Who is Valmiki?


Valmiki or Valmiki Maharshi is known to be the First poet in Sanskrit language. Hence called as Adi Kavi Valmiki ( Adi means "First" Kavi means "Poet"). Ramayana,The great epic of Hindu's,is written by Valmiki Maharshi.Valmiki Story is about how he got that name Valmiki which means an Ant Hill in Sankskrit and how he became a poet and many more intresting events of his life.

Valmiki's birth name was Agni Sharma.He was the son of a Brahmin couple named Sumathi and Kaushiki. He was not well educated so he used to beg to feed his family. As the days were passing, there was famine in that kingdom and no one was giving charity to anyone. It became tough for Agni Sharma to take care of his parents, wife and children in that situation. He had no place to live and had left to the forest with his family and survives by having fruits and honey found there. 




As he was not properly educated, he befriended the thieves there and started robbing from others . He even started to hurt people on his way for money. One day a group of saints were going along his way. On seeing them,  Agni Sharma pulled his knife and pointing at their necks he said "Give me all that you have otherwise I will not let you go". Sage Athri was one among those saints. He has plenty of knowledge and wisdom. He is a great Maharshi and knows all the Vedas. 


Sage Athri 


 "Ok, we will give you all that we have, but before that please let us know the reason for committing these thefts" said Athri Maharshi. Agni Sharma said "I have to take care of my wife and my parents who believed in me. I don't know any other means to earn". Athri Maharshi said "If that is the case, ask any of your family members to share the sin you have incurred due to these thefts you have committed so far". 

Agni Sharma left immediately to his home to find out the same and all his family said "It is your duty to feed us. You bring and we experience. Only you are responsible for your deeds. We are not concerned about how you bring and we don't take any share of your sins or sufferings". Disappointed and distressed Agni Sharma, approached the sage again and asked him to tell me the way to get rid of his sins. Maharshi Athri said to meditate and left. 






After 13 years, the sages were returning on the same road and  they saw a big mound there. Athri Maharshi went deeper to find what is in the mound and found that there was Agni  Sharma, absorbed in meditation. He was in an unknown state even if mounds (Valmikam in Sanskrit) are tied on him.

Sage Athri called him Valmiki and asked him to come out. This became his masculine name thereafter. The sages asked him to go in the north direction and meditate on God.  After years of meditation he had got immense wisdom and he became a great Sage and renowned as Sage Valmiki. Sage Valmiki went to a place called Kushashthali and worshiped Lord Shiva. Then Lord Brahma gave him the fortune to write Vishnu Katha. Thus he got the grace of the Supreme God. Also see King Dasaratha Story