Most of those born in a Hindu family grow up listening to the Ramayana which narrates the struggle of lord Rama to rescue his wife Sita from the demon king Ravana of Lanka.
Estimated from the earliest available records from the 7th to 4th centuries BCE, Ramayana was written by ‘Adi Kavi’ Valmiki whose birth anniversary was observed on Sunday.
The birth anniversary of sage Valmiki revered as the first poet of Sanskrit literature is celebrated on Ashwin Poornima as per Hindu lunar calendar.
He wrote the Ramayana, depicting the story of Lord Rama in 24,000 verses that are divided in seven ‘Kandas’ (cantos). Kusha and Lava, the twin sons of lord Rama were born in Rishi Valmiki’s hermitage. Valmiki taught Ramayana to his disciples — the twins.
The epic narrates the life of Rama who went on a fourteen-year exile to the forest following the command of his father king Dashratha as sought by his second wife Kaikeyi.
The epic is still sung by famous religious personalities and devotees in discourses and has a life giving message.
The biggest temple of Rishi Valmiki is in Thiruvanmiyur in Chennai in southern part of India. The temple is believed to be 1,300-year-old and it is believed that after writing epic Ramayana, Maharishi Valmiki rested at the spot and later the temple was built. Every year ‘Brahmotsavam’ festival is held on the temple site.
There is a legend behind how Valmiki turned into a poet. Valmiki was going to the river Ganga for his daily ablutions along with his disciple who carried his clothes. On the way, they came across the Tamasa river stream. Valmiki decided to have bath in the crystal clear waters of the river but as soon as he was about to get down into the stream, he spotted a pair of mating cranes.
Seeing the happy birds he also felt pleased but suddenly, the male bird was hit by an arrow and he died on the spot. Unable to bear the shock, the female bird also died in no time. Looking around to find out who had shot the bird, Valmiki saw a hunter with a bow and arrows.
Venting his fury on him, he cried out a verse — ‘Thou will find no rest for the long years of eternity/For you killed a bird couple in love and unsuspecting’. He later composed the entire Ramayana in the same meter that issued forth from him in the verse form.
V Kulwant, the president of Dayanand Vedic Mission said, “The epics Ramayana and Srimad Bhagwat are based on the tenets of Sanatan Dharma. Ramayana motivates the inner soul of a person. Listening to these epics, all the differences based on religion, caste and colour vanish and these epics have global appeal. Not only Hindus but people from other religions also rever Ramayana.”
A professor of Rishikul Ayurvedic College, VK Agnihotri said, “A simple verse ‘Durlabham hi sadaa sukham’ from second canto of Valmiki Ramayana states a universal truth that to be happy always, is something which is difficult to achieve. So happiness and sorrow keep coming in one’s life in turns, nothing is permanent.”
Valmiki had given shelter to Sita in his hermitage when Rama, her husband banished her and it was later when twins of lord Rama sang the story in Ayodhya during the Ashwamedha Yajna congregation, that king Rama questioned who they were. Later, he summoned them to his palace. Rama confirmed that whatever had been sung by them was entirely true. Such is the power of the narrative stories and they go on for ages sung by people.
Speaking on the popularity of the epic, a scholar of scriptures, Swami Sharad Puri said, “Originally Ramayana was written by sage Valmiki and later over 40 Ramayanas came in common languages by different scholars. In North India, Tulsidas Ramayana is popular while in south India, Kamba Ramayana is popular which is derived from Valmiki Ramayana.”
