Valmiki Jayanti

         I would love to write my today's blogpost on the harbinger-poet Valmiki on the occasion of Valmiki Jayanti.Read this blogpost and you will learn a lot.

       Valmiki is celebrated as the Harbinger-poet in Sanskrit literature.He is the author of epic Ramayana,based on the attribution in the text of epic itself.Valmiki is revered as the 'Adi Kavi',which translates to 'First Poet',for he invented sloka,which set the base and defined the form in Sanskrit poetry.

      The First Sloka:

Valmiki was going to the river Ganges for his daily ablutions.A disciple by the name Bharadvaja was carrying his clothes.On the way,they came across the Tamasa stream.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 a crane couple 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 shot the bird.He saw a Hunter with a Bow and arrows.Valmiki became very angry.His lips opened and he cried out : 

मां निषाद प्रतिष्ठां त्वमगमः शाश्वतीः समाः। यत्क्रौंचमिथुनादेकम् अवधीः काममोहितम्॥'

mā niṣāda pratiṣṭhāṁ tvamagamaḥ śāśvatīḥ samāḥ

yat krauñcamithunādekam avadhīḥ kāmamohitam.

It means: 

You will find no rest in the long years of Eternity

For you killed a bird in love and unsuspecting.

Emerging spontaneously from Valmiki's rage and grief,this was the first sloka in Sanskrit literature.Later Valmiki muni composed the entire Ramayana with the blessings of Lord Brahma.Thus this sloka is revered as "First sloka" in Hindu literature.

His first disciples to whom he taught Ramayana were Kusa and Lava,the sons of Sri Rama.

Hope this was very interesting and informative.

Thank you for reading.

Vishwesh Wali from India.