The Origin of the Ramayana
Balakanda - Sarga 2
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Balakanda - Sarga 2
Valmiki, a wise and righteous sage skilled in poetry, listened to Narada's words. He and his students honored Narada. After being properly welcomed, Narada bid farewell and returned to the heavens.
Soon after Narada left, Valmiki went to the nearby Tamasa River. Seeing its clear waters, he told his student Bharadwaja:
"Look at this beautiful, pure water. It's as clear as a good person's mind. I'll take a bath here. Please give me my bark clothes and put down the water jug."
Bharadwaja did as he was told. Valmiki, always in control of his senses, put on his bark garment and walked around, admiring the vast forest.
As Valmiki explored, he saw a pair of krauncha birds (a type of heron) singing sweetly. They were deeply in love and inseparable. Suddenly, a hunter killed the male bird right in front of Valmiki.
The female bird, seeing her mate fall to the ground covered in blood, cried out in anguish. She was heartbroken to lose her constant companion, her partner with the copper-colored head who had been intoxicated with love for her.
Seeing the bird struck down, the righteous Valmiki felt great compassion. Moved by the female bird's sorrow, he spoke these words:
"O hunter, may you never find peace for endless years, for you have killed one of this krauncha pair while they were lost in love."
After speaking, Valmiki wondered about what he had just said. He realized he had created a verse with four lines, each with the same number of syllables. It was set to a rhythm that could be sung with stringed instruments. He decided this form of verse should be called a 'sloka'.
Valmiki's student was delighted by this excellent verse and memorized it. This pleased Valmiki. After bathing in the holy spot as prescribed, Valmiki returned to his hermitage, still deep in thought about what had happened.
His humble and learned disciple, Bharadwaja, followed behind carrying the water pitcher. Back at the hermitage, Valmiki sat in meditation, composing more verses.
Suddenly, the four-faced Brahma, the radiant creator of the world, came to see Valmiki, the best among sages. Valmiki was amazed to see him. He quickly stood up, folded his hands respectfully, and remained silent.
Valmiki welcomed Brahma with traditional offerings: water for washing his feet, a respected seat, and other courtesies. After Brahma sat down, he gestured for Valmiki to sit as well.
Even with the grandfather of all worlds present, Valmiki's mind was still focused on the tragic event he had witnessed.
Valmiki thought to himself: "That sinful hunter, filled with cruel intentions, killed the sweet-voiced krauncha bird for no reason. What a terrible act!"
Overcome with sorrow, Valmiki kept thinking about the female krauncha bird. Lost in his thoughts, he repeated the verse he had composed earlier.
Brahma smiled and said to Valmiki:
"You have indeed composed a sloka (verse). Don't doubt it. This poetic ability has come to you by my will. Now, great sage, compose the entire story of Rama.
Tell the tale of the virtuous, wise, and steadfast Rama, just as you heard it from Narada. You will come to know all the public and private events in the lives of Rama, Lakshmana, Sita, and the rakshasas (demons), even those unknown to others."
Brahma continued:
"Not a single word in your poem will be untrue. Compose this sacred and delightful story of Rama in slokas.
As long as mountains and rivers exist on Earth, the story of the Ramayana will be known among people. As long as your Ramayana is remembered, you will live in the upper worlds, the lower worlds, and in my realm (Brahmaloka)."
After saying this, Brahma vanished. Valmiki and his disciples were astonished. The disciples, filled with joy, kept repeating the sloka Valmiki had composed. They were amazed and talked about it often.
The verse, with its four parts each having an equal number of syllables, became famous through repeated recitation. It gained admiration from listeners and became known as a 'sloka'.
Valmiki, who could turn his thoughts into reality, decided: "I will compose the entire Ramayana epic in this meter."
The renowned and wise sage then created a poem celebrating the famous Rama. It contained hundreds of charming verses, each with an equal number of syllables, using excellent words full of meaning and set to a pleasing rhythm.
"Listen to this story of the noble Rama and the slaying of the ten-headed Ravana, composed by the sage. It's filled with carefully crafted compound words, pleasing combinations of sounds, and sentences made of clear, sweet, and meaningful phrases."
This concludes the second chapter (sarga) of Balakanda, the first book of the Ramayana, the great epic composed by the sage Valmiki.