About Valmiki
Maharishi (the great
sage) claims the
distinction of being the
author of the holy epic
'Ramayana', consisting
of 24,000 verses. He is
also believed to be the
author of Yoga
Vasistha, a text that
elaborates on a range
of philosophical issues.
Written approximately
500 years ago, it was
taught to Lord Rama
when He lost all the
hopes in life. Read on
this biography to know
more about Maharishi
Valmiki and his life
history.
Early Life
Maharishi Valmiki was
born as Ratnakara to
sage Prachetasa. At a
very young age,
Ratnakara went into
the forest and got lost.
A hunter, who was
passing by, saw
Ratnakara and took him
under his own care.
Under the love and care
of his foster parents,
Ratnakara forgot his
original parents. Under
his father's guidance,
Ratnakara turned out
to be an excellent
hunter. As he
approached
marriageable age,
Ratnakara was married
to a beautiful girl from
hunter's family.
Turning into a Robber
As his family grew
larger, Ratnakara found
it next to impossible to
feed them. As a result,
he took to robbery and
began looting people
passing from one
village to another.
Meeting with Narada
and Transformation
One day, the great sage
Narada, while passing
through the jungle, was
attacked by Ratnakara.
As Narada played his
Veena and sang praises
of the Lord, he saw a
transformation coming
over Ratnakara. Then,
he asked Ratnakara
whether the family, for
whom he was robbing
others, will partake in
his sins also. Ratnakara
went to ask the same
question to his family
and on being refused by
all his family members,
he went back to sage
Narada. Narada taught
him the sacred name
of 'Rama' and asked
him to sit in meditation,
chanting the name of
Rama, till the time
Narada came back.
Ratnakara followed the
instructions and kept
sitting in a meditative
posture for years,
during which his body
got completely covered
by an anthill. At last,
Narada came to see
him and removed all the
anthills from his body.
Then, he told Ratnakara
that his tapasya
(meditation) paid off
and the God was
pleased with him.
Ratnakara was
bestowed with the
honor of a Brahmarshi
and given the name of
Valmiki, since he was
reborn from the
Valmika (the ant-hill).
Sage Valmiki founded
his ashram at the
banks of River Ganga.
Receiving Lord Rama
One day, Valmiki had the
fortuity of receiving
Lord Rama, His wife Sita
and brother Lakshman
at his ashram. On
Valmiki's suggestion,
Lord Rama built his hut
on Chitrakuta hill, near
the ashram.
Writing Ramayana
Narada visited
Maharishi Valmiki in his
ashram once and
there, he narrated the
story of Lord Rama.
Thereafter he received
a vision from Brahma in
which the Lord
instructed him to write
Ramayana in slokas,
which the sage readily
followed.
Maharishi (the great
sage) claims the
distinction of being the
author of the holy epic
'Ramayana', consisting
of 24,000 verses. He is
also believed to be the
author of Yoga
Vasistha, a text that
elaborates on a range
of philosophical issues.
Written approximately
500 years ago, it was
taught to Lord Rama
when He lost all the
hopes in life. Read on
this biography to know
more about Maharishi
Valmiki and his life
history.
Early Life
Maharishi Valmiki was
born as Ratnakara to
sage Prachetasa. At a
very young age,
Ratnakara went into
the forest and got lost.
A hunter, who was
passing by, saw
Ratnakara and took him
under his own care.
Under the love and care
of his foster parents,
Ratnakara forgot his
original parents. Under
his father's guidance,
Ratnakara turned out
to be an excellent
hunter. As he
approached
marriageable age,
Ratnakara was married
to a beautiful girl from
hunter's family.
Turning into a Robber
As his family grew
larger, Ratnakara found
it next to impossible to
feed them. As a result,
he took to robbery and
began looting people
passing from one
village to another.
Meeting with Narada
and Transformation
One day, the great sage
Narada, while passing
through the jungle, was
attacked by Ratnakara.
As Narada played his
Veena and sang praises
of the Lord, he saw a
transformation coming
over Ratnakara. Then,
he asked Ratnakara
whether the family, for
whom he was robbing
others, will partake in
his sins also. Ratnakara
went to ask the same
question to his family
and on being refused by
all his family members,
he went back to sage
Narada. Narada taught
him the sacred name
of 'Rama' and asked
him to sit in meditation,
chanting the name of
Rama, till the time
Narada came back.
Ratnakara followed the
instructions and kept
sitting in a meditative
posture for years,
during which his body
got completely covered
by an anthill. At last,
Narada came to see
him and removed all the
anthills from his body.
Then, he told Ratnakara
that his tapasya
(meditation) paid off
and the God was
pleased with him.
Ratnakara was
bestowed with the
honor of a Brahmarshi
and given the name of
Valmiki, since he was
reborn from the
Valmika (the ant-hill).
Sage Valmiki founded
his ashram at the
banks of River Ganga.
Receiving Lord Rama
One day, Valmiki had the
fortuity of receiving
Lord Rama, His wife Sita
and brother Lakshman
at his ashram. On
Valmiki's suggestion,
Lord Rama built his hut
on Chitrakuta hill, near
the ashram.
Writing Ramayana
Narada visited
Maharishi Valmiki in his
ashram once and
there, he narrated the
story of Lord Rama.
Thereafter he received
a vision from Brahma in
which the Lord
instructed him to write
Ramayana in slokas,
which the sage readily
followed.
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