The
Birth of Ramayana and its Composition
Narada, the celestial sage born from Brahma’s mind, is a
devoted messenger of Vishnu, renowned for his wisdom and wandering nature. He
plays a pivotal role in sacred texts—guiding Vyasa to compose the Puranas and
inspiring Valmiki with the tale of Rama.
When
Valmiki seeks an ideal man, Narada describes Rama: virtuous, mighty, and
radiant as the gods. Later, while meditating by the Tamasa River, Valmiki
witnesses a hunter kill a mating curlew.
A curlew is a medium-sized shorebird and has a bill that is sickle-shaped, curving downward at the tip. The birds have
long necks and long legs.
Once,
when the birds devoted themselves to each other, they seemed unaware to the
sage Valmiki. As they made love, they were so engrossed in each other that they
overlooked the Nishada (hunter) nearby.
As
the great sage looked at the birds, the Nishada struck the male with an arrow.
It fell to the ground, trembling and soaked in its blood. Seeing her dying
mate, the female cried out in pathetic tones. Valmiki saw the struggling bird.
desperate for life and heard the cries of separation of the female.
Shocked
at this cruel interruption of love.
Valmiki,
overwhelmed with grief, reacted with deep compassion and pain.
He
spoke: The first shloka
maa
nishaada pratishtha
tvam/
agamah shashvatech samah//
yat-kraunca-mithunad-ekam/avadhih
kama-mohitam //
("O
Nishada! This couple of curlews was in the throes of passion, and you killed
one of them. Therefore, you will possess ill repute for an eternal number of
years.")
Astonished
that he had spoken these words aloud, Valmiki wondered, "What are these
words that I have uttered while overcome with sorrow?"
Grief,
in verse-
Overcome
by grief, Valmiki suddenly utters a rhythmic curse—the first shloka—birthing Sanskrit
poetry. This moment transforms sorrow into art, marking the dawn of epic
storytelling.
Valmiki sat meditating,
unable to forget the birds or his own peculiar verse, composed in a moment of
grief. At that moment, a cosmic guest appeared and set his mind at ease.
Valmiki sat meditating when Brahma, the Creator of the
universe, appeared before him. Astonished, Valmiki prostrated and greeted him
with folded hands.
He then paid Brahma his respect and offered him water
to wash his feet, some whole rice grains (arghya), a gift, and asana (a seat).
Valmiki sat down but, despite being in front of the
great lord, was unable to forget the birds and the cruelty of the hunter's act.
Overcome by grief, he uttered the verse again.
Seeing Valmiki's dilemma. and perhaps delighted at the
fruition of his plan, Brahma said with a smile. "Do not think about this
anymore. You have composed a structured shloka. The poetry and speech were born
because I wanted it to be so.
"Best of seers, now use this beautiful structure
to compose a complete account of Rama's conduct as you heard it from Narada.
"Nothing of the acts of Rama, Sita, or Lakshmana
shall remain hidden from you. You shall have full knowledge of all they did, in
public or private. Not a word of what you say in this composition shall ever be
rendered false."
Thus, according to Valmiki's supernatural insight.
Brahma vanished.
