Validation of Valmiki Ramayana
The mirror of devotion – A moral story (devotion over ambition – beyond the desire for validation) When Valmiki completed his Ramayana, Narada was not impressed. "It is good," he said, "but Hanuman’s is better." Stunned and a bit defensive, Valmiki wondered how anyone could have written a superior version. Determined to find the truth, he set out to find Hanuman. In Kadali-vana, a grove of plantains, he discovered the Ramayana inscribed on seven broad banana leaves. As Valmiki read, he began to weep. The grammar, vocabulary, metre, and melody were flawless—it was perfect. "Is it that bad?" Hanuman asked. "No," Valmiki replied, "it is so good that I fear after reading yours, no one will ever read mine." Without a word, Hanuman tore up the seven leaves. "Now," he said simply, "no one will ever read Hanuman’s Ramayana." Shocked, Valmiki asked why he would destroy such a masterpiece. Hanuman replied, "You need your ...