This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 136.159.32.72 (talk) at 18:22, 14 December 2006 (revert-vandal refuses to agree to Misplaced Pages rules (whatever you want to discuss, discuss on the 'discussions' first!)). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 18:22, 14 December 2006 by 136.159.32.72 (talk) (revert-vandal refuses to agree to Misplaced Pages rules (whatever you want to discuss, discuss on the 'discussions' first!))(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Maharishi Valmiki (Sanskrit: वाल्मिकी, vālmikī) is the author of the Hindu epic Ramayana.
Background
Further information: RamayanaValmiki was born into the Naga clan.
The Rāmāyaṇa, for which Valmiki is famously known for composing, consists of 24,000 verses in seven cantos (kāṇḍas) and tells the story of a prince, Rama of Ayodhya, whose wife Sita is abducted by the demon (Rākshasa) king of Lanka, Rāvana. In its current form, the Valmiki Ramayana is dated variously from 500 BC to 100 BC, or about co-eval to early versions of the Mahabhārata. As with most traditional epics, since it has gone through a long process of interpolations and redactions, it is impossible to date it accurately.
Maharishi Valmiki is accepted by many indian comunities as the author of the Yoga vasistha, this particular piece of work was taught to Rama when he was disillusioned with the world in large. The Yoga Vasistha is an incredible piece of text which discusses a wide array of philosphical issues. Moreover, it appears to have been written over 5000 years ago.
At his hermitage he taught both males and females. He gave Sita shelter after her banishment from Ayodhya.
References
- Benjamin Walker Hindu World
- About 480,002 words, or a quarter of the length of the full text of the Mahabharata, or about four times the length of the Iliad.
- Goldman, Robert P., The Ramayana of Valmiki: An Epic of Ancient India pp. 23
- Julia Leslie "Authority and Meaning in Indian Religions: Hinduism and the Case of Valmiki" 2004, ISBN 07-5463-430-2
See also
External links
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