Who asked Valmiki to write Ramayana: Amazing story
The sage Valmiki wrote the Ramayana at the request of Lord Brahma, the Hindu god of creation.
The story goes that Valmiki was once a notorious robber named Ratnakara, but after meeting the sage Narada, he renounced his criminal ways and became a sage himself.
What is the story of Vakmiki?
The story of Valmiki is a fascinating one, as it is the story of a transformation from a dacoit to a sage, and the author of one of the greatest epics of all time, the Ramayana.
Valmiki was born as Ratnakara, the son of a Brahmin sage. However, he was led astray by bad company and became a dacoit, terrorizing the countryside. One day, he encountered the sage Narada and tried to rob him. However, Narada was not afraid and asked Ratnakara to reflect on his life and the evil he was doing. Ratnakara was deeply moved by Narada’s words and decided to change his ways.
He began to perform penance and meditate on the name of Rama. After many years of penance, he was transformed into a sage and given the name Valmiki, which means “born from an anthill.”
One day, while He was bathing in the river Tamasa, he saw a pair of cranes mating. The male crane was shot and killed by a hunter, and the female crane cried out in sorrow. Valmiki was so moved by the sight that he spontaneously uttered a verse in Sanskrit, which is considered to be the first shloka (verse) of the Ramayana.
He then went on to compose the entire Ramayana, which tells the story of Lord Rama, an avatar of Vishnu. The Ramayana is one of the most important and beloved epics in Hinduism, and it has been recited and studied for centuries.
In addition to the Ramayana, Valmiki is also credited with composing the Yoga Vasista, a philosophical text that elaborates on a range of topics, including the nature of reality, the soul, and the path to liberation.
Valmiki is revered as a great sage and poet, and his works continue to inspire and enlighten people all over the world.
Image credit
Sarbjit Bahga, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
