‘Story of Valmiki’
Long before, a brigand in the forest,
Had a family in its caves, deep inside
He robbed the lonely travelers at his best
And brought all that they needed in the hide
Once he saw the sage ‘Naradha’
Stopped him there to steal him on his way
The sage reprimanded the scoundrel
Said it’s a sin that leaves the blame to stay
‘When I do it to feed my family
Where I have a wife and children three
How is it wrong?’ asked the robber
Of the woods among the jungle trees
“My parents are old and my people know nothing
There are the sick and infants, in my forest community
Is it not my duty to provide them with their needs?
So tell me oh! The learned, what’s the shame you see?”
‘The curse of all the losers were not upon those gained
Their trembling fear and their tears are the curses upon the fiend
The shame is in the intent and the shame is in the act
Ye the ignorant one, go and find yourself the fact
Ask all your people if they would take a share
In the consequences of the sin that you willfully dare”
The bandit went to his people to find himself alone
None could share the sin they said in shock he stood like a stone
As he brought about the richest loot they thanked and asked for more
They told him that they loved him, they asked for more and more
All the loot of the brigand they shared for all their needs
No one to stand beside him no one to share his deeds
Not one to share the evil consequences of his sin
Not one to pity him, not even his kith and kin
He went back to the sage and found him waiting there
As per the promise to the bandit the truth the sage could bare
Amazed to see him wait, surprised that he didn’t cheat
The brigand ran to ‘Narada’ and fell straight at his feet
“No rabbit waits for wolves nor does the deer wait for beasts
You could wait for me, but only you should set me free
Oh the learned sage please free me from this guilt
I look for redemption from all the sins I built”
‘Not to worry son’ said the sage politely
‘The truth that you could see would change you totally
May you get a glimpse of a spiritual ecstasy
May you be bestowed with the boon of literacy
Here you are today in a day from yesterday
Soon you would intuit the story that you must say
The story of Rama would unfold, in you day after day
May you write the chronicle and forever it would stay
I pray for your focus on the name, the mantra ‘Rama’
Say Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama
A moment in your mind would have a lot to say
Till then say Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama’
As the bandit chanted Rama Rama Rama Rama
Deep in meditation, his mind churned the name ‘Rama’
From within his silence, he could hear the sound Rama
From all the sounds all around he could hear Rama Rama
Several days, several weeks and months and on and on
He took to this penance till the ants made a hill upon
His body in the anthill, the mind was with the soul
The mystic sound of Rama brought the story as he told
He jumped out of the cover to write down the chronicle
Hence was called ‘Valmiki’ – ‘The Sage from ant hill’
Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Ram
Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Ram
From Sri Ramayana in a Poetry style written by Srirangam Ramesh
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