How did Rishi Valmiki get to compose the Ramayana?
Role of Dhyana in Indian Sculpture & Poetry
All begins with the intention of the poet, here Valmiki's intention.
Intention of the Poet
Saint Narada visits the hermitage of Valmiki. The follow account is taken from Chapter 1 of Balakanda. (Valmiki Ramayana)
तपस्स्वाध्यायनिरतं तपस्वी वाग्विदां वरम् ।
नारदं परिपप्रच्छ वाल्मीकिर्मुनिपुङ्गवम् ।।1.1.1।।
Ascetic Valmiki enquired of Narada, preeminent among the sages ever engaged in the practice of religious austerities or study of the Vedas and best among the eloquent.
कोन्वस्मिन्साम्प्रतं लोके गुणवान्कश्च वीर्यवान् ।
धर्मज्ञश्च कृतज्ञश्च सत्यवाक्यो दृढव्रत:।।1.1.2।।
“Who in this world lives today endowed with excellent qualities, prowess, righteousness, gratitude, truthfulness and firmness in his vows?
चारित्रेण च को युक्तस्सर्वभूतेषु को हित: ।
विद्वान्क: कस्समर्थश्च कश्चैकप्रियदर्शन: ।।1.1.3।।
Who is that one gifted with good conduct, given to the wellbeing of all living creatures, learned in the lore (knowledge of all things that is known), capable of doing things which others cannot do and singularly handsome?
एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं परं कौतूहलं हि मे ।
महर्षे त्वं समर्थोऽसि ज्ञातुमेवंविधं नरम् ।।1.1.5।।
O Maharshi, I intend to hear about such a man whom you are able to place? Indeed great is my curiosity”.
Following which Saint Narada, gives us an account of story of Rama as ‘Samkshepa Ramayanam’’ which is Chapter 1 of Balakanda.
Inspiration – evoking rasa – sight of the kraunca birds
(Figure – Sage Valmiki cursing the hunter for killing the male Krauncha bird with an arrow)
Valmiki goes to river Tamasa for morning ablutions’. He sees a male krauncha being shot down by a hunter — expresses the reflection of a female companion’s sorrow in his experience in the form of a sloka in metrical form.
मा निषाद प्रतिष्ठां त्वमगमश्शाश्वतीस्समा: ।
यत्क्रौञ्चमिथुनादेकमवधी: काममोहितम् ।।1.2.15।।
“O fowler, since you have killed one of the pair of infatuated kraunchas you will be permanently deprived of your position”.
Valmiki who had witnessed all that had happened was filled with compassion. He involuntarily burst into a poetic verse that seemed to flow out, spontaneously without any effort on his part. “O Fowler! Thou hast so cruelly killed the male of a pair of Krauncha birds while they reveled. On that account you will be discredited forever. Just as you ended the bird’s life before its time, so too shall wilt your life before its time”. Having uttered his versified curse, Valmiki became thoughtful, “What has come over me? Why did I curse a fellow being? Was it my sorrow at the helpless wailing of a bird or does it have a hidden meaning? Born out of the pathos of a slain bird, some words have escaped me without my conscious effort. They are so arranged as to follow a metre and are viable for rendition in the form of a song, to the accompaniment of string instruments, hence let it be known as a ‘sloka’.
Power of clairvoyance by Lord Brahma
Lord Brahma appears at the hermitage — directs him to compose the great poem in the same metre describing the story of Rama as related by Narada — grants him the power of clairvoyance.
रहस्यं च प्रकाशं च यद्वृत्तं तस्य धीमत: ।
रामस्य सहसौमित्रेः राक्षसानां च सर्वश: ।।1.2.33।।
वैदेह्याश्चैव यद्वृत्तं प्रकाशं यदि वा रह: ।
तच्चाप्यविदितं सर्वं विदितं ते भविष्यति ।।1.2.34।।
The incidents pertaining to sagacious Rama together with Lakshmana, Sita, Bharata, etc. and the rakshasas their deeds, thoughts, unknown or known to everybody and even not known to you, will be revealed to you by my grace.
