A sage with a past!

The sun rose up, brightening yet another day

Untired of his role, in this endless play

Lord Rama worshipped him offering water

Which He did thrice a day, without falter

The divine three then approached, the sage

Who looked much younger, for his age

For the hospitality shown, they expressed their gratitude

And asked him about some place, to reside in solitude

In letting them go, the sage was reluctant

For his admiration for The Three was so abundant

He tried to persuade them in staying along

But Lord Rama felt, city from there was not very long

With the city so close people may often come

And to the sage that could become bothersome

This reason to the sage Lord Rama explained

The desire to keep them with him, the sage contained

The sage appreciated the thought and wished them well

About a place called Chitrakut, they heard him tell

He described the way for them to pursue

And then with a smile, he bid them adieu

Lord Rama, Mother Sita and Lakshman were now walking

About sage Bharadhvaja’s wisdom and love, they were talking

From the confluence of rivers, along Yamuna, they proceeded east

The sight of the river upstream to the eyes was a feast

They crossed the river at one point building a raft

Which, Lakshman had built with utmost craft

They then walked through a bamboo thicket

It’s soft ground and music to them was a welcome ticket

They then came across a banyan tree, Shyama by name

Which, with its majesty, was putting all other trees to shame

Mother Sita circumambulated the tree in the clock wise direction

This worship she did as per sage Bharadhvaja’s direction

They then proceeded further and saw another sage’s place

Seeing the ashram’s location they admired nature’s ways

They entered the ashram eager to meet its owner

Who welcomed them, considering it, to be his honour

The sage gave them seats and offered them water

And some fruits, roots and honey in a wooden platter

He then enquired after their well-being and appreciated their life

And then with a little regret he started to talk about his life

“My life is not as worthy as yours’

For the wounds I caused, there is no medicine that cures

Even to see you I know not, if I have any merit

For I have wasted my youth as a cruel culprit

Unlike you, in a family of thieves I was born

To expect any ethics from them was lorn

Grown up by them, I started at an early age

As a highwayman and thief, to earn my wage

When people came through the forest, their throats I gripped

Their possessions off them, by intimidation I stripped

When they failed to submit, without hesitation I killed

In my black heart, only arrogance and cruelty were filled”

The sage said this with pain in his eyes

Regret was evident about his pastime vice

Opening his heart before the Lord, made him light

He continued to narrate his story with a renewed insight

“I had no regret or remorse for my act

I was proud of my wealth, to say in fact

I loved my parents, wife and children more than my life

To keep them happy and wealthy I used my sinful knife

Days went by like passing clouds

On my vision, casting a shadow that shrouds

Then came in my life a very revealing day

That passed through my dark mind, wisdom’s ray

On the fateful day I was waiting for my prey

While an effulgent man came my way

With a voice very sweet, I heard him sing

Enrapturing music he made, plucking his veena’s string

I forgot myself lost in the delight of my senses

Gone was he, before I came back to my senses

Shocked was I, as I realised I let go of my catch

Hurriedly I traced my steps, through the bamboo patch

I saw him walking a furlong ahead, as if he was in leisure

I caught up with him in minutes and held him in my seizure

He was not, but I was in shock

As, with a cool smile, he started to talk!

“Why are you so tensed, my dear friend

Is there any service for you, I can lend?

You seemed to have run for very long

May I know, what went wrong?”

Little was he affected by my horrible looks

He spoke words of class, as if from grammar books

Numerous people, all my life, I had seen

Only two kinds, they have always been

The ones who give all, in fearful submission

Or the ones who fight and die, in angry aggression

But this man was different, with no fear or anger

This man to me was truly a stranger!

For the first time in life I admired a person

For me to be in awe, he gave enough reason

Anyway driven by my usual nature

I stared with angry eyes at his stature

“Nothing has gone wrong, my dear friend

Just that you may be at your end

Only if you can give me all your wealth

I can consider, not giving you a painful death”

The man in my hold was not in shock

But his reaction to my wit was a lock

For he answered to my question in affirmation

It was difficult for me to conceal my admiration

“Ofcourse, I can share my wealth without trouble

As the nature of my wealth, when shared, is to double

But before that may I know why

You threaten people, making their throats go dry”

Out of my control I answered the man

Justifying myself with reasons I can

“I have parents who are now very old

Wife and children who, on to me, always hold”

“But my friend, you accumulate sins by this, didn’t anyone tell?

For which you may be thrown afterlife into the deepest hell!”

Stirring my soul with fright, the sage asked me the question

Not knowing why, I saw myself answering his question

“What ever I earn is for my family to share

With them by my side, even if it is hell I do not care”

The man in my clutches

Continued to point out my glitches

“But don’t you know, when in hell, you’ll be alone

You to your family would then, long be forgone!

Relations crowd around, when a man lives wealthily

But when he is in bad luck, they disappear stealthily”

“I can bet, my family is definitely not so

Even to hell, with me, they would happily go”

“There is no family that partakes of in sins, as far as I know

If there were such people, I would be happy to know”

The sage’s words provoked me strong

I was desperate to prove that he was wrong

As I was about to leave to fetch my folks

I got a doubt that he was playing jokes

I thought he was playing with words to make me a fool

And while I left, he would walk away cool

I gripped his throat, angry beyond measure

And intimidated him to reveal his place of treasure

“You cunning fox, how deceitful you are

You plan to run away, once I go far

To make me go, you talk wise and sweet

But I am not a fool to fall to your deceit”

The man was not shaken, the slightest bit

To every doubt of mine, he gave answers that fit

With none of my victims, I have talked so long

But now I realise, it was fate playing strong!

To come along with me, he said he was ready

To take him to my secret home, I was not ready

Understanding which he made a suggestion

Which, wiped off all my unwanted suspicion

“I have an idea to wipe out your fear

Tie me to a tree and leave me here

Go back home and check if I am wrong

In this case, to be wrong, I sincerely long!”

I could no more take this man lightly

Though in my hold, he had caught me tightly

I tied him to a tree and hurried home

Little did I know, it was my last trip home!

I went straight to my mother with ultimate hope

I told her about the man, I had tied with a rope

I then asked her about my sins, if she would share

But she answered to me, as if she had no care

“Son! I have worked for you lifelong and now very old

I eat what is given and sleep where I am told

You have enraged the sage with a behaviour cold

The consequences of which only you must hold

As my son, it was your duty to feed me well

Between good and bad, as a grown up, could you not tell?!

Instead of taking responsibility for what you have done

Do you expect me to suffer, despite of mistakes none?”

Unbelievable were those words, my mother spoke

Needles of reality at my heart started to poke

I went to my father who hurriedly denounced me

And then to my children, who similarly renounced me

Shaken was I, for I had loved them so much

All that I did, I did for their welfare as such

All the time I spend, was now waste

Only leaving me alone with a bitter taste!

With one last hope I went to my wife

With whom, I never had any strife

In front of whom I renounced all my shame

And spent endless hours in sensual game

I asked her the same question, I asked my mother

She answered as if, for me, she could no more bother

“Lord! The duty of a wife is to run family affairs

Within the limited income her husband acquires

I would have done my job with perfection, eagerly

Even if you had earned a honest income, meagerly

Without my consent you chose a path that accumulates sin

On your way to hell, why do you want to drag me in?”

Sorrow was heavily resting on my helpless heart

Something within me broke and fell apart

Something for which I lived all this while

Something within me, that had no guile

In front of them, I spoke not, another word

Though in my nest, I was a lonely bird

I left my house and family never to return

Disgusted by the gratitude, they showed in return

In want of love, I cried like a child

And hurried back to the sage, in the wild

I fell at his feet and wept out all my pain

And told him about the life, I had lived in vain

I told him, I had no more cause to live

Even my life to him, I was ready to give

I clung on to his feet, which was my only refuge

And washed it with my tears, which was now a deluge

Seeing my state, the sage’s loving heart melted

Forgoing the fact that I had earlier insulted

He asked me to get up and wipe my eyes

And then asked me to severe his ties

“It is difficult to bless being tied up with strands

As I am unable to lift, both my hands”

The sage said jokingly, while I was cutting the rope

And smiled brightly, sending through me a ray of hope

He made me sit and taught me mantra to chant

He said that was the best boon, one could ever grant

The mantra was nothing but Lord Vishnu’s name

But I could not chant it as my tongue was not tame

The sage suggested different names of the Lord

One after the other

Unable to pronounce any of them in accord

My hope started to wither!

My loving Guru Narada, would not give up on me

For he had accepted me as his disciple, with my tear as fee

He then told me to try, your name that is simple, beloved Ram!

But even those two syllables, my tongue could not form

I apologized to the sage for wasting his time

But the sage was lost in thought and came up with a rhyme

“Ma Raa, Ma Raa, Ma Raa, Ma Raa” He musically led

“Ma Raa, Ma Raa, Ma Raa, Ma Raa” I easily said

The sage told me to repeat this as much as I could

I continued to repeat it forgoing, water and food

MaRaa became Rama eventually, as I uttered

For many years, only your name I muttered

I was so lost in your name, forgoing all

Around me grew an anthill, very tall!

After many years I came out of it

The name Valmiki, for me, became fit!

Since then I have been living here in peace

My regrets now have started to slowly, cease

Today before me, my noble Ram stands

Is there anymore I can ask, than your merciful glance!”

Saying thus with a smile Sage Valmiki ended his narration

The Divine Three were engrossed, for the whole duration

Lord Rama’s heart was filled with respect for the sage

He admired the sage for breaking the Karmic cage

“You had loved and served your family selflessly

Such selfless heart is never left helplessly

Thus came Sage Narada on your way

And with his wisdom and love, showed you the way”

The sage nodded with a smile at Rama in acceptance

This recognition to him was of utmost importance

After that, about spiritual matters, they talked a lot

Lord Rama then enquired the sage about the Chitrakut spot!

The sage told them the way to the beautiful place

In his knowledge of that area, he was an ace

The Divine Three took leave of the wise man

Eager to see their home, they walked and ran!

Lord Rama knew not, He was playing hero in a fabulous story

Valmiki knew not, He was going to fabulously write the story!

While he stood near his hermitage, watching Ram

Chanting in his mind, Jai Shri Ram! Jai Jai Shri Ram!!