Jump to content
Valmiki Muni
Valmiki Muni
84
82
77
79
89
85
79
76
72
66
85
73
92
65
64
76
122
77
77
81
92
92
79
105
97
100
102
85
100
82
93
75
81
82
90
83
96
90
84
82
81
92
100
105
101
81
98
106
100
95
86
100
106
104
85
91
80
102
95
81
90
77
87
71
85
83
94
83
78
82
78
89
82
71
96
95
85
78
71
60
59
67
48
59
63
65
57
60
84
53
68
65
61
65
63
66
91
72
54
58
69
55
66
60
62
55
61
52
75
58
70
69
74
55
60
64
69
76
60
74
64
64
62
68
61
70
74
70
73
63
58
58
69
80
69
60
86
67
59
75
64
70
58
78
68
75
71
66
63
77
76
78
57
71
58
55
60
66
59
70
72
75
66
83
74
76
79
70
85
76
69
71
69
99
73
81
75
73
91
70
74
76
90
84
82
69
66
82
78
89
94
56
54
49
52
51
58
79
56
57
59
58
51
59
66
52
55
56
59
51
75
40
56
49
50
50
46
42
55
55
49
43
53
49
68
44
62
39
60
64
75
62
70
66
67
73
57
49
47
57
59
52
62
42
56
61
72
82
61
61
63
Previously Valmiki, having the name Ratnakara, was living in the forest, and to maintain his family he would kill and rob passers by as they went through the forest. Some days he would come back with not very much, to which his demanding wife would reply to his entrance, "Is that all you've brought?" "Be patient dear, tomorrow a group of rich merchants will pass through the forest and I will relieve them of their wealth, " he would dutifully reply.
One day the seven great sages (Sapta Rishis) passed through the forest. Ratnakara stopped them with his usual demands for their wealth or their lives. The sages replied that they were actually in the renounced order, and did not possess any material wealth. They then asked the robber why he robbed as a profession. Ratnakara replied that he had to maintain his family, and robbery was his only option as a means of livelihood. The sages asked him if his family, who live on the fruits of his sinful activities, would partake of the results of his sins also, that he comited by putting his victims through various ordeals, and told him to go and ask them and then come back with their answer.

Ratnakara seemed to think they would be with him completely, however when the robber asked his wife and son if they would also share in the resultant reactions to his sins as well as the fruits, they both replied, No! You are the sinner. Why should we share your sins?"

Devastated at the replies from his so-called loved ones, in tears he returned to the seven great sages. Throwing himself at their feet he begged for their mercy and forgiveness. The sages told Ratnakara to chant the holy name of Rama, but Ratnakara stated that he had always preferred to chant Mara, or death. Anyway, those Saptarishis, who are full of compassion told him to just sit there and recite Mara continuously. As he chanted 'maramaramaramara' continuously like that, the holy name of 'ramaramarama' gradually became manifest. Sitting and chanting in this way in deep absorption on the holy name of the Lord, he sat for months and years, until finally his body became covered over by a 'valmik' (ant hill).

One day, many years later, the seven great sages returned and called to the now reformed robber. Bursting from the ant hill, the pleased sages gave him the new name Valmiki. By the constant and intense devotion of Valmiki Muni, best among the 'Rshis', he had meditated on the holy name of Lord Rama, even at first unknowingly, but the potency of the holy name acts whether chanted knowingly, unknowingly, or even in a mocking way.
Valmiki, now surcharged with spiritual potency, became respected everywhere by saintly devotees of the Lord. At this time, Narada Muni came to see Valmiki. Valmiki, accepting Narada as his eternal spiritual master, enquired from him as to who among men is the most perfect. Narada Muni said that King Rama, the King of Ayodhya, is the most perfect person, for He is the Personality of Godhead Narayana Himself. Then Narada Muni narrated the full story of the Ramayana - the wonderful life story of Lord Rama, after which he took his leave.

Valmiki thought of nothing else, for he was always absorbed in thoughts of the saintly Lord Rama.

Once Valmiki, with some of his 'sisyas' (students) headed for the Tamasa River for bathing, as Valmiki described the glories of the Lord's creation - the river, the forest, the animals and birds who have taken shelter of the forest, he saw two kraunch birds in a tree, in courtship. Then in a second, a hunter pierced the male bird with an arrow and the bird fell to the ground, dead. The female bird, in despair, wailed in grieving tones for her mate.
Valmiki said, even to his own surprise, to the hunter in perfect rhyme,

ma nisada pratistham tvam agamah sasvatissamah
yat krauncamithunad ekam avadhih kamamohitam

"O hunter! May you ne'er be blest, nor reach the realm of timeless rest, for thou hast rent this kraunch-pari, while they were joined in love most rare."(Valmiki Ramayana 1:2:14.)
As soon as he said these very poetic words, which were born out of grief ('shoka'), he had realised that a new format of stanza had come about. Later as Valmiki wrote down the Ramayana, the 'Sanskrit shoka' became 'shloka', the poetry of his writing.

Lord Brahma personally came and instructed Valmiki Muni, who had heard perfectly from Narada Muni the story of Rama, to write down the epic Ramayana. Empowered by 'guru', he propounded these following pastimes.

GALLERY IMAGES

FORUM TOPICS

DOWNLOADS

ABOUT US

International Vaishnavas Portal: download Vaishnava scriptures for free, Vaishnava news, blogs, gallery, videos, bhajans, lectures, practice, instructions, holy places map, Krishna stories. Non-religious platform for glorifying the ideals of Krishna-bhakti (love to Krishna).

NAVIGATION

OUR PAGES

×