word given by the sage was so high that it is said that years passed and a great anthill grew over him and he remained still, repeating the mantra in his mind. After many years on a rainy night as heavy clouds showered the forests, the same seven sages were passing by it and took shelter under the great tree where they had left Ratnakara sitting in meditation. The sages found that the heavy rains had started to wash away the mud from the anthill nearby and they were taken aback to find a bearded hairy figure within the anthill. The great sages recognised the hunter and with a divine touch, woke the hunter up from his meditation. When Ratnakara opened his eyes, the sages saw that they were filled with piety and devotion and the depth of a calm and overwhelming peace. “You are a sage now and you shall henceforth be called Vālmīki,” they said. Valmīka is an anthill and Vālmīki is one who emerged from it. And because the pouring rain from Lord Varuṇa revealed him from the anthill, he is also called Varuṇaputra or the son of Varuna. Thus Vālmīki is known as Prāchetasa, Vālmīki and Varuṇaputra. | ||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
Revision as of 15:03, 20 May 2013
| Vālmīki | |
|---|---|
 Vālmīki ṛṣi composing the Rāmāyaṇa. | |
| Honors | Deepanshu Kulshreshtha |
| Religious life | |
| Philosophy | Dharmic movement called Valmikism is based on Valmiki's teachings. |
| Composed Rāmāyaṇa and Yoga Vasiṣṭha | |
Valmiki (Sanskrit: वाल्मीकि; In Diacritical Marks:Vālmīki; during Lord Śrī Rāma's time) is celebrated as the harbinger-poet in Sanskrit literature. He is the author of the epic Rāmāyaṇa, based on the attribution in the text of the epic itself. He is revered as the Ādi Kavi, which translates to First Poet, for he discovered the first śloka i.e. first verse, which set the base and defined the form to Sanskrit poetry.
Writer of the Rāmāyaṇa
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The Rāmāyaṇa, originally written by Vālmīki, consists of 24,000 ślokas in seven cantos (some say six i.e. excluding the Uttara Rāmāyaṇa) (kāṇḍas). The Rāmāyaṇa tells the story of a prince, Rāma of Ayodhyā, whose wife Sītā is abducted by the Demon-King (Rākṣasa) of Laṅkā, Rāvaṇa. The Vālmīki's Rāmāyaṇa is dated variously from 500 BC to 100 BC, or about co-eval with early versions of the Mahābhārata. As with many traditional epics, it has gone through a long process of interpolations and redactions, making it impossible to date accurately.
Notwithstanding the aforesaid, it is pertinent to note that Vālmīki is also quoted to be the contemporary of Śrī Rāma. Śrī Rāma met Vālmīki during his period of exile and had interacted with him. Vālmīki had Sītā in his hermitage where Kuśa and Lava were born to Sītā. Vālmīki taught Rāmāyaṇa to Kuśa and Lava, who later sang the divine story in Ayodhyā during the Aśvamedha yajña congregation, to the pleasure of the audience, whereupon, King Śrī Rāma summoned them to his royal palace. Kuśa and Lava sang the story of Śrī Rāma there, and Śrī Rāma confirmed that whatever had been sung by these two children was entirely true.
The first śloka
Vālmīki was going to the river Ganges for his daily ablutions. A disciple by the name Bharadvāja was carrying his clothes. On the way, they came across the Tamasa Stream. Looking at the stream, Vālmīki said to his disciple, "Look, how clear is this water, like the mind of a good man! I will bathe here today." When he was looking for a suitable place to step into the stream, he saw a Crane (bird) couple mating. Vālmīki felt very pleased on seeing the happy birds. Suddenly, hit by an arrow; the male bird died on the spot. Filled by sorrow its mate screamed in agony and died of shock. Vālmīki 's heart melted at this pitiful sight. He looked around to find out who had shot the bird. He saw a hunter with a bow and arrows, nearby. Vālmīki became very angry. His lips opened and he uttered the following words:
मां निषाद प्रतिष्ठां त्वमगमः शाश्वतीः समाः। यत्क्रौंचमिथुनादेकम् अवधीः काममोहितम्॥'
- mā niṣāda pratiṣṭhāṁ tvamagamaḥ śāśvatīḥ samāḥ
- yat krauñcamithunādekam avadhīḥ kāmamohitam
- You will find no rest for the long years of Eternity
- For you killed a bird in love and unsuspecting
Emerging spontaneously from his rage and grief, this was the first śloka in Sanskrit literature. Later Vālmīki Muni composed the entire Rāmāyaṇa with the blessings of Lord Brahmā in the same meter that issued forth from him as the śloka. Thus this śloka is revered as the "first śloka" in Hindu literature. Vālmīki Muni is revered as the first poet, or Ādi Kavi, and the Rāmāyaṇa, the first Kāvya.
His first disciples to whom he taught the Rāmāyaṇa were Kuśa and Lava, the sons of Śrī Rāma.
Early life
Valmiki was was a robber who stole to provide for his family. Under the name of Daku Ratnakar he would ruthlessly take the lives of animals in the forests and he has taken the lives of so many animals that he had earned the displeasure of the gods, one day a group of rishis were gathering in the forest to perform a yagna and then they witnessed Valmiki kill a deer, being brahmins killing of animals or any living creature was forbidden and so they approached Valmiki and told him that he has almost wiped all the animal species in the forest and they told him that the gods will curse him and he will be shunned by all. Valmiki was shocked and so he asked the rishis for a way out of the gods' wrath.The rishis told him to sit under a sal tree with his eyes shut and keep on reciting the syllables "marām" (if recited repeatedly it makes the sound "Rama") repeatedly until they return after finishing the yagna . And so they left Valmiki there and finished their yagna and returned home without waking up Valmiki, months later narada saw Valmiki who was still devotedly reciting "marām" and was covered with anthills because he did not move at all. He woke up Valmiki, and told him that he had earned a lot of merit and his bhakti had pleased Rama and was no less than that of a rishi. And from that day on he was devoted to Rama for the rest of his life and came to be known as Rishi Valmiki. He composed the entire Ramayana. Brahma once told Valmiki that "As long as mountains stand and as long as rivers flow, so long will your Ramayana be read by man."
Vālmīki's names, their origin and early life
Even though it is folk lore that Vālmīki was a hunter as a youth, he was in fact born to Brahmin parents and his father’s name was Prachetsa. In Vālmīki's Ramayana itself he is referred as Prachetsa in this verse listed below:
प्रचेत्सोऽहं दशमः पुत्रो राघवनंन्दन | न स्मराम्यनृतं वाक्यमिमौ तु तव पुत्रकौ || 96:16
In another verse, it is also stated that is from the lineage of the sage Bhārgava
संनिबद्धं हि श्लोकानां चतुर्विंशत्सहस्रकम् | उपाख्यानशतं चैव भार्गवेण तपस्विना || 94:24
Thus, it can be taken as reasonably ascertained that even though he was brought up by foster parents who were hunters, his adoption must have occurred at an age by which time, Vālmīki was well aware of his lineage and his real parenthood. Legend has it that once when he was a very young boy, he wandered off into the forest while playing. His parents searched for him everywhere and being not able to find him anywhere in the nearby forest areas, finally gave up the search having concluded that they had lost their son in the dangerous parts of the forest, perhaps to some wild beast.
The young boy was found by a hunter couple and brought up them as if he was their own child. They named him Ratnakara and taught him the art of hunting. Ratnakara learnt to hunt and grew up into a young lad. His parents found a suitable girl who came from a similar hunter family and married him off. As he set up his family and had children, gradually he began to feel it difficult to provide for the family by his hunting alone. Daily hunting had hardened his heart. Slowly he learnt to stop the wayfarers who happened to pass through the forest, threaten them and make them part with all their belongings and brought them to his family. His wife and children would happily partake of whatever he brought them.
It is said that he had become such a terror for the animals in the forest that if he walked, the beasts would scatter away fearful of being hunted down by him. One day, he saw the seven sages walking through the forest and jumped in front of them and demanded that they part with all that they had. The seven sages were the Saptarshis who walk the three worlds sanctifying them with their presence. The sages looked at Vālmīki with compassionate eyes and readily offered the kamandalu that they carried. They said, “This is all we have and you may gladly have it”. Vālmīki was nonplussed by their non-resistance and the deep peace they carried. Normally when he attacked wayfarers they would struggle and sweat or fall at his feet and plead for mercy. These sages remained unperturbed by his ferocity, unmoved by his blood stained weapons and looked at him as if he were a child asking for some toy. Their stillness brought Ratnakara’s rage and passion down. They asked him why he was stealing from wayfarers.
Vālmīki answered that he was doing it to maintain a standard of living for his family. They queried him if he had the approval of his family to do such a thing and if they would share in his sins. Vālmīki said, “Yes. Of course they know everything and they will share if I commit any sin.” They expressed their honest doubt about it and asked him to go to his family and enquire about this and told him that he would wait to receive his reply. Ratnakara the hunter was still suspicious of the sage and tied him up to a tree and went to his family.
He asked his wife, “My dear, in order to provide for you and our children, I have been stealing from wayfarers and providing for your living. Do you approve of it? And will you not happily partake if there is any sin attached to my work?”
She says, “My dear husband. We are happy with whatever you give us. We have not demanded that you bring fancy clothes and ornaments. If you are bringing such things by stealing from others, then you are sinning. Neither do we need such things nor have we ever asked for them. And certainly we do not partake of any of the sins you are committing.”
Ratnakara’s face fell and he returned to the sages. A strange veil had been lifted off his mind and he began to see that he had been doing things and adopting new ways without ever considering their impact on his life or without ever seeking the approval even of his own family. He was deeply repentant of his wild and cruel ways and fell at the feet of the sages and asked them to show a way to redeem himself.
Legend has it that the sages taught him the Raama mantra and asked him to repeat it. Not used to Sanskrit, he could not even pronounce the word properly. Thereby the sages who knew that Ratnakara had led a life doing things that were not to be done, leading a life that was morally topsy-turvy, told him to instead say the word, Marā, which was easily pronounced by the hunter. Then they asked him to sit under an ancient tree in the lotus posture, sit erect and just repeat the word, and assured him that all would be well.
Ratnakara’s focus and intensity in repeating the word given by the sage was so high that it is said that years passed and a great anthill grew over him and he remained still, repeating the mantra in his mind. After many years on a rainy night as heavy clouds showered the forests, the same seven sages were passing by it and took shelter under the great tree where they had left Ratnakara sitting in meditation. The sages found that the heavy rains had started to wash away the mud from the anthill nearby and they were taken aback to find a bearded hairy figure within the anthill. The great sages recognised the hunter and with a divine touch, woke the hunter up from his meditation. When Ratnakara opened his eyes, the sages saw that they were filled with piety and devotion and the depth of a calm and overwhelming peace. “You are a sage now and you shall henceforth be called Vālmīki,” they said. Valmīka is an anthill and Vālmīki is one who emerged from it. And because the pouring rain from Lord Varuṇa revealed him from the anthill, he is also called Varuṇaputra or the son of Varuna. Thus Vālmīki is known as Prāchetasa, Vālmīki and Varuṇaputra.
References
- Julia Leslie, Authority and Meaning in Indian Religions: Hinduism and the Case of Valmiki, Ashgate (2003), p. 154. ISBN 0-7546-3431-0
- Vālmīki, Robert P. Goldman (1990). The Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki: An Epic of Ancient India. Vol. 1. Princeton University Press. pp. 14–15. ISBN 0-691-01485-X.
- and 7 cantos{Kaṇḍas}including the Uttara canto{Kaṇḍa}Rāmāyaṇa is composed of about 480,002 words, a quarter of the length of the full text of the Mahābhārata or about four times the length of the Iliad.
- Goldman, Robert P., The Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki: An Epic of Ancient India pp. 23
- Sacred-Texts.com IAST encoded transliteration (modified from original source to accurately reflect sandhi rules)
- Buck, William and van Nooten, B. A. Ramayana. 2000, page 7
External links
- Valmiki biography webpage
- Satya Sarada Kandula, "Valmiki - Adikavi", The Ancient Indians
- Shastra Nethralaya, Rishikesh
- Ramayana by Valmiki illustrated with Indian miniatures from the 16th to the 19th century
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