8. The very beginning.

Note.: When I started writing Ramayanam, I had no intention of writing Valmiki Ramayanam.  I started to adhere to it from chapter 5.  Please see my Note in the beginning of that chapter.  In Valmiki Ramayanam, there are interesting stories, anecdotes and incidents prior to Chapter "1. The Beginning".  I am therefore, incorporating them now.  After covering all, I will continue the story after Chapter 7.
End Note.

कूजन्थं राम रमेथि मदुरं मद्सुरक्षरं|

आरूह्य कविथ शाखां वन्दे वाल्मीकि कोकिलम||

     Sage Valmiki was wondering whether there was a man, perfect in all respects like most virtuous and with perfect physique, a perfect son, brother, husband, friend etc. etc.
     Divine sage Narada arrived at the hermitage of Sage Valmiki in order to enlighten him and keep him informed of his duty to author the epic poem Ramayanam.
     The Divine Sage Narada is the brainchild of god Brahma 'brahma maanasa putra'.  His name has meanings like naara =knowledge; da= awarder; naarada= the rain cloud.  Any cloud rains on its own without any requisition from Mother Earth.  So Narada is 'naaram dadaati iti naarada' i.e. 'one who accords knowledge concerning the humans...' or, naaram dyati - khaNdati - iti naarada 'one who annihilates the ignorance...' or, 'one who accords knowledge about the Absolute, or Supreme Person.
     Sage Valmiki asked him about the perfect human despite the fact that he knew about Rama.  Sage Narada thought that he cannot tell Valmiki that Rama was God Vishnu because there were very numerous mythologies, puraaNa-s, that have already adored God Vishnu.  If Narada told him that Rama was so-and-so king, again Valmiki might not attempt to author about some king, however great that king might be.  As Valmiki wanted to know about a human being with godly attributes, and because many acts of Rama, like killing Vali, testing Seetha's chastity, deserting her at the end etc. were both conducive and contradictory puzzles. Narada, after giving the matter a very careful thought said "Oh! Sage Valmiki, the merits which you have extolled are many, and unattainable even for great emperors, let alone ordinary humans, and also infinite are they... but, about such a man with such merits I will speak on... for I, having known from Brahma of such a man, will make clear about that man..."  Sage Narada gave a gist of Ramayana to Sage-poet Valmiki.  That version of Ramayana is known as 'samkshepa raaamayana'.  It is also known as 'bala raamaayana'.
     I am not giving that here.
    On hearing that, Valmiki thanked very effusively Sage Narada.  Narada then left, feeling very confident that the Sage Valmiki would start authoring the epic Ramayana.
    After the departure of Narada, Valmiki, along with his disciples, went to the banks of the river Tamasa.  There he went near the water of the river.  Looking at the stream, Valmiki said to his disciple who was near to him, "Oh! Bharadwaja, Look, how clear is this water, like the mind of a good man!  I will bathe here today."  When he was looking for a suitable place to step into the stream, he saw a Crane (bird) couple mating.  Valmiki felt very pleased on seeing the happy birds.  Suddenly, hit by an arrow the male bird died on the spot.  Filled by sorrow its mate screamed in agony and died of shock.  Valmiki's heart melted at this pitiful sight.  He looked around to find out who had killed the bird.  He saw a hunter with a bow and arrows, nearby.  Valmiki became very angry.  His lips opened and he uttered the following words:
              मां निषाद प्रतिष्ठां त्वमगमः शाश्वतीः समाः।
              यत्क्रौंचमिथुनादेकम् अवधीः काममोहितम्॥'
    mā niṣāda pratiṣṭhāṁ tvamagamaḥ śāśvatīḥ samāḥ
    yat krauñchamithunādekam avadhīḥ kāmamohitam
    You will find no rest for the long years of Eternity
    For you killed a bird in love and unsuspecting.
     Emerging spontaneously from his rage and grief,  this was said to be the first śloka in Sanskrit literature.  Later Valmiki composed the entire Ramayana with the blessings of Lord Brahma in the same meter that issued forth from him as the śloka.  Thus this śloka is revered as the "first śloka" in Hindu literature.  Valmiki is revered as the first poet, or Adi Kavi, and the Ramayanam, the first kavya.
     It would be interesting to know that Sage Valmiki did not intent to be so harsh with the hunter; the words seemed to have come out of their own volition!  After saying the above sloka, the sage pondered for a while in his heart, 'annoyed by the anguish for that bird, what is it uttered by me...'.   He became cogitative of those lines uttered.  On thinking, he that eminently astute and intellectual sage made up his mind, spoke to his disciples  "This utterance of mine has emerged out of anguished annoyance, and it is well- arranged with letters metrically posited, tuneful and rhythmical to be sung with string instrument, and hence, this shall be a verse, not otherwise...".
     Valmiki and his disciples then finished their bathe and after the usual chores after bath returned to the hermitage of Valmiki.  He taught his disciples that day's teaching, but he himself was preoccupied in cogitation on the verse.  He then had a surprise visitor.  Lord Brahma himself came to see Valmiki!  Let us skip how Valmiki received Brahma and how Lord Brahma reacted.  Let us say that after the usual greetings and blessings etc. they got down to brass tacks.  Seated before Lord Brahma, Valmiki was remaining in a melancholic mood.  He could not help thinking again and again about the verse he uttered involuntarily.  Then, Brahma smilingly spoke to that eminent saint Valmiki, "But, what that is composed is a verse only... and there is no need to think through....
      "Oh, Brahman, that verse you uttered was at my wish only.  I desire that you render the legend of Rama, in its entirety... you shall narrate the legend of Rama, the virtuous, intellectual and an intrepid one, and a godlike person in this world as well, as you have heard it from sage Narada.
     "The adventures of valorous Rama along with Lakshmana, and the misadventures of demons, known or unknown in every detail, and even the plight of Vaidehi which is either revealed or un-revealed so far, and whatever legend that has happened, all that will also be known to you, even if it were to be unknown, as yet... you shall versify the heart pleasing and merit-yielding legend of Rama, and not a single word of yours will be unfounded in this epic...
     "As long as the mountains and even rivers flourish on the surface of the earth, so long the legend of Ramayana will flourish in this world... and as long as Rama's legend authored by you flourishes...till then you will flourish in heavenly, in netherworlds, and even in my abode, namely Abode of Brahma..."
     After saying the above, Brahma vanished.
     Then all the disciples of Valmiki sang this verse time and again very delightedly, and much astonished they also recited this verse, reciprocally.
     Equally lettered, four-footed is that verse when great Sage Valmiki articulated it, and when repetitively recited by one and all, it attained prominence as a verse proper.
      Sage Valmiki then decided to compose one of our great epics, Ramayana.
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