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Vaalmeeki Jee

Vaalmeeki Jee is called Aadi Kavi (Poet of Poets, or the first poet). He has written Raamaayan in Sanskrit language describing Shree Raam's life. It is the very first story written in poetry that is why it is called Aadi Kaavya (the earliest poetry). Vaalmeeki was not his real name. His parents gave him the name Ratnaakar. By profession he was a highway robber, but how did he become a Rishi and a poet-singer, and how he became Vaalmeeki, it is an interesting story. 

There was a Rishi named Prachetaa who lived on the bank of Gangaa River. He had a boy named Ratnaakar. One day Ratnaakar went to play in the forest and lost his way there. He started crying that a hunter came looking for a prey. He found a crying boy, he fondled with him, pacified him, and took him with him, as he did not have any child. Ratnaakar's parents looked for him everywhere for some time, but when they did not find him anywhere, they thought that the boy had been the prey of some wild animal. They cried very much for him but couldn't do anything.

Ratnaakar forgot his parents soon and considered hunter and his wife as his parents. He learned hunting also. When he grew up he was married to a girl from a hunter's family. They had several children. As his family grew, he could not find preying enough for their living, so he started robbing people.

Vaalmeeki and Naarad Jee
One day Naarad Jee was passing by playing his Veenaa (an Indian musical string instrument) and singing Bhagavaan's praise, that Ratnaakar came and asked for whatever he had, otherwise he would break his head. Naarad Jee was not an ordinary man. He wanders around three Lok. He said, "All I have this Veenaa and these rags on my body. If you want to take them, take them, why to break my head for such small things." 

Ratnaakar was astonished to hear these words, because Naarad Jee was neither angry nor frightened. Besides, nobody else had said such words before. He just continued to look at his innocent fearless face. Naarad Jee sat under that tree and started playing his Veenaa and sing Bhagavaan's praise. Naarad Jee asked him that why did he do such bad Karm like killing animals and robbery. Ratnaakar said, "I have my old parents and a large family. I have to provide them food and clothing, these are the only jobs I know about. What else I can do." Naarad Jee said, "These are sins. Go and ask your family members if they will share your sins too. Go and bring back their reply, I am sitting here."

Ratnaakar hesitated, Naarad Jee understood, he said, "If you don't trust me, tie me with this tree." Ratnaakar tied him with that tree and went to his house. He asked that question with everybody in his house, they all said, "Why we will share your sins, that is your duty to feed us." His eyes opened, he came back running and untied Naarad Jee weeping. He told him everything and asked, "Now what? How I will get free from all these sins. You tell me, you are my savior." Naarad Jee said, "Do not worry. You sit here under this tree and say this word "Raam" continuously. Do not go from here till I come back." But Ratnaakar could not pronounce "Raam", then Naarad Jee asked him to Jap "Maraa, Maraa" (which becomes Raam on saying it repeatedly - Maraa Maraa Maraa). So Ratnaakar sat there and started his Jaap. He got so much joy in it that he forgot everything - food, water, sleep.

In this way a few years passed. An anthill grew around Ratnaakar's body. At last one day Naarad Jee came here again and removed that ant-hill carefully. He was still in deep meditation. When Naarad Jee pronounced "Raam" in his ears, he woke up. Naarad Jee touched his whole body and he felt as healthy as before when he sat there for the first time. Naarad Jee said, "Bhagavaan is very pleased with your Tap. Now you are "Brahmarshi" - Rishi of the highest status. Since you have come out of a Valmeeki (an anthill), you will be famous as Vaalmeeki. Vaalmeeki Jee built his Aashram at the bank of Gangaa River and lived there.

Vaalmeeki Wrote Raamaayan
One day Naarad Jee came again to visit him. He asked Naarad Jee, "You wander in Tri-Lok, tell me who is the most virtuous person in Tri-Lok." Then Naard Jee told the name of "Raam" and told His story to him. He was very happy to hear that story. Naarad Jee blessed him and left. One day Vaalmeeki Jee went to take bath in Gangaa River, his disciple Bharadwaaj was also with him. They came to Tamasaa stream. Its water was very clear, so he decided to take bath there. There was a Kraunch bird couple sitting on a tree and chirping joyfully. Suddenly the male bird fell down in the river stricken by an arrow. His heart moved seeing this, he looked around and found a hunter with a bow. He gave Shaap to him, "You have killed one of a happy couple, you will not live long." This was the first poetry  came out of his mouth. Naarad Jee named it Shlok (a couplet in Sanskrit language) as it came out of Shok (grief) in this world (Lok), it was called Shlok. 

Vaalmeeki Jee himself was surprised that how this Shlok came out of his mouth. He all the time thought about the Kraunch bird and this Shlok. He was sitting in his Aashram that Brahmaa Jee appeared before him and said, "I inspired this Shlok to come out of your mouth. Now you will write Raamaayan in this type of poetry. Naarad Jee has already told you the story, and whatever you don't know you will be able to see that also from your own inner eyes. Whatever you will write it will be true, and people will read it until these mountains and rivers exist in this world." And Brahmaa Jee went away. Then Vaalmeeki Jee wrote Raamaayan. It has 24,000 Shlok divided in 500 Sarg and 500 Sarg are divided in seven Kaand. He taught Raamaayan to Lav and Kush, Shree Raam's sons, when Raam had exiled Seetaa and she gave birth to Lav and Kush - two sons. Later they went to recite it in Shree Raam's court when He was doing Ashwamedh Yagya.

When Raam, Lakshman and Seetaa were wandering in exile, they came to Vaalmeeki Aashram too and asked for a good place to stay for some time. He suggested them to stay in Chitrakoot and they stayed there for a while. He is the one who gave shelter to pregnant Seetaa Jee when Raam had exiled her on a laundryman's bad comments. And he was the one who brought up Seetaa Jee's two sons Lav and Kush and sent them to Raam's court to tell Seetaa's story.