Valmiki ("ant", adj.) is the mythical personage, considered to be author of the Hindu holy book Ramayana written in Sanskrit. Valmiki is said to have been a forest brigand, till the day Narada enlightened him. Valmiki moved by Narada's teachings, renounced his family to perform a penance (for many years he prayed standing motionless in one place and got covered with ant hills, hence his name). Later, Valmiki became a highly knowledgeable man and started writing the story of Rama.

When Lord Rama asked Sita to leave his palace because the subjects of his kingdom suspected her purity during her abduction by Ravana of Lanka (present day Sri Lanka), she obeyed the wish of the people and started to stay at Valmiki Muni's Ashram. It is here that her child Lava was born. It is said that since Luv wanted some company she created another boy Kusha (means dried grass) from dried grass and Kush came to life.

External Links

• http://www.valmikiramayan.net/ site has the Ramayana text with meaning.