MAHARSHI VALMIKI

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Hare srinivasa VALMIKI – THE SAGE TURNED ROBBER – WHO WROTE “RAMAYANAâ€

ASHWAYUJA SHUDDA HUNNIME IS THE BIRTH DAY OF SRI VALMIKI MAHARSHI WHO WROTE THE “RAMAYANAâ€.

Here is an article on Valmiki Rushi.

Valmiki’s real name was

Ratnakara. He was the son of Prachetasa, a sage. Before this Valmiki

was a robber by profession. Later with the teachings of Maharshi

Narada he became a Rushi.

 

What is Valmiki –

 

Valmika in Devanagari means “ant- hillâ€

Once when he was a very young

boy, he had gone to the forest playing and was lost in the forest.

His parents searched for him but could not trace him. They thought

that the boy has been eaten by some wild animals. An hunter and his

wife took the child and brought up the child as if their child. He was

taught of the hunting and he learnt it fully. Later, the boy grew

young and he was married to a girl from another hunter family. He

got children also. When Ratnakara’s family grew with the addition of

children, he felt it uneasy to maintain his family with the little

income. So, he took to a new profession of Robbery and went on

attacking the people for money.

One day Maharshi Narada who was

singing in praise of Srihari with Mahati named Veena, was passing

nearby. Ratnakara, the hunter saw him, attacked him, shouted and

demanded whatever he has, lest he shall brake his head. Narada was not

fraightened and told him that he has only the Veena, which he offered

to give. Ratnakara saw the smiling, innocent face of Narada who was

never freightened and was astonished at this. On seeing Narada’s

face, Ratnakara’s cruel mind also melted with kindness. Narada

Maharshi sat beneath a tree and was singing Harinama sankeertana.

Narada Maharshi told Ratnakara

that Robbering and killing of animals is sinful job and asked him to

give up that profession. Narada Maharshi told him to ask his

parents, wife and children as to what profession – Robbery is a sin or

not? Ratnakara thought Narada Maharshi is trying to escape from him by

sending him to his parents and tied Narada with a rope to a nearby tree

and went to his house.

He asked his father “I have

been feeding you all by robbery and hunting. Is it a sinful job?â€.

His father told him that they are not happy with his profession and

that they are ashamed of his robberyâ€. Then he went to his mother, who

also gave the same reply. His wife and children also gave the same

reply. Then he realized that whatever he was doing all these years

was a sin and came running to Narada Maharshi and untied him from the

tree and apolosized for his misdeeds and asked the Narada Maharshi as

to the remedy for the atonement of all the sins committed. Naradaru

taught him the “RAMA RAMA Mantra†and asked him to sit beneath a tree

and chant the mantra until his return. Narada Maharshi departed. Ratnakara was chanting and

chanting Rama mantra continuously amidst rain, sun heat, cold, hot,

everything closing his eyes. He forgot himself. It went for years.

An ant-hill grew all over his body like a mountain and Rathnakara was

not to be seen by anybody. After several years, Narada Maharshi

came near the Valmeeka(the ant-hill) cleared the ant-hill and blessed

Ratnakara to be a maharshi. Ratnakara came out of the Valmeeka .

That is why he is called as “Valmeekiâ€.

 

Who told Valmiki the story of Sri Ramachandra?

One day Narada Maharshi met

Valmiki and told him the entire story of Sri Ramachandra – Dasharatha’s

putrakamesti yaga, Ramachandra’s birth, his education, his journey

with Vishwamitra and his killing of Tataki, Subahu, his step-mother

Kaikeyee’s order to go to forest, killing of Rakshaas there, missing

of Seeta Devi, meeting of Hanumantha-Sugreeva, his journey to Lanka in

search of Seeta Devi, killing of Ravana-Kumbakarna, and finally getting

back to Ayodhya, ruling of the Kingdom, etc.

 

What made him to write the “Ramayana†?

Once Valmiki on his way to

Ganga Snaana, came across a stream “tamasaâ€, seeing the stream was

astonished and decided to have his bath in the stream.

 

When he was looking for a

suitable place to step into the stream, he heard sweet chirping of

birds, he saw two flying birds together. He was pleased to see the

happy bird couple. Suddenly the male bird fell from the sky after

being hit by an arrow and was wounded. The spouce bird was screaming

in agony. Then he realized that the bird was hitten by a hunter.

Valmiki’s heart was felt with pity. Suddenly came out from his lips,

the following shloka,

 

maa nishada pratistham tvamagamahsÄsvatI: samaa:

yat kraunchamithunaadekam avadhI: kaamamohitam

 

This is the first shloka of

Ramayana. It is regarded as the first shloka among all the

puraanaas. He is regarded as the first Kavi or poet, i.e., “Aadi

Kaviâ€. Ramayana is also titled as the first Kavya.

 

Meanwhile Brahmadeva, came

and told him to write Ramayana with whatever story he has listen from

Narada Maharshi. He also blessed him to see whatever has happened in

the past and whatever he writes will be true.

 

Valmiki brought up the children of Sri Ramachandra – Lava and Kusha. Why?

Once after Sri Ramachandra

killed Ravana-Kumbakarna and brought back Seeta Devi, was ruling

Ayodhya peacefully. But he heard a citizen of Ayodhya, telling that

“Ramachandra had brought back Seetadevi, who was imprisoned by Ravana.

Sri Ramachandra was wrong in bringing back herâ€. On hearing this

Ramachandra told his brother Lakshmana to take Seetadevi and leave her

near a sage’s ashram.

 

Before this, once when

Seetadevi was preagnant. Ramachandra asked Seetha –“ You are carrying

a child. Any wish you want to fulfil from me?â€. Seetha Devi told “ I

don’t have any wish. But when we were living in forest, we used to go

the Ashrama of Rishis but I could not give anything to Rishis. Now, I

would like to spend some time with Rishi’s wivesâ€. Raama had agreed.

 

Considering these facts Sri

Ramachandra had asked Lakshmana to leave Seeta Devi near the Valmiki

Ashrama. Seetha Devi gave birth to Lava-Kusha, the twins. As

such Seetha Devi was in the Ashrama of Valmiki and Lava-Kusha were

brought up there. Valmiki Maharshi himself taught the children all

the Veda Paataa, and adhyayana of Weapons. He also did the Upanayanam

of the children. He also taught the entire Ramayana to the children –

Lava & Kusha. They were singing all the time and once they sang

the Ramayana in front of Sri Ramachandra when Rama came to know that

they are his own sons, who were staying with Valmiki.

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