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!!
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