Maharshi Valmiki – The Creator Of The Great Epic Ramayana

Ramayana is considered the greatest poet of the time, and his composer was Maharshi Valmiki. Undoubtedly, the creator of such a great work must be a very great rishi of the time. Many stories are found in the Puranas about the life of this great Rishi. Here are some important events of his life:

Birth Stories

Many legends have grown around the name of this epic poet. The most popular is that he was born in a Brahmin family, his father’s name was sage Pracheta. Valmiki’s real name was ‘Ratnakara‘. When he was very young ,One day he went to the forest and forgot his way back. The hunter hunting around found him and took him with his home. His real parents try to find him all around but no success. At last, they conclude he may be eaten by the wild animal.

The hunter and his wife were very happy to meet the young boy and started to raise him as their own son. Eventually, the boy forgot about his real parents and became the skillful hunter like his father. When he came to the age, he got married and slowly his family started to grow. To support such a big family, only hunting was not enough, so he started to rob people traveling from the forest.

One day he was waiting for his victim, and he met sage Narada, he was happily singing god’s name. Ratnakar attacked him but Narada remained calm. Seeing his calmness Ratnakar melted. Sage Narada told him that whatever he was doing is a great sin, and nobody from your family would share your burden, you only are responsible for it.

To confirm this, Ratnakar tied sage Narada to a tree and went home. He asked his father, children, and even his wife but nobody was ready to share his sins. Realizing the truth that he was only responsible for what he was doing family, he returned and asked Narada to what to do to atone his sins. Narada suggested him to ram naam japa.

Ratnakar sat under the tree and started his tapas. His full concentration was on the Ram Naam and was totally unaware of the outside world. He forgot everything hunger, sleep, thrust, and remained in meditation for years. An ant hill formed around and above him, and he could not even seen by anybody.

At last sage Narada came back and woke up him from Tapas. Ratanakar was feeling a whole new energy within him. Narada told him that now you are a sage of the highest order Brahamarshi.

Another belief based on Nagara Khanda of the Skanda Purana claimed that he was born in a Brahmin family with the name Lohajangha. He had a devoted wife. There was a drought in their village for twelve years, and to survive the family from great hunger, he started to rob people.

One day, Lohajangha tried to steal from a group of seven sages called Saptarishi. But realizing the situation of Lohajangha, one of the Saptarishi, Pulatsya Rishi, provides him a mantra. Reciting the mantra while performing intense austerity for years.

Why he got the name Valmiki

After many years of penance, He was born again as a rishi from the ant hill, hence he called Valmika (the ant-hill), hereafter famous as Valmiki.”

How he started writing Ramayana – the first sloka

After hearing of Rama’s story from Narada muni, Valmiki was still not able to start writing, as He wasn’t sure about the meter in which he could narrate this Story. One fine morning after taking a bath in holy Ganga, he decides to sit there for a while. he heard the sweet chirping of two birds in love – a pair of krowncha birds. He was pleased to see the happy couple and stood there and watched them.

Suddenly the male bird fell from the sky after being hit by an arrow. The silent and beautiful area was soon filled with the female bird’s cry of agony.

Sage Valmiki then realized that the male bird was hit by a hunter. Moved by the touching scene, Sage Valmiki poured out the whole of his sad Heart in these Sholka –

maa nishada pratistham tvamagamahsāsvatI: samaa:
yat kraunchamithunaadekam avadhi: kaamamohitam

This is the first shloka of Ramayana.

This is also called the first shloka among the all poems, hence he is Regarded as the Adi Kavi or the First Kavi and Ramayana is the Adikavya or the First Kavya.

Later Lord Brahma appeared before him and told him to write Ramayana with whatever information he had received from Narada Maharshi. He also blessed him with the power to see whatever happened in the past and also blessed to see what is happening in the life of Rama and what is he thinking.

His role in the Ramayana

In the Story of the Valmiki Ramayana, He himself appears two times.

When Rama was an exile, he first visited the Ashrama of the Valmiki Rishi.
When Rama banished Sita, Valmiki gave her shelter in his Ashrama. Where she gave birth to her two children Lav and Kush. Luv and Kush are the first shishya for Valmiki Rishi to learn Ramayana from him. After learning the verses of Ramayana, Lav and Kush used to sing it.