Vālmīki > Quotes

“You cannot count on the physical proximity of someone you love, all the time. A seed that sprouts at the foot of its parent tree remains stunted until it is transplanted. Rama will be in my care, and he will be quite well. But ultimately, he will leave me too. Every human being, when the time comes, has to depart to seek his fulfillment in his own way.”
― Valmiki, The Ramayana

“Misfortune is the best fortune.
Rejection by all is victory.”
― Vālmīki

“Valmiki the Poet held all the moving world inside a water drop in his hand.
The gods and saints from heaven looked down on Lanka,
And Valmiki looked down at the gods in the morning of Time.”
― Valmiki, The Ramayana: A Modern Retelling of the Great Indian Epic

“In all this world, I pray thee, who Is virtuous, heroic, true?”
― Vālmīki, The Rámáyan of Válmíki

“Association with the wise, abandonment of latent impressions, self-enquiry, control of breathing — these are the means of conquering the mind.”
― Vālmīki, Yoga Vasishta Sara

“Be gracious, Master, and allow The worlds to rest from trouble now;”
― Vālmīki, The Rámáyan of Válmíki

“Ah! Warriors' strength is poor and slight; A Bráhman's power is truly might. This Bráhman staff the hermit held The fury of my darts has quelled.”
― Vālmīki, The Rámáyan of Válmíki

“O Raghava, be outwardly active but inwardly inactive, outwardly a doer but inwardly a non-doer, and thus play your part in the world.”
― Vālmīki, Yoga Vasishta Sara

“Gainst him, a mighty warrior too. Strong, as a soldier born and bred,— Great, as a king whom regions dread. See! what a host the conqueror leads, With elephants, and cars, and steeds. O'er countless bands his pennons fly; So is he mightier far than I.”
― Vālmīki, The Rámáyan of Válmíki

“To sainted Nárad, prince of those Whose lore in words of wisdom flows. Whose constant care and chief delight Were Scripture and ascetic rite, The good Válmíki, first and best [pg 002] Of hermit saints, these words addressed:9 “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? Bounteous, and holy, just, and wise, Alone most fair to all men's eyes? Devoid of envy, firm, and sage, Whose tranquil soul ne'er yields to rage? Whom, when his warrior wrath is high, Do Gods embattled fear and fly? Whose noble might and gentle skill The triple world can guard from ill?”
― Vālmīki, The Rámáyan of Válmíki

“RAMCHARITMANAS”
― Rishi Valmiki, Ramayana: The Sacred Epic of the Gods and Demons

“Veda means originally knowing or knowledge, and this name is given”
― Vālmīki, The Rámáyan of Válmíki

“7. It is the nature of the mind to accept certain things and to reject others; this is bondage, nothing else.”
― Vālmīki, Yoga Vasishta Sara

“Then Raghu's son, as if in sport, Before the thousands of the court, The weapon by the middle raised That all the crowd in wonder gazed.”
― Vālmīki, The Rámáyan of Válmíki

“he wins success, And dying foes his power confess. Tall and broad-shouldered, strong of limb, Fortune has set her mark on him. Graced with a conch-shell's triple line, His throat displays the auspicious sign.16 [pg 003] High destiny is clear impressed On massive jaw and ample chest, His mighty shafts he truly aims, And foemen in the battle tames. Deep in the muscle, scarcely shown, Embedded lies his collar-bone. His lordly steps are firm and free, His strong arms reach below his knee;17 All fairest graces join to deck His head, his brow, his stately neck, And limbs in fair proportion set: The manliest form e'er fashioned yet.”
― Vālmīki, The Rámáyan of Válmíki

“trained in arts and versed in law; High-souled”
― Vālmīki, The Rámáyan of Válmíki

“came, Known to the world by Ráma's name: With soul subdued, a chief of might, In Scripture versed, in glory bright,”
― Vālmīki, The Rámáyan of Válmíki

“Whose lore in words of wisdom flows. Whose constant care and chief delight Were Scripture and ascetic rite, The good Válmíki,”
― Vālmīki, The Rámáyan of Válmíki

“borne”
― Vālmīki, The Rámáyan of Válmíki

“Then spoke at length the warder maid, With hands upraised and sore afraid: “My Lord and King, the queen has sought The mourner's cell with rage distraught.”
― Vālmīki, The Rámáyan of Válmíki

“desert place! Here let us all for death prepare, Or on the last great journey fare;320 Of Ráma our dear lord bereft, What profit in our lives is left? Huge trunks of trees around us lie, With roots and branches sere and dry, Come let us set these logs on fire And throw our bodies on the pyre.”
― Vālmīki, The Rámáyan of Válmíki

“choicest”
― Vālmīki, The Rámáyan of Válmíki

“Válmíki,(2)bird of charming song,(3)   Who mounts on Poesy’s sublimest spray, And sweetly sings with accent clear and strong   Ráma, aye Ráma, in his deathless lay. Where breathes the man can listen to the strain   That flows in music from Válmíki’s tongue, Nor feel his feet the path of bliss attain   When Ráma’s glory by the saint is sung!”
― Vālmīki, Ramayana. English

“See, birds of every varied voice Around us in the woods rejoice, On creeper, shrub, and plant alight, Or wing from tree to tree their flight. Each bird his kindly mate has found, And loud their notes of triumph sound, Blending in sweetest music like The distant warblings of the shrike. See how the river banks are lined With birds of every hue and kind. Here in his joy the Koïl sings, There the glad wild-cock flaps his wings. The blooms of bright Aśokas526where The song of wild bees fills the air, And the soft whisper of the boughs Increase my longing for my spouse. The vernal flush of flower and spray Will burn my very soul away. What use, what care have I for life If I no more may see my wife Soft speaker with the glorious hair, And eyes with silken lashes fair? Now is the time when all day long The Koïls fill the woods with song. And gardens bloom at spring's sweet touch Which my beloved loved so much. Ah me, Sumitrá's son, the fire Of sorrow, sprung from soft desire, Fanned by the charms the spring time shows, Will burn my heart and end my woes, Whose sad eyes look on each fair tree,”
― Vālmīki, The Rámáyan of Válmíki

“Then lest the people should repeat Their visit to his calm retreat, Away from Chitrakúṭa's hill Fared Ráma ever onward”
― Vālmīki, The Rámáyan of Válmíki

“Now Ravana said to himself,
"These are all petty weapons. I should really get down to proper business." And he invoked the one called "Maya"--a weapon which created illusions and confused the enemy. With proper incantations and worship, he sent off this weapon and it created an illusion of reviving all the armies and its leaders--Kumbakarna and Indrajit and the others--and bringing them back to the battlefield.
Presently Rama found all those who, he thought, were no more, coming on with battle cries and surrounding him. Every man in the enemy's army was again up in arms.They seemed to fall on Rama with victorious cries. This was very confusing and Rama asked Matali, whom he had by now revived,
"What is happening now? How are all these coming back? They were dead." Matali explained,
"In your original identity you are the creator of illusions in this universe. Please know that Ravana has created phantoms to confuse you. If you make up your mind, you can dispel them immediately."
Matali's explanation was a great help. Rama at once invoked a weapon called
"Gnana"--which means "wisdom" or "perception." This was a very rare weapon, and he sent it forth. And all the terrifying armies who seemed to have come on in such a great mass suddenly evaporated into thin air.”
― Vālmīki

“imperial mark, His skin is soft and lustrous dark. Large are his eyes that sweetly shine With majesty almost divine. His plighted word he ne'er forgets; On erring sense a watch he sets.”
― Vālmīki, The Rámáyan of Válmíki

“Fierce as the world-destroying fire;”
― Vālmīki, The Rámáyan of Válmíki

“There reigned a king of name revered, To country and to town endeared, Great Daśaratha, good and sage, Well read in Scripture's holy page: [pg 013] Upon his kingdom's weal intent, Mighty and brave and provident; The pride of old Ikshváku's seed For lofty thought and righteous deed. Peer of the saints, for virtues famed, For foes subdued and passions tamed: A rival in his wealth untold”
― Vālmīki, The Rámáyan of Válmíki

“fair proportion set: The manliest form”
― Vālmīki, The Rámáyan of Válmíki