Raamayana - Bala Kaanda

Sarga 2

Having heard the sentences spoken by Naarada, expert in forming sentences, Vaalmiki along with his disciples, felicitated him. Accepting those felicitations, Naarada, the Rushi of Devathaas took leave and went on his way. After about an hour after the departure of the Rushi of the Devathaas, the Muni (Vaalmiki, Muni means the one who practices silence) went to the banks of the river Thamasa (The river Thames which flows in England derives its names from this river) close to the river Ganga. Arriving at Thamasa river along with his disciples and looking at the slush-free waters, the Muni spoke, thus, “Bharadwaaja, this water is free of slush and is pleasant like the mind of a good gentleman. Son, keep the water vessel and give me the bathing cloth. I will bathe in these waters. You too take bath in the waters of the Thamasa river.” As the Mahatma Vaalmiki spoke thus, Bharadwaaja gave the bathing cloth, as directed, to the guru. Receiving the cloth from the hands of his disciple, the one with controlled organs, considered the vista with happiness.

Then the lord saw a pair of Krouncha birds that are making love and making sweet sounds. At that moment, a Nishaadha (These are forest dwelling humans belonging to one of the lowest castes that live on hunting birds and eating them) with bad intentions to harvest meat, hit one of the pair with an arrow. That bird fell on the ground bleeding profusely and having seizures. Its wife started weeping woefully seeing the dying bird. Losing her husband and live-in mate having spasms with copper colored head (covered in blood), was sobbing profusely being unable to bear the separation. Seeing the felling of one of the birds by the Nishaadha, the Rushi adherent to Dharma, felt merciful in his heart. Being kindhearted, he felt that it is against Dharma to separate the couple (in Hinduism, it is a sin to separate mating couple be it animals or human beings).

Considering the weeping female bird, he uttered these words, “Oh Nishaadha, by killing one of the birds which are overtaken by passion and making love, you will lose your reputation permanently.”

After speaking thus being affected deeply by the miserable state of the Krouncha birds, he thought in his mind, thus, “What did I speak just now?” Contemplating on that for some time, the most capable one and the best of Munis spoke to his disciples thus, “It (what he spoke jut then) was having four lines of equal number of alphabets; it has a chain-like continuity; it was musical; it can be sung with sad tunes; it is no doubt a Sloka (It is a Samskrutha poem normally having two lines and four lines some of the times) conforming to Chandhas (Chandhas is the grammar for composing Slokaas in Samskrutha. There are more than 25 varieties of Chandas in Samskrutha).” The disciple has accepted the wonderful sentences spoken by the Muni. He received the Sloka and learnt it by heart. The guru is happy with him. Taking bath in the waters of that river in the specified manner he returned reminiscing the meaning of that Sloka. His disciple, Bharadwaaja who listened to that Sloka filled the water vessel and followed the guru.

Entering his Aashrama, he performed the daily Puja to the Gods. Then he sat comfortably and started meditating. Then Brahma himself, the creator of the world; the self-manifest; four-faced; and possessing great radiance came to look up the best of the Munis. Vaalmiki seeing him arrive was amazed and stood up; paid salutations and enquired about the wellbeing. He felicitated him by offering water for washing the feet, water for drinking and a seat for sitting and then paid salutations. Then the Muni worshipped him profusely. The God was seated on the offered seat and asked Vaalmiki also to sit. The Rushi sat on a smaller and shorter seat. The Brahmin even though he is sitting in front of the great Grandfather of the worlds, himself, he was still thinking of the Sloka, he was thinking of what happened, “That sinful fellow caused difficulty with an intention to catch the bird and killed the Krouncha bird without proper reason.” Thinking on those lines about the grief of the female bird with a kind heart, he was reminiscing that Sloka uttered by him again and again.

Then Brahma, smiling benevolently, told the best of the Munis, thus, “The Sloka recited by you was conforming to Chandhas. Don’t think in any other way. Oh Brahmin, it was according to my will that Saraswathi (wife of Brahma and is goddess of learning and knowledge) danced on your tongue. Oh the best of the Rushis, you have to put the entire history of Raama in Chandhas thus. Raama has the best qualities in the world and is capable. You have heard his history, narrated to you by Naarada. It remained secret. You have to unravel the secrecy and make that history public to the world. Stories of Raama, Lakshmana, the Raakshasaas, Vaidehi and all others, make it all public. Those parts that were not revealed to you will also be revealed to you. That narration will become the elephant of the epics. Put the pious story of Raama in beautiful Slokaas conforming to Chandhas.

As long as the earth with its mountains, and rivers, exists, the story of Raamayana will survive and would be praised by the worlds. As long as the Raamayana written by you survives, your fame and prestige will be spread across the worlds.”

Speaking thus, the God disappeared. Then Vaalmiki and his disciples were astounded. Then all his disciples sang that Sloka composed by Vaalmiki and liked it immensely and discussed it among themselves with happiness and amazement.

Vaalmiki has earlier uttered that Sloka that had four lines of equal number of letters being deeply affected by the incident. It became famous as his disciples recited it again and again. Then Vaalmiki determined thus, “I will put the history of Raamayana in such Slokaas and develop an epic.”

Then composing Slokaas with equal number of letters in each line, using generous words which bring pleasure to the mind; that bring to life the fame of Raama; in hundreds of Slokaas; the Muni has written the epic of Raamayana. There were Samaasaas (a sort of idioms and phrases); Sandhis (words joined together conforming to set rules of grammar to form single words), sentences that resemble aromatic flowers sweet in taste and full of meaning; the history of Raama was presented by the Muni which included the slaying of the ten headed nocturnal one.

Vaalmiki presented such Raamayana to the world.