Valmiki — Writers

Summary

Updated 2026-06-08

He's called Ādi Kavi — the first poet — because the Ramayana, all 24,000 verses of it, is credited to him. That makes Valmiki the originating voice of Sanskrit epic poetry, the template for storytelling across a subcontinent.

Biography

About

Valmiki was a legendary sage, a maharishi in Hindu tradition, who composed the Ramayana sometime between the 8th century BCE and 3rd century CE — scholars can't pin it closer because the text grew through centuries of additions and edits. The epic spans seven cantos and roughly 480,000 words, telling the story of Prince Rama of Ayodhya, whose wife Sita is abducted by Ravana, the demon-king of Lanka. Some traditions place Valmiki as a contemporary of Rama himself. British satirist Aubrey Menen later noted that Valmiki was recognized as a literary genius partly for his philosophical scepticism a…

Voice

In their own words

Sourced, dated quotes from Valmiki

Valmiki

said1 Jan 2000

English translation: You will find no rest for the long years of EternityFor you killed a bird in love and unsuspecting

— In: Ramayana translated by William Buck in:Ramayana, Motilal Banarsidass Publ., 1 January 2000, p. 7.

Valmiki

said1967

In all this world, I pray thee, who Is virtuous, heroic, true? Firm in his vows, of grateful mind, To every creature good and kind? Alone most fair to all men’s eyes?

— In: King of Siam Rama I The-Ramayana, Islamic Books, 1967, p. 19.

Valmiki

saidundated

This is truly how I remember the ways of the world. Those words I cursed him with make a verse, and that verse could be sung to music.

— In. p. 7.

Valmiki

saidundated

What a crime! There was not one bit of meat on that little bird. What use is a world run all wrong without a grain of mercy on it?

— In. p. 7-8.

Valmiki

saidundated

And the high mandate of his sire. Led by the Lord who rules the sky, The Gods and heavenly saints drew nigh, And honoured him with worthy meed, Rejoicing in each glorious deed.

— In: King of Siam Rama I "The-Ramayana", p. 28.

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