Page:Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists.djvu/45

 The Story of Rāma as told by Vālmīki

One day the hermit Vālmīki inquired of the great rishi Nārada whether he could tell of any man living perfect in goodliness, virtue, courage, and benevolence. Then Nārada related to him all the story that is now called the Rāmāyana, for such a man as Vālmīki desired to hear of was the great Rāma.

Vālmīki returned to his forest hut. As he passed through the woods he saw a bird-man and a bird-woman singing and dancing. But at that very moment a wicked hunter shot the bird-man with an arrow so that he died, and his mate bewailed him long and bitterly. Then the hermit was moved by pity and anger, and cursed the hunter and passed on. But as he walked on, his words recurred to him, and he found that they formed a couplet in a new metre: "Let this be called a shloka," he said.

Soon after he reached his hut there appeared to him the four-faced shining Brahmā, the Creator of the World. Him Vālmīki worshipped; but the unhappy bird-man and the new-made shloka filled his thoughts. Then Brahmā addressed him with a smile: "It was by my will that those words came from thy mouth; that metre shall be very famous hereafter. Do thou compose in it the whole history of Rāma; relate, O wise one, both all that is known and all that is as yet unknown to thee of Rāma and Lakshmana and Janaka's daughter, and all the tribe of rākshasas. What is unknown shall be revealed to thee, and the poem shall be true from the first word to the last. Moreover, this thy Rāmāyana shall spread abroad amongst 23