Narad Muni, knowing the thoughts of all, seeing
Valmiki was troubled, questioned him about it.
The sage replied, “My dear
Narad, who is the most
perfect, most virtuous person in all the three worlds, who is a friend to all,
upholder of truth, defender of the weak, who is humble, valiant, and controller
of the senses? Whose anger is under control, who refrains from criticism, who is
of beautiful appearance, knowledgeable, and whose wrath the gods fear? This I
desire to know.”
“I know of such a perfectly situated person,”
said Narad, “he comes in the line descended from the Ishvakus, a famed
warrior prince. He is the ideal king, husband, protector of the oppressed, and
spouse of Princess Sita, daughter of Janak, King of Mithilia.
His name is Ram.”
Narad proceeded to narrate the tale of
Ram, and
after he had finished, Valmiki returned to his ashram. On the way there, he saw
two krancha birds mating in a tree. Suddenly, one fell to the ground, dead,
struck by an arrow. Valmiki apprehended the hunter who fired the fateful shot,
and cursed him.
Later,
when Valmiki related the story to his disciples, he found,
when he repeated the curse, it sounded like a rhyme, and wondered how it had
come to him so easily.
As
Valmiki went about his duties, Lord Brahma, the first
created living being, and Creator demigod, appeared. As Valmiki arranged
his
comfort, he absent-mindedly meditated on the verse he had spoken earlier.
Lord Brahma understood. “That is called a sloka,”
he said, “and proves that you have hidden talent. I want you to compose the
poem related to you by Narad, about Lord Ram, in the same manner. You will
know what is in the mind of all the characters, and therefore will write without
ambiguity. There will be no untruths. When you have finished, the story of Ram
and his trials will be remembered for all time, only as much as you.”
Then Lord Brahma disappeared.
Valmiki was in awe.
After regaining his composure, he sat down and proceeded to write the
story of Ramayan, which he could see, complete in his mind, and wrote 24,000
verses; comprising five hundred chapters divided into six sections.
*
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
*
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * ** * * * * *
