Hinduism is a religion in which the place of the gurus has always been considered higher than God. And the importance of this thing increases when our God himself insists on the fact that the place of Gurus is higher than God. There have been many such gurus in Hindu religion who have given direction to the society, but some have made a special contribution, Valmiki ji is one of them.
If we identify Maharishi Valmiki only as the author of epic like Ramayana, then his identity will be incomplete. In Hinduism, a special identity of a guru is also from his disciple. Maharishi Valmiki was also the guru of Lava and Kush, the sons of Lord Rama. Luv and Kush had great faith in their guru Maharishi Valmiki and with this belief they defeated the entire army of Ayodhya at that time.
Everyone knows that Maharishi Valmiki has written Ramayana, but not everyone knows that he was the first or original author of Ramayana. Today you will find more than 25 stories of Ram in all over the world but all Ramayana is inspired by Maharishi Valmiki. At present, Ramcharitmanas, composed by Tulsidas, is the most listened to and read.
Early Life of Valmiki
According to Hindi literature, Maharishi Valmiki can be called the poet of the ancient times. There is no concrete proof of the account of the birth and early life of all the poets of the ancient times. According to an estimate, we can assume that Maharishi Valmiki was born about 7000 years ago. His father’s name was Pracheta and he was the tenth son of his father. The source of his father’s name is found in the Ramayana written by him when he takes his father’s name in declaring the purity of mother Sita. His greatest creation is the story of Ramayana of Treta Yuga, so on this basis we can also say that he was the poet of Treta Yuga.
There is some story about his medieval life that he was a dacoit before becoming a great poet. And at that time his name was Ratnakar.
Story of Dacoit Ratnakar
Maharishi Valmiki was a dacoit in his past and his name was Ratnakar and he lived in a dense forest. Whatever wayfarer used to come from that forest, he used to loot them and used to live his life from that. Then one day Devrishi Narad was passing through that forest, then the dacoit Ratnakar came to rob Devrishi Narad as well. Then he had a conversation with Devrishi Narad: –
Devrishi Narad – For what are you doing all this?
Ratnakar – I am doing all this to feed my family.
Devrishi Narad – Will the family for whom you are committing this sin become a partner of your sin?
Ratnakar – Being a little narrowed, he said, it must be.
Devrishi Narad – You come after asking your family, I will wait for you here.
The Ratnakar then ties Devrishi Narad to a tree and goes to his family and he communicates with them. He gathers his family in front of him and asks them that the sin I am doing for your welfare, are you all my partners in this sin?
Then all the members of the dacoit Ratnakar’s family made up their mind by saying that it is your responsibility to take care of your family, for this we have no involvement in whatever sin you are doing.
Then all the members of the dacoit Ratnakar’s family made up their mind by saying that it is your responsibility to take care of your family, for this we have no involvement in whatever sin you are doing.
After this he comes back to the forest where Devrishi Narad is tied to the tree and then he frees Devrishi Narad from the ties and says that you are right – my family is not a partner in this sin of mine. I have realized my mistake, and I want to follow the path of Dharma.
Then Devrishi Narad said – You chant the name of Ram, it will bring you welfare.
The Frist Shloka of Maharishi Valmiki
There is also a story behind the first verse spoken by Maharishi Valmiki.
One day when Maharishi Valmiki went to bathe on the banks of river Tamsa early in the morning, he saw a pair of crocs who were engrossed in lovemaking with each other. Seeing whom his mind was delighted and he was praising nature, then a hunter’s arrow would hit the male croch and he would die there. Then the female croc also sacrifices her life in separation from him.
Maharishi Valmiki gets very angry after seeing this incident and in anger he curses the hunter as a punishment that his mind will always be restless. He speaks this curse through a verse –
मा निषाद प्रतिष्ठां त्वमगमः शाश्वतीः समाः। यत्क्रौञ्चमिथुनादेकमवधीः काममोहितम्॥
Ma Nishad Pratishthan Tvamagam: Shashwati: Samah. Yatkraunchamithunadekamvadhi: Kammohitam ॥
(Do not, O Nishada, attain to establishment, eternal equals.
That you killed one of the pair of kraunchas deluded by lust)
After giving this curse out of anger, he returned to his ashram and when his anger calmed down, he realized how terrible he had cursed the hunter.
Inspiration To Write Ramayana
When Maharishi Valmiki returned to his cottage after cursing the hunter, his heart was filled with sorrow as to how he had given such a terrible curse to that hunter. When he was thinking that at the same time Devrishi Narad came to his cottage and he explained to Maharishi Valmiki that you are feeling unnecessarily sad for this incident.
Then Devarshi Narad explained the reason behind this incident, then the sadness ended from his mind. Then after this Maharishi Valmiki expressed his desire to write the story of a person who has a great character and the society can learn from him. Then Devrishi Narad told him about the lord rama, at this time there is no great man greater than him in this world. You should describe the character of Lord Rama so that people get inspired by him.
Maharishi Valmiki said but I do not know all kinds of things about his life. At the same time Lord Brahma appears and gives a boon to Maharishi Valmiki that he will know all the events related to Lord Rama, the events related to his life which will happen in the future also he knows in advance with the blessings of Lord Brahma.
After this he composed Ramayana, one of the greatest epics of Hinduism. The Ramayana written by him is also often called Valmiki Ramayana.
Role of Maharishi Valmiki in Ramayana
Maharishi Valmiki is also one of the characters of Ramayana. His description is found in the Uttarakand of Ramayana. When Goddess Sita leaves the palace due to public condemnation, then she takes refuge in Maharishi Valmiki’s cottage. Luv and Kush, the two sons of Lord Rama, both of them are also born in the cottage of Maharishi Valmiki. Maharishi Valmiki makes both the boys his disciples and teaches them all kinds of education. Both Lav and Kush become proficient in all types of education at a very young age.
Then one day when the horse of Lord Ram Rajasuya Yagya goes for travel, then Luv and Kush take possession of that Yagya horse and then they have a war with the army of Ayodhya. He shows his bravery in that war, he had strong faith in his Guru Maharishi Valmiki and on the basis of that faith, he defeats the entire army of Ayodhya. When all the warriors are unable to face Luv and Kush, then Lord Ram himself goes to war. Maharishi Valmiki comes there and stops the war before both of them start the war.
He tells Lord Ram that both of them are his disciples and they should be forgiven for this mistake, then Lord Ram forgives them and says that it is a matter of great pride for Ayodhya to have such warriors in his kingdom. And both of them invite to come to their kingdom. Maharishi Valmiki is very happy with the bravery of both of them and says that both of you have increased the respect of the knowledge given by me.
Oath of Sita’s chastity: –
When the people of Ayodhya are divided into two parts, in which one side believes that Goddess Sita is completely pure and she should have been in the palace with Lord Rama, while the other side does not agree, then in the court of Lord Rama, Goddess Sita and Maharishi Valmiki both come there.
At that time, Maharishi Valmiki makes a declaration before the oath of Goddess Sita, in which he says that – “i Valmiki, the tenth son of Pracheta, declares that Goddess Sita is completely pure, she has only Lord Rama in her mind and no one else. If my declaration found wrong, then all the penance done by me will be destroyed.”
Everyone supports his announcement and Lord Ram also says that he knows that Goddess Sita is absolutely pure, he has love only for Lord Ram, but at this time he is the king of Ayodhya his primary job is to keep ayodhya’s people happy at any cost.
Maharishi Valmiki in Mahabharata
It is said that when the war of Mahabharata ended, Maharishi Valmiki came to meet Yudhishthira and advised him to worship Lord Shiva. Due to the death of Dronacharya in Mahabharata, he was accused of killing a Brahmin, for which Maharishi Valmiki asked him to worship Lord Shiva and told that once he too had committed the sin of killing a Brahmin, then by the penance of Lord Shiva, he absolved of sin.
Valmiki Jayanti in India
One of the most special things about Hinduism is that only God is not worshiped here. Here people also worship their gurus, great saints. Maharishi Valmiki is one of the great saints of Hindu religion and the Ramayana composed by him is going all over the world today and is also guiding many people. At some places he is also called the son of Lord Brahma. People who have faith in him worship him even today. In India, there is a national holiday on the day of Maharishi Valmiki Jayanti. According to the Hindu calendar, he was born on the full moon day of Ashwin, so his birth anniversary is celebrated every year on the full moon of Ashwin.