We are what we are.. wonderstruck at the divine beauty of our heritage!
Valmiki's first sloka is an inexplicable divine wonder revealing that Inscrutable are the ways of Bhagawan. It is actually a curse which turned out to be a sloka and that carries two distinct meanings-one which is known by its explicit meaning and the other implied and divine.!!
Vālmīki was going to the river Ganges for his daily ablutions. A disciple by the name Bharadvāja was carrying his clothes. On the way, they came across the Tamasa Stream. Looking at the stream, Vālmīki said to his disciple, "Look, how clear is this water, like the mind of a good man! I will bathe here today." When he was looking for a suitable place to step into the stream, he saw a crane(krouncha) couple mating. Vālmīki felt very pleased on seeing the happy birds. Suddenly, hit by an arrow, the male bird died on the spot. Filled by sorrow, its mate screamed in agony and died of shock. Vālmīki's heart melted at this pitiful sight. He looked around to find out who had shot the bird. He saw a hunter with a bow and arrows, nearby. Vālmīki became very angry. His lips opened and he cried out.
Emerging spontaneously from Valmiki's rage, sorrow and grief, this was the first śloka in Sanskrit literature.
Later Vālmīki Muni composed the entire Rāmāyaṇa with the blessings of Lord Brahmā in the same meter that issued forth from him as the śloka. Thus this śloka is revered as the "first śloka" in Hindu literature. Vālmīki Muni is revered as the first poet, or Ādi Kavi, and the Rāmāyaṇa, the first Kāvya.
The beauty of this sloka is that it has two different meanings:
The first sloka originated from Valmiki:
मां निषाद प्रतिष्ठां त्वमगमः शाश्वतीः समाः। यत्क्रौंचमिथुनादेकम् अवधीः काममोहितम्॥'
mā niṣāda pratiṣṭhāṁ tvamagamaḥ śāśvatīḥ samāḥ
yat krauñcamithunādekam avadhīḥ kāmamohitam
Meaning 1: which is explicit and which is borne out of Sage Valmiki's intent of sorrow, anguish, pain and grief
निषाद O Fowler, त्वम् you, यत् for which reason, क्रौञ्चमिथुनात् from the pair of krauncha birds, काममोहितम् when they were infatuated by love, एकम् one, अवधी: have killed, (तत् for that reason), शाश्वती: permanently, समा: for long years, प्रतिष्ठां glorious, मा गम: you will never get
You will find no rest for the long years of Eternity
For you killed a bird in love and unsuspecting
Meaning 2: which is implicit and ethereal and which is revealed due to mystifying Bhagavat Leela
maa= Goddess Lakshmi; nishaada= Oh! Vishnu [ for Goddess Lakshmi resides in the heart of Vishnu - nishadiiti asmin iti niShaada ]; yat = by which act; krounca midhunaat = the couple of demons, namely Ravana and Mandodari; kaama mohitam= that passionate one stole Seetha; ekam= that one, Ravana; avadhii= you killed; by that act of yours; shashvatiisamaa= everlasting for ages; pratishtaam= divine sanctity; tvam agama= you, get.
"Oh, the abode of Goddess Lakshmi, namely oh, Vishnu, by which act of your killing one male demon named Ravana, who in his passion abducted Seetha, and thus you eradicated the vice from the earth, for that you get an everlasting divine sanctity, as Rama, for ages to come."
After this, Very wise and learned, he (Valmiki), preeminent among sages, pondered over it (for a while) and spoke these words to his disciple.
मे for me, शोकार्तस्य born out of sorrow (of slain bird), प्रवृत्त: came out without effort, पादबद्ध: consisting of four lines, अक्षरसम: each of equal number of syllables, तन्त्रीलयसमन्वित: with rhythm tuned to the accompaniment of stringed instruments, श्लोक: sloka, भवतु let it take a form, अन्यथा न not otherwise.
"Occasioned by the griefstricken (state of the bird) and composed in rhymed lines each of equal number of syllables tuned to the accompaniment of stringed instruments, let it be known as a sloka and not by any othername"..
Vālmīki Muni composed the entire Rāmāyaṇa with the blessings of Lord Brahmā in the same meter which is known as Anushtupchandh, that issued forth from him as this śloka..He wondered at the mystifying leela of the Lord
-Compiled based on several authentic sources
Valmiki's first sloka is an inexplicable divine wonder revealing that Inscrutable are the ways of Bhagawan. It is actually a curse which turned out to be a sloka and that carries two distinct meanings-one which is known by its explicit meaning and the other implied and divine.!!
Vālmīki was going to the river Ganges for his daily ablutions. A disciple by the name Bharadvāja was carrying his clothes. On the way, they came across the Tamasa Stream. Looking at the stream, Vālmīki said to his disciple, "Look, how clear is this water, like the mind of a good man! I will bathe here today." When he was looking for a suitable place to step into the stream, he saw a crane(krouncha) couple mating. Vālmīki felt very pleased on seeing the happy birds. Suddenly, hit by an arrow, the male bird died on the spot. Filled by sorrow, its mate screamed in agony and died of shock. Vālmīki's heart melted at this pitiful sight. He looked around to find out who had shot the bird. He saw a hunter with a bow and arrows, nearby. Vālmīki became very angry. His lips opened and he cried out.
Emerging spontaneously from Valmiki's rage, sorrow and grief, this was the first śloka in Sanskrit literature.
Later Vālmīki Muni composed the entire Rāmāyaṇa with the blessings of Lord Brahmā in the same meter that issued forth from him as the śloka. Thus this śloka is revered as the "first śloka" in Hindu literature. Vālmīki Muni is revered as the first poet, or Ādi Kavi, and the Rāmāyaṇa, the first Kāvya.
The beauty of this sloka is that it has two different meanings:
The first sloka originated from Valmiki:
मां निषाद प्रतिष्ठां त्वमगमः शाश्वतीः समाः। यत्क्रौंचमिथुनादेकम् अवधीः काममोहितम्॥'
mā niṣāda pratiṣṭhāṁ tvamagamaḥ śāśvatīḥ samāḥ
yat krauñcamithunādekam avadhīḥ kāmamohitam
Meaning 1: which is explicit and which is borne out of Sage Valmiki's intent of sorrow, anguish, pain and grief
निषाद O Fowler, त्वम् you, यत् for which reason, क्रौञ्चमिथुनात् from the pair of krauncha birds, काममोहितम् when they were infatuated by love, एकम् one, अवधी: have killed, (तत् for that reason), शाश्वती: permanently, समा: for long years, प्रतिष्ठां glorious, मा गम: you will never get
You will find no rest for the long years of Eternity
For you killed a bird in love and unsuspecting
Meaning 2: which is implicit and ethereal and which is revealed due to mystifying Bhagavat Leela
maa= Goddess Lakshmi; nishaada= Oh! Vishnu [ for Goddess Lakshmi resides in the heart of Vishnu - nishadiiti asmin iti niShaada ]; yat = by which act; krounca midhunaat = the couple of demons, namely Ravana and Mandodari; kaama mohitam= that passionate one stole Seetha; ekam= that one, Ravana; avadhii= you killed; by that act of yours; shashvatiisamaa= everlasting for ages; pratishtaam= divine sanctity; tvam agama= you, get.
"Oh, the abode of Goddess Lakshmi, namely oh, Vishnu, by which act of your killing one male demon named Ravana, who in his passion abducted Seetha, and thus you eradicated the vice from the earth, for that you get an everlasting divine sanctity, as Rama, for ages to come."
After this, Very wise and learned, he (Valmiki), preeminent among sages, pondered over it (for a while) and spoke these words to his disciple.
मे for me, शोकार्तस्य born out of sorrow (of slain bird), प्रवृत्त: came out without effort, पादबद्ध: consisting of four lines, अक्षरसम: each of equal number of syllables, तन्त्रीलयसमन्वित: with rhythm tuned to the accompaniment of stringed instruments, श्लोक: sloka, भवतु let it take a form, अन्यथा न not otherwise.
"Occasioned by the griefstricken (state of the bird) and composed in rhymed lines each of equal number of syllables tuned to the accompaniment of stringed instruments, let it be known as a sloka and not by any othername"..
Vālmīki Muni composed the entire Rāmāyaṇa with the blessings of Lord Brahmā in the same meter which is known as Anushtupchandh, that issued forth from him as this śloka..He wondered at the mystifying leela of the Lord
-Compiled based on several authentic sources
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