Valmiki
Far away from Ayodhya, in a thick forest, dwelt Valmiki. His spiritual eye was sharpened by the life of penance and solitude. No one would believe now, if told, that this soft-spoken, gentle recluse was, once upon a time, in this very lifetime, was a fierce dacoit who had ended the lives of a countless number of wayfarers. His life changed when a clever traveler on the road asked him to find an answer to his question:
"For whose sake do you commit such heinous crimes?" he had asked.
"For my dear family. They depend upon me," said the dacoit.
"Do you know, if caught, death is the punishment for you?" asked the traveller.
"I know it. But the thought of my family gives me the strength to take the risk", Valmiki had said.
"Do they love you as much as you love them?" asked the traveler.
"I am sure they do",said Valmiki.
"Then if you are caught, will they go and die in your place?" asked . the traveller..
"I am sure they will; but I won't let them," said Valmiki.
"Go home and find out," said the traveller. "I shall wait here till you come back with the answer", said he.
Valmiki at once dropped his lethal axe and went home disarmed.
He rallied his family around him and said:
"Do you know how this home survives? Do you know what I do to maintain ourselves?" asked the dacoit.
They confessed their ignorance.
"I loot lone wayfarers in the forest, kill them and bring the booty home," said he.
They laughed. "We don't care what you do and how, so long as you do your duty, which is to feed us and make us happy," said his wife.
He was aghast at their selfish callousness.
"Well, i am tired of killing innocent people for your sake. Hence you go to the forest and do what I have been doing for your sake," said he.
They were speechless and looked at each other.
"Do you know the consequences if tomorrow the king's men come and arrest me?"
His wife said, "We didn't know you kill. We never told you to kill; so we are not responsible for the consequences."
"Will you hand me over to the king's men, if the things come to that pass?"
"We won't; but we won't be able to do anything to save you," said his wife.
"Then will you stand by and see me die?" asked he.
"I am sorry; but what else can we do?" asked she.
Valmiki stepped out of the house and since that day, Valmiki the dacoit vanished from the pages of history and there was born Valmiki the sage.
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