Page 19 - Ramayana - Eng
P. 19
5 ā a āṇ a
angry and cursed the hunter, saying, “O killer of
birds, as punishment for your heartless murder of
an innocent creature engaged in gratifying his mate,
may you never find peace of mind for endless years.”
However, no sooner was this curse uttered, than
Vālmīki felt a pang of shame for becoming a victim of
uncontrolled anger. Indeed, as an enlightened soul, he
knew that all living beings are acting helplessly under the
influence of material nature. Thus, he regretted retaliating
against the hunter. At the same time, Vālmīki was astonished
that the curse he uttered had come from his mouth in a
wonderfully poetic meter. Indeed, his curse seemed to
hint of the predominant emotional expression of the
Rāmāyaṇa, which he had been contemplating since his
meeting with Śrī Nārada.
This caused Vālmīki to remark to his disciple Bharadvāja,
“From my sorrow came a verse of four lines, each containing
eight syllables. From śoka (lamentation) has come a wonderful
śloka (verse), for without compassion, there is no possibility
of genuine poetic expression.”
Thereafter, Vālmīki bathed in the River Tamasa and
returned to his āśrama with Bharadvāja. While continuing
to meditate upon his curse of the hunter, he suddenly saw
Lord Brahmā descending from his abode, the topmost
planet within the universe. Overwhelmed with wonder and
jubilation, the speechless Vālmīki stood up to receive the
first-born being of the universe.
When Lord Brahmā appeared before him, Vālmīki
offered his respectful obeisances and worshipped Lord
Brahmā with great awe and reverence. Then, Lord Brahmā,