Episode 17 – “Naarada – Valmiki Samvaadham” – Sage Naarada replies Valmiki Maharishi

Till the previous episode we saw a series of sixteen questions that Valmiki Maharishi asked Sage Narada, upon his arrival to meet him. We discussed each of the sixteen qualities in detail and also tried to relate it to the modern day leadership aspects. In today’s episode let’s continue the conversation between Sage Narada and Valmiki Maharishi as part of the “Naarada-Valmiki Samvaadham”, and see what Sage Naarada had got to reply.

 Sage Naarada says the following:

“Bahavo durlabhhaaschaiva yethvaya keerthithaa gunaaha!

Mune vakshyaamyaham budhvaa thairyukthashruyathaam varaaha!!”

Valmiki Maharishi initially surprises sage Naarada with his non-stop sixteen questions and now Sage Naarada composes himself to reply to him. He says “Bahavo Durlabhaaha” which means that, “All these sixteen noble qualities that you had mentioned so far, is very rare and is almost impossible to find integrated into one individual. However, I’m not saying that there’s no answer to your questions. But give me a few minutes to recoup myself and then let me give you the answer!” The phrase “Aham budhvaa” means, “I’ll let you know”. Hence, Sage Naarada conveys here that he’ll recoup his thought process for a moment and get back to Valmiki Maharishi. After saying this, Sage Naarada is silent for five minutes.

There’s an interesting and a deeper explanation to this, as follows:

Valmiki Maharishi looks at Sage Naarada and thinks for a moment if he doesn’t know the answer. He gets this sort of a feeling because normally when a Sishya (Student) asks a doubt, the Guru (Teacher/Master) should give an answer immediately. But here, Sage Naarada asks Valmiki Maharishi to wait for a few minutes. But Sage Naarada is not keeping silence because he doesn’t know the answer. The moment he listens to the sixteen questions from Valmiki Maharishi, he immediately knew the answer. But at that moment when the answer flashes in Sage Naarada’s mind, he is overwhelmed and his devotion knew no bounds for that person who’s supposed to be the answer! Hence, in the above sloka, the word “Budhva” doesn’t mean “I’ll get back after knowing the answer”. It means that, “I already know whom are you asking about, however, I’ll recoup and compose myself within a few moments and then give you the answer!”

 Now, Sage Naarada replies back: “Oh Valmiki Maharishi! You had asked me sixteen questions. But for all the sixteen put together, I have only one answer for you!” He says,

“Ikshvaaku vamsapprabhavaha raamo naama janaishruthaha!”

 The answer is very simple! That person who is an embodiment of all the sixteen noble qualities is none other than the king who’s born in the “Ikshvaaku” dynasty, Lord Rama – Son of the great king Dasaratha! He’s born in the clan of Surya (The Sun God), and also born to the ancestral tradition of the great king Manu and Kaakutsa!

Sage Naarada continues and says to Valmiki Maharishi “Now, I’ll tell you in a brief accord about Lord Rama. Listen to me very carefully. The apt time will come for further actions on this and let’s wait!” Saying this, Sage Naarada narrates the entire story of the Ramayana within just thirty-two (32) slokas (verses). It’s called as “Samskhepa Ramayanam”, meaning “Ramayana in brief”!! (If that was the case today, it would have been extremely easy for us too and we needn’t have to write this many episodes!! 🙂 ) It’s only because it has more than 24,000 slokas (verses) composed as a “Mahaa Kaavyam” we’re taking this much of time to see it in detail. But having said that on a lighter note, we can listen to the Ramayana in nine days, nine years or we can even read one sloka per day – Such is the amount of in-depth and a rich meaning, this great Ramayana has. “Vengya Kaavyam” is Ramayana’s nickname – It means that the Ramayana has more in-depth meanings to each and every sloka, rather than just the outer meaning to it. We can infer thousands of inner meanings to each of the sloka and thus is the significance of this great epic!

What did Sage Naarada describe about Lord Rama in his “Samskhepa Ramayanam”? Let’s wait to find out in the next episode!!