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,
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