Write Ramayanam in detail.. Brahma Tells Valmiki.. 1

Write Ramayanam in detail.. Brahma Tells Valmiki.. 1

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आजगाम ततो ब्रह्मा लोककर्ता स्वयं प्रभुः।

चतुर्मुखो महातेजा द्रष्टुम् तम् मुनिपुङ्गवं॥२३

Valmiki had composed the slokam Maanishaada .. the first ever metrical composition in Sanskrit literature, after witnessing the misery of a female Krauncha birds whose mate was shot down by a hunter. The historical moment for the composition of the Story of Ramayanam had arrived.

At this juncture, the primordial Lord Brahmadeva,

the creator of the whole world, the Lord with four faces

(the four faces represented the four Vedas too),

the lord who shone forth in divine splendour,

Himself came down to the abode of Valmiki with great desire to meet the foremost among the sages

( Lord Brahma had learnt about the greatness of this Sage from Narada.

One commentator says that Brahma, who was capable of creating everything even without looking at the face of anyone was impressed by the news of the curse Valmiki administered on the hunter who shot down the Krauncha bird and therefore came to visit Valmiki. .

Govindaraja the commentator says that Brahmadeva the creator of the whole was capable of spreading Ramayanam all by himself even without moving from his own seat in Satyaloka, but was awestuck by the Crauncha bird episode and was so happy with Sage Valmiki that he came down to visit the Sage in person..

The personal Visit by Brahma underlines the greatness of Valmiki..

वाल्मीकिरथ तं दृष्ट्वा सहसोत्थाय वाग्यतः।

प्राञ्जलिः प्रणतो भूत्वा तस्थौ परमविस्मितः॥२४

When Sage Valmiki Saw the Lord Brahmadeva Himself coming on a visit to his abode was virtually dumbfolded, and finding no words to welcome the Lord, raised up in reverence with folded hands and prostrations and stood beside up great awe.

पूजयामास तं देवं पाद्यार्घ्यासनवन्दनैः।

प्रणम्य विधिवच्चैनं पृष्ट्वानामयमव्ययम्॥२५

Sage Valmiki offered respectful oblations to Brahmadeva.. offering water and making arrangement for washing the Lords feet, offering proper seat and respects due to such great dignitary, prostrated before the Lord and with great respect enquired the Lord about His welfare and happiness( as it is obligatory for a host to make such formal enquiries to the revered guest)

अथोपविश्य भगवानासने परमार्च्चिते।

वाल्मीकये महर्षये संदिदेशासनं ततः॥ २६

The revered Deity Brahmadeva seated Himself on the most exalted seat offered to him and gestured to the Sage Valmiki too to be seated.

ब्रह्मणा समनुज्ञातः सोऽप्युपाविशदासने॥२७

As directed by the Lord Brahma, Valmiki also sat down on a proper seat ( Govindaraja says on a seat placed at a lower height)

उपविष्टे तदा तस्मिन् साक्षाल्लोकपितामहे।

तद्गतनैव मनसा वाल्मीकिर्द्ध्यानमस्थितः॥२८

While the Father of the whole world was seated and the sage has to be seated in his presence in reverence to the directions of the Lord, Valmiki was mentally on his toes as his mind was stuck on the contemplation of the Story of Rama and also the Sloka starting with Ma nishada.. as uttered by him.. ( One way he was unhappy that he made a curse, but he had no doubts about the fact that the hunter deserved such curse, and simultaneously the tone and wording of the new verse was reverberating in his mind .. its cadence and novelty )

पापात्मना कृतं कष्टम् वैरग्रहणबुद्धिना।

यस्तादृशम् चारुरवम् क्रौञ्चं हन्यादकारणात्॥२९

That sinner the hunter whose mind is clouded by evil and revenge did great wrong by killing that Krauncha bird such a sweet and soft voice, and such killing was without any proper reason or justification. How can anyone commit such a sin? This thought saddened the sage.

शोचन्नेव मुहुः क्रौञ्चीमुपश्लोकमिमं पुनः।

जगावन्तर्ग्गतमनाः भूत्वा शोकपरायणः॥३०

Ovecome by sympathy for the female Krauncha bird who was wailing at the death of her lovely mate, and remembering that incident in his own mind, the sage became very sad and the sloka Maa nishaada, uttered by him earlier was just coming back to his mind over and over again.

तमुवाच ततो ब्रह्मा प्रहसन् मुनिपुङ्गवम्।

श्लोक एव त्वया बद्धो नात्र कार्या विचारणा॥३१

Taking note of this Lord Brahmadeva reassured the Sage with a sweet smile.. The Sloka composed by you is really great, and you need not have any worries or anxieties about its greatness and propriety..

मच्छन्दादेव ते ब्रह्मन् प्रवृत्तेयम् सरस्वती।

रामस्य चरितं सर्वं कुरु त्वमृषिसत्तम॥३२

The words have originated in your mind just as prompted by me ( Alternately, the meaning can be taken that Saraswathi, prompted by her Lord Brahma has prompted the Sage to utter that great Sloka.. Maa nishaada)

So now you, the best among sages, should proceed to describe the story of Rama in its entirety, in the same manne.

धर्मात्मनो गुणवतो लोके रामस्य धीमतः।

वृत्तं कथय धीरस्य यथा ते नारदाच्छ्रुतम्॥३३

Oh Sage, you may proceed to describe the glories of Rama, who is the greatest in this worlds as the embodiment of virtue, as a man of character, as a brilliant and valiant peron.. You tell the story of Rama on the same lines that Sage Narada imparted it to you..