Chapter 21 - Birth of Vālmīki

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Śrutadeva said:

1-3. Along with the hunter Śaṅkha became surprised. He asked him, “Who may you be? Whence have you been in this plight? O gentle Sir, what is that holy rite whereby your mind has become auspiciously inclined? How did you get liberated so suddenly? Tell this in detail.”

On being asked thus by Śaṅkha, he fell on the ground like a staff; with palms joined in reverence and bowing down his head with humility, he spoke these words:

4-6. (The redeemed serpent said^[1]:) “Formerly I was a very talkative Brāhmaṇa in Prayāga. I was endowed with handsome features and prime of youth. I was very proud on account of my learning. I had abundant wealth and many sons. I had the defect of always behaving arrogantly. I was the son of Sage Kusīda, Rocana by name. These were my activities: Sitting quietly, lying down, sleeping, having sexual intercourse, gambling, gossiping and usury.

7. Being apprehensive of public censure, I used to perform hypocritically even the subtlest of traditional (religious) rites. But I never had any faith in them.

8-12. I, who was thus wicked and of perverted mind, passed a great deal of time. Once in the month of Vaiśākha, a Brāhmaṇa named Jayanta, expounded the holy rites enjoined for that month dear to the Lord.

Men and women among the meritorious Brāhmaṇas residing in that holy place, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas and thousands of Śūdras took bath early in the morning and worshipped the immutable Lord Madhusūdana. Thereafter, they used to listen to the story recounted by Jayanta. All of them were pure (in body and mind). They observed silence. They were interested in stories of Vāsudeva. They were devoutly engaged in the holy rites of Vaiśākha. They were devoid of hypocrisy and laziness. I entered that assembly out of curiosity and with a desire to see (what was going on there).

13-16. Wearing a turban, I did not bow down my head. I had betel-leaves still in my mouth. I did not take away the shirt that had been worn by me. Taking interest in gossip and rumour, I disturbed the (atmosphere of the) holy story. The mind of everyone became unsteady (and distracted) on account of the gossip.

Some time I stretched the clothes; some time I censured the people. I laughed loudly on some occasion. Thus the time was spent by me till the conclusion (of the discourse). Afterwards due to the same fault, I had a loss of memory immediately. I became short-lived. On the next day, I died as a result of the combined derangement of all the humours.

17-21. I fell into the hell Halāhala filled with molten lead and experienced the tortures therein for fourteen Manvantaras.

I was born in succession in all the eight million four hundred thousand species of living beings. Now I lived on this tree a hundred Yojanas high and ten Yojanas in girth. I lived here in a hollow seven Yojanas long, as a cruel serpent of Tāmasa nature. Oppressed by that early (sinful and indecent) action (of mine), I have been staying here in the form of a serpent thus. Ten thousand years have elapsed since I began to live in this hollow without getting any food. Fortunately, I heard through my pair of eyes (which happened to be my ears too) the nectarlike story that issued from your lotus-like mouth. Hence, O sage, all my inauspiciousness has been destroyed.

22. I have discarded my form of a serpent and have become a person of divine form. With palms joined in reverence I bow down to you. I take refuge in your feet.

23-26. In which birth you were my kinsman, I do not know, O excellent sage. No one has been helped by me (so far). How could I be sympathetic to good people?

Honourable and pious men are of impartial mind. They are always compassionate towards all living beings. They are by nature ready to help others. Their mind is not otherwise. Bless me now, so that my mind will be inclined towards Dharma. One should never forget Viṣṇu, the Discus-bearing Lord. Let there be constant association with great men of saintly conduct. Let there be poverty alone, to act as the greatest collyrium (to dispel) the blindness due to arrogance.”

27-29. Thus he eulogized him in various ways and bowed down to him again and again. With palms joined in reverence, he made obeisance to him and stood in front of him silently. Śaṅkha was completely overwhelmed with love. He lifted him up with both the hands and stroked his limbs with his highly auspicious hand, without any undue excitement. He blessed the Brāhmaṇa in divine form. With great kindness he spoke to him immediately, about the future events:

30. “O Brāhmaṇa, all your bondage has been destroyed immediately after listening to the greatness of the month as well as to that of Hari.

31. After wiping out the stigma, you will go back to the earth once again and be born again as an excellent Brāhmaṇa in the meritorious land of Daśārṇa.

32. You will be famous by the name Vedaśarmā. You will be an expert in all the Vedas. There you will have perfect and auspicious recollection of the previous births.

33. With the recollection of unbroken sequence (of events), you will become splendid. You will eschew all sorts of attachments to the mundane pleasures. You will perform all the holy rites laid down for the month of Vaiśākha which is so dear to Hari.

34. In that birth you will be free from the Dvandvas (mutually opposed pairs), devoid of desire, devoted to the preceptors, unattached to sensuous feelings and with all the sense-organs perfectly under control. You will be talking about the stories of Viṣṇu constantly.

35. Then you will attain Siddhi with all the bondages cut asunder. You will go to the greatest abode inaccessible even through Yogic practices.

36-38. Do not be afraid, dear son; with my favour you will secure welfare. If anyone utters at least once the sin-dispelling name of Viṣṇu for the sake of fun or out of fear, anger or hatred, with love, affection or great desire, even the greatest of sinners goes to the abode of Viṣṇu devoid of ailments. Then those who are endowed with faith and compassion, those who have subdued anger and the sense-organs will still certainly go there on hearing the story (of the Lord).

39. Even if they are devoid of all Dharmas, some attain the greatest region of Viṣṇu through devotion alone if they are engaged in talking about (or listening to) the story (of the Lord).

40. With a (feigned) devotion prompted by hatred etc., some attend upon and serve Viṣṇu. They too go to the greatest region like Pūtanā who destroyed (various) lives.

41. One should be constantly associated with great men and exchange words with them. It is an injunction laid down in the Vedas that this must be followed by those who are desirous of salvation.

42. This exchange of words causes destruction of the sins of common people. In the course of the utterance of the names of the infinite Lord during these exchanges of words, mistakes may happen in every verse. Still honourable and pious people hear, sing about and praise the names of the Lord associated with his fame.

43. (Defective Text) The Lord does not wish to give (his devotees) strain in the course of their service to himself; nor does he want them to waste their beauty and youth (?). On being remembered but once, he grants them his refulgent abode. Who will not seek refuge in one who is (so) merciful?

44. Seek refuge in the self-same Nārāyaṇa who is free from blames and defects, who is fond of his devotees, who (though) unmanifest can be realized through the mind and who is a storehouse of mercy.

45. Perform all these holy rites laid down for the month of Vaiśākha, O highly intelligent one. Delighted on account of it, the Lord of the universe will confer welfare upon you.”

46. After saying this, the sage stopped. The man in divine form glanced at the hunter with great surprise and spoke once again to the eminent sage:

The Divine Person said:

47-48. I am contented. I am blessed by you, the compassionate one, O Śaṅkha. Fortunately my evil birth has ceased to be. I have attained the greatest goal.

After saying this he circumambulated the sage. On being permitted by him, he went to heaven.

Then the evening set in. O king, Śaṅkha was duly propitiated by the hunter.

49-54. He performed the evening Sandhyā rites and passed the remaining part of the night recounting the anecdotes of various kings, Devas and (other) noble-souled ones, as well as the Lord’s graceful sports and discourses in the course of his (the Lord’s) incarnations.

(On the next day) he got up in the Brāhma Muhūrta (i.e. before dawn), washed his feet and silently meditated on Brahman that redeems everyone from worldly turmoil. He then performed all his daily round of excellent duties beginning with bodily cleanliness. When in Vaiśākha, the Sun was in Aries, he look his bath before sunrise. He performed Sandhyā prayers and other holy rites and offered libations to all (the Pitṛs). Thereafter, with great delight in his mind he called the hunter and sprinkled the holy water on his head. Then he imparted to him the two-syllabled name Rāma which is more splendid than and superior to the Devas. (Then he said:)

“Everyone of the names of Viṣṇu is considered to be superior to all the Vedas. Of all the innumerable names, the thousand names called Viṣṇu-Sahasranāma are very superior. The name Rāma is on a par with ṃose ṃousand names.

55-59. Hence, O hunter, repeat that name Rāma continuously. Perform all these holy rites till death, O hunter. Thereby you will be reborn in the family of sage Valmīka. You will attain fame on the earth by the name Vālmīki.”^[2]

Having instructed the hunter thus, he started towards the southern quarter. The hunter circumambulated him and bowed to him repeatedly. After following him for a short distance he halted there looking after him till he went out of (the range of) his sight. With pangs of separation, he began to cry. He returned with great difficulty, ṃinking about him alone in his heart.

He planted some trees and made a park on the way. A free-water booth was constructed free from all impurities. Then he performed all those very excellent holy rites laid down for the month of Vaiśākha.

60-63. With the fruits of wild wood-apples, jack-fruit, rose-apples and mangoes, he provided food for wayfarers who were overcome with fatigue. He removed the fatigue of the perspiring pedestrians by means of umbrellas and fans, footwears and sandal-pastes and cool shady places here and there spread with fine sand particles. He took his bath early in the morning and repeated the “Rāma” Mantra day and night. The hunter was reborn as the son of Valmīka.

64-68. There was a certain sage named Kṛṇu. He performed a very severe penance on the banks of that lake without any external movement. As great deal of time elapsed, an anthill covered his body. So they began to call him Valmīka when he ceased to perform the penance. When Kṛṇu began to recollect worldly affairs, the sage began to think about women, O king. Then he had a seminal discharge. A female dancer grasped it and the hunter was reborn of her. He became well-known in all the worlds as Vālmīki. It was he who made the story of Rāma popular in the world by means of his charming verses. The divine story of Rāma that dispelled the bondage of Karmas was thus popularized by him through his composition.

69. See, O king, the greatness of Vaiśākha that yields prosperity even today. Even a hunter attained the rare status of a sage by making the gift of footwears.

70. He who listens to or recounts this great narrative that makes hair stand on end (as a Sāttvika Bhāva) and that dispels sins shall not suck the breasts any more (i.e. will attain liberation).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The story of redemption of Rocana from the serpent-species by simply hearing the Vaiśākha Vratas is meant for the glorification of the Vaiśākha Vratas.

[2]:

Our text gives a different version of the birth of Vālmīki. According to the current version, a Vyādha, robber of forest travellers, repents for his evil deeds when asked by Nārada to enquire if the members of his family would share his sins and met with their refusal to do so. The Vyādha requests Nārada to redeem him. Nārada gave him ‘Rāma’ mantra. The Vyādha was so engrossed in meditation on Rāma that an anthill grew around him. Hence he became known as Vālmīki (Valmīka: an anthill). He became famous as the author of Rāmāyaṇa. Our text makes the Vyādha to take birth from sage Valmīka, an epithet of sage Kṛṇu whose body was covered with an anthill. The son of Kṛṇu alias Valmīka became known as Vālmīki, the famous author of Rāmāyaṇa. The credit of all this is given to the efficacy of Vaiśākha Vratas (v 69).