Pracheta, a Brahmin, resided in the plains of river Ganga. He had a son called Agni. This child separated from his parents in the forest. A forest-dwelling hunter found this child, took him home, and named the boy Ratnakar. Time passed, Ratnakar had no recollection of his parents, became an able hunter, and married. Soon he had a large family of his own. Once, there was a twelve-year-long drought and hunting became a problem. To feed his family, he started to lead a life of crime, robbed travelers, and stole their belongings.
One day, the celestial bard Narada was passing by and was waylaid by Ratnakar. Narada was calm, smiled, and asked him to take away his worn clothes, the only belonging he had at that time. As there was nothing valuable to take, Narada started a conversation with the robber.
“For whom are you committing the sin of robbing?”
“To feed my family.”
“Go and ask your family while they take the food you bring home; will they share the sins that you are committing to take care of them? I will wait for you in this shade.”
Ratnakar went to his hutment, asked each of the family members if they are willing to share the burden of his sins. No one in the family was ready to bear it. He was heartbroken. He returned and fell on Narada’s feet to seek salvation and the right direction in life.
“Chant the name of Lord Rama endlessly.”
How hard he tried, Ratnakar could not pronounce the name of the lord from his lips.
"What do you do to people you rob when they try to defend themselves?"
"I mara (kill) them."
“You can then call the word mara endlessly. And you will receive your salvation.”
Narada left, continuing his journey. Ratnakar sat in the place and started chanting “mara, mara, mara” endlessly that sounded Rama. Time passed, and days changed to months, months to years. He was so engrossed in his meditation that an ant-hill started growing next to him and he was soon covered completely.
Narada in the company of Saptarishis (seven other saints) was passing by the forest. They heard Lord Rama’s name come from a direction. There was no one there, but a large ant-hill. They removed the soil, and they found a man engrossed in his meditation. Pleased with his devotion, all the saints blessed him. They gave him the name Valmiki, as he reached his salvation sitting in a Vvalmika (ant-hill).
Once Valmiki had gone to Tamasa river for his morning bath along with his disciple Bharadwaj. They observed a kronch pair (crane bird) that were calling each other and making love in the passing. Suddenly a hunter's arrow came from nowhere and killed the male bird. Enraged with pain, Valmiki cursed the hunter.
मा निषाद प्रतिष्ठां त्वमगमः शाश्वतीः समाः।
यत्क्रौञ्चमिथुनादेकमवधीः काममोहितम्॥
mā niṣāda pratiṣṭhā tvamagamaḥ śāśvatīḥ samāḥ
yat krauñcamithunādekam avadhīḥ kāmamohitam
You will find no rest for the long years of Eternity
For you killed a bird in love and unsuspecting
Although a curse, the words had a musical quality to them. Bharadwaj memorized it. This is said to be the first Sanskrit shloka (a form of poetry with a fixed meter). Valmiki is thus also called the Adi Kavi or the first poet.
Maharishi Valmiki later wrote the Ramayana with the blessing of Lord Brahma in the same meter of the shloka. Ramayana is the story of the life of Lord Rama
You can read more interesting stories on various personalities from Ramayana here
