Jump to content

Valmiki

Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the Indian sage. For the Indian caste community, seeValmiki caste.For other uses, seeValmiki (disambiguation).

Maharishi
Valmiki
Sage Valmiki composing theRamayana
Personal
Born
Agni Sharma
ReligionHinduism
Parent
  • Pracheta (father)
LineageRama Mantraraj[1](mentioned by Govindaraja)
MovementDharmicmovement calledValmikismis based on Valmiki's teachings
Notable work(s)Ramayana
Yoga Vasistha
Valmiki Samhita
Known forComposing theRamayana
GuruofLavaandKusha
AvatarofBrahma
Honors
  • Adi Kavi
  • Maharishi

Valmiki(/vɑːlˈmiːki/;[2]Sanskrit:वाल्मीकि,romanized:Vālmīki,[ʋɑːlmiːki])[A]was a legendary poet who is celebrated as the traditional author of the epicRamayana,based on the attribution in the text itself.[3][5]He is revered asĀdi Kavi,the first poet, author ofRamayana,the first epic poem.

TheRamayana,originally written by Valmiki, consists of 24,000shlokasand sevencantos(kaṇḍas).[6]TheRamayanais composed of about 480,002 words, being a quarter of the length of the full text of theMahabharataor about four times the length of theIliad.TheRamayanatells the story of a prince,Ramaof the city ofAyodhyain theKingdom of Kosala,whose wifeSitais abducted byRavana,the demon-king (Rakshasa) ofLanka.The scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th to 4th centuries BCE,[7][8]and later stages extending up to the 3rd century CE,[9]although original date of composition is unknown. As with many traditional epics, it has gone through a process of interpolations and redactions, making it impossible to date accurately.

British satiristAubrey Menensays that Valmiki was "recognized as a literary genius," and thus was considered, "an outlaw," presumably because of his "philosophic scepticism,"[10]as part of an "Indian Enlightenment" period.[11]Valmiki is also quoted as being the contemporary of Rama. Menen claims Valmiki is "the first author in all history to bring himself into his own composition."[12]

Early life

The youthful sageNaradaat the white-bearded Valmiki's hermitage

Valmiki was born asAgni Sharmato aBrahminnamed Pracheta (also known as Sumali) ofBhrigugotra.[13][14]According to legend he once met the great sageNaradaand had a discourse with him on his duties. Moved by Narada's words, Agni Sharma began to perform penance and chanted the word "Mara" which meant "die". As he performed his penance for several years, the word became "Rama", a name of the god Vishnu. Huge anthills formed around Agni Sharma and this earned him the name of Valmiki. Agni Sharma, rechristened as Valmiki, learnt the scriptures from Narada and became the foremost of ascetics, revered by everyone.

There also exist some legends about Valmiki having been a thief before turning into a rishi. The Nagara Khanda of theSkanda Puranain its section on the creation of Mukhara Tirtha mentions that Valmiki was born aBrahmin,with the name of Lohajangha and was a devoted son to his parents. He had a beautiful wife and both of them were faithful to each other. Once, when there was no rain in the region ofAnarta,for twelve long years, Lohajangha, for the sake of his hungry family, started robbing people that he found in the forest. In the course of this life he met the seven sages or theSaptarishiand tried to rob them as well. But the learned sages felt pity on him and showed him the folly of his ways. One of them,Pulahagave him a Mantra to meditate upon and the Brahmin turned thief got so engrossed in its recitation that ant-hills came up around his body. When the sages returned and heard the sound of the mantra coming from the ant-hill, they blessed him and said, "Since you achieved great Siddhi seated within a Valmīka (an anthill), you will become well-known in the world as Vālmīki."[15][16]

The first shloka

Valmiki was going to the river Ganges for his daily ablutions. A disciple by the nameBharadwajawas carrying his clothes. On the way, they came across theTamasaStream. Looking at the stream, Valmiki said to his disciple, "Look, how clear is this water, like the mind of a good man! I will bathe here today." When he was looking for a suitable place to step into the stream, he saw acranecouple mating. Valmiki felt very pleased on seeing the happy birds. Suddenly, hit by an arrow, the male bird died on the spot. Filled by sorrow, its mate screamed in agony and died of shock. Valmiki's heart melted at this pitiful sight. He looked around to find out who had shot the bird. He saw a hunter with a bow and arrows, nearby. Valmiki became very angry. His lips opened and he cried out,

मा निषाद प्रतिष्ठां त्वमगमः शाश्वतीः समाः।
यत्क्रौञ्चमिथुनादेकमवधीः काममोहितम्॥'

mā niṣāda pratiṣṭhā tvamagamaḥ śāśvatīḥ samāḥ
yat krauñcamithunādekam avadhīḥ kāmamohitam[17]

You will find no rest for the long years of Eternity
For you killed a bird in love and unsuspecting[18]

Emerging spontaneously from Valmiki's rage and grief, this couplet is considered the firstshlokainSanskrit literature.Valmiki later composed the entireRamayanain the same meter. Valmiki is revered asAdi Kavi(the first poet); theRamayanais revered as the firstkavya(poem).

Role inRamayana

RamawithSitaon the throne, their childrenLavaandKushaon their laps. Behind the throne,Lakshmana,Bharata andShatrughnastand.Hanumanbows to Rama before the throne. Valmiki to the left.

Valmiki played an important role inUttarakāṇḍa,the last chapter of the epicRamayana.TheUttarakāṇḍamay not have been originally worked by Valmiki. The scholars Robert and Sally Goldman, for example, have pointed out: "Much of the narrative focuses on figures other than Rāma and is narrated only indirectly by Vālmīki, being placed in the mouths of other figures such as Agastya."[19]It is believed to have been taken up fromSesha Ramayana.[citation needed]According to the legend, Rama sent Sita to the forest. Sita finds refuge in Sage Valmiki's ashram, where she gives birth to twin boysLavaandKusha.Lava and Kusha were Valmiki's first disciples, to whom he taught theRamayana.Bala Kandaof the epic also tells the story of Valmiki narrating the Ramayana to Lava and Kusha, who become his disciples.[20]

Role inMahabharata

Valmiki was alive during theMahabharata,and he was one of the many sages that visitedYudhisthiraafter the war. He told Yudhisthira the benefits of worshippingShiva.Once upon a time, some ascetic possessors of thehomafire[clarification needed][better source needed]cursed Valmiki as guilty ofbrahminicide.The sin possessed him as soon as he was cursed. So he prayed to Shiva and he became cleansed of all his sins. Valmiki told Yudhisthira that he should also pray to Shiva like him.[21]

Sita in Valmiki hermitage

Reincarnation

Vishnudharmottara Puranasays that Valmiki was born in theTreta Yugaas a form ofBrahmawho composedRamayanaand that people desirous of earning knowledge should worship Valmiki.[22]He was later reincarnated asTulsidas,who composed theRamcharitamanas,which was theAwadhi-Hindiversion of theRamayana.[23]

Pragat Diwas

Main article:Pargat Diwas

The full moon day of Hindu month ofAshvinis celebrated as the birth anniversary of the poet. The day is also known asPargat Diwasor Valmiki Jayanti, and is a major festival of the followers of theBalmikireligious sect of Hinduism.[24]

Temples

TheBalmiki sectof Hinduism reveres Valmiki, where he is also known asLal BegorBala Shah,as apatronsaint, with a plethora ofmandirs(temples) dedicated to him.[3][25]

In theSiddhartradition ofTamil Nadu,Valmiki is known asVanmeegarand is revered as one of the 18 esteemedSiddharsof yore.[26]The Ettukudi Murugan Temple,Nagapattinamis home to hisJeevaSamadhi.[27]

An area inChennai,Tiruvanmiyuris believed to derive its name from Sage Valmiki, Thiru-Valmiki-Oor. There is a temple for Valmiki located in this place, which is believed to be 1300 years old.[28][29]

Shree Valmiki Mata Maha Samsthana is a temple dedicated to Valmiki in Rajanahalli,Karnataka.

Valmiki Ashram,a site considered to be the original ashram of Valmiki, is located inChitwan districtofNepal.[30]The site is near theTriveni Dhampilgrimage site.[31]

In popular culture

Several Indian films have been made on the life of the poet, beginning with G. V. Sane'sValmiki(1921); it was followed by Surendra Narayan Roy'sRatnakar(1921),Ellis Dungan'sValmiki(1946),Bhalji Pendharkar'sValmiki(1946),Sundarrao Nadkarni'sValmiki(1946),C.S.R. Rao'sValmiki(starringRajkumar1963) andValmiki(starringN. T. Rama Rao;1963), and Arvind Bhatt'sSant Valmiki(1991).[32][33]

Bhatt's film which starredSuresh Oberoiin the title role remains unreleased after a case was filed against Oberoi for remarks deemed offensive by members of theValmiki castein India.[33]

See also

References

Notes

  1. ^Valmiki is also known by devotees as Balmiki, Lal Beg and Bala Shah.[3][4]

Citations

  1. ^Srinivasha Shastri.Ramayana of Valmiki-With Three Ancient Commentaries-: Tilaka of Rama, Ramayanasiromani of Sivasahaya and Bhusana of Govindaraja.p. 9.
  2. ^"Valmiki"Archived5 March 2016 at theWayback Machine.Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.
  3. ^abcEncyclopaedia of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.Institute for Sustainable Development. 2000. p. 479.ISBN978-81-261-0655-4.
  4. ^O'Brien, John (2006).The Construction of Pakistani Christian Identity.Research Society of Pakistan. p. 125.ISBN978-969-425-096-0.
  5. ^Valmiki, Robert P. Goldman (1990).The Ramayana of Valmiki:An Epic of Ancient India.Vol. 1. Princeton University Press. pp.14–15.ISBN0-691-01485-X.
  6. ^"Valmiki Ramayan".valmikiramayan.net.Desiraju Hanumanta Rao & K. M. K. Murthy.Archivedfrom the original on 13 September 2020.Retrieved11 May2020.
  7. ^Goldman 1984,p. 20–22.
  8. ^Pattanaik, Devdutt (8 August 2020)."Was Ram born in Ayodhya".mumbaimirror.Archivedfrom the original on 14 August 2020.Retrieved8 August2020.
  9. ^J. L. Brockington (1998).The Sanskrit Epics.BRILL. pp. 379–.ISBN90-04-10260-4.
  10. ^Menen, Aubrey (1954). "Introduction",The Ramayana,p.4. Charles Scribner's Sons: New York. [ISBN unspecified].LCCN54-35716.
  11. ^Menen (1954). "The Indian Enlightenment", p.9.
  12. ^Menen (1954). "The Heritage of the Gluttons", p.81.
  13. ^Vishwanath S. Naravane (1998).Sages, Nymphs, and Deities: Excursions in Indian Mythology.The Author. p. 86.
  14. ^History of Ancient India (a New Version): From 7300 Bb To 4250 Bc.Atlantic Publishers & Dist. 2006. p. 720.ISBN9788126906154.
  15. ^"The Skanda Purana, Nagara Khanda, Chapter 124, Creation of Mukhara Tirtha".Archivedfrom the original on 15 March 2021.Retrieved8 May2020.
  16. ^The Skanda Purana, Part 17, (Ancient Indian Tradition and Mythology Series, Vol. LXV).Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 2002. p. 506.Archivedfrom the original on 30 October 2020.Retrieved8 May2020.
  17. ^Sacred-Texts.comArchived7 December 2016 at theWayback MachineIAST encoded transliteration (modified from original source to accurately reflect sandhi rules)
  18. ^Buck, William and van Nooten, B. A.Ramayana.2000, page 7
  19. ^The Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki: The Complete English Translation,ed. Robert P. Goldman and Sally J. Sutherland Goldman, Princeton Univ. Press, 2021, p. 19. ISBN 978-0-691-20686-8.
  20. ^Rao, T. S. Sha ma; Litent (1 January 2014).Lava Kusha.Litent.
  21. ^"The Mahabharata, Book 13: Anusasana Parva: Anusasanika Parva: Section XVIII".sacred-texts.com.Archivedfrom the original on 24 January 2022.Retrieved17 October2022.
  22. ^Mythology of Vishnu and His Incarnationsby Manohar Laxman Varadpande (2009), p. 166.
  23. ^"When is Tulsidas Jayanti; why is it celebrated?".The Statesman.4 July 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 9 July 2020.Retrieved7 July2020.
  24. ^Lakhanpal, Ujjwala (19 October 2021)."Valmiki Jayanti 2021 Date: History, Significance and Puja Timings".TheQuint.Archivedfrom the original on 17 October 2022.Retrieved17 October2022.
  25. ^Dalal, Roshen (18 April 2014).Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide.Penguin UK.ISBN978-81-8475-277-9.
  26. ^"Siddhar Charithiram Vanmikar".anaadi.org/blog.Archivedfrom the original on 19 April 2023.Retrieved2 August2023.
  27. ^"18 Siddhars".satsang-darshan.com.Archivedfrom the original on 12 May 2023.Retrieved12 May2023.
  28. ^"Archive News".The Hindu.Archivedfrom the original on 5 January 2021.Retrieved28 November2020.
  29. ^"Maharishi Valmiki temple".Columbo Post.Archivedfrom the original on 19 October 2019.Retrieved28 November2020.
  30. ^"माडीको मणि वाल्मीकि आश्रम चेपुवामा".Karobar Daily.Archivedfrom the original on 17 October 2022.Retrieved17 October2022.
  31. ^"चितवनको वाल्मीकिको साधनाभूमि र सीता आएर बसेको स्थल वाल्मीकि आश्रम Nepalpatra".nepalpatra.com.Archivedfrom the original on 17 October 2022.Retrieved17 October2022.
  32. ^Ashish Rajadhyaksha; Paul Willemen (2014).Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema.Routledge. p. 315.ISBN978-1-135-94318-9.
  33. ^abSuresh Oberoi and Ors v. Dev Singh Assur and Ors[1991] INPBHC 10311(1 February 1991),High Court(Punjab and Haryana, India)

Sources

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Valmiki&oldid=1227102931"