| Valmiki Samhita | |
|---|---|
| Pancharatra | |
| Information | |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Author | Valmiki |
| Language | Sanskrit |
| Chapters | 6 |
| Verses | 529 |
TheValmiki Samhita (Sanskrit:वाल्मीकिसंहिता,romanized: Vālmīkisaṁhitā) is a Sanskrit text of six chapters. It comes under theNarada Panchratra. TheValmiki Samhita[1] is attributed to the worship ofRama andSita. It describes them to be theultimate reality.
According to theValmiki Samhita, Rama isSvayam Bhagavan whose abode is higher than the highest and who is considered as the origin ofChaturvyuha, namelyVasudeva,Sankarshana,Pradyumna, andAniruddha.[2] And from him the lineage ofShadakshar Sri Ram Mantraraj (six-syllabled mantra of Rama) has been started -
भगवान् रामचन्द्रो वै परं ब्रह्म श्रुति श्रुतः। दयालुः शरणं नित्यं दासानां दीन चेतसाम् ।। इमां सृष्टिं समुत्पाद्य जीवानां हितकाम्यया। आद्यां शक्तिं महादेवीं श्रीसीतां जनकात्मजाम् ।। तारकं मन्त्रराजं तु श्रावयामास ईश्वरः। जानकी तुजगन्माता हनुमन्तं गुणाकरम्।। श्रावयामास नूनं हि ब्राह्मणं सुधियां वरम्। तस्मादेव वसिष्टर्षिः क्रमादस्मादवातरत् ।।
This translates to: "The Supreme Being, Rama, is compassionate, always ready to protect his eternal servants and to assist those with meek hearts. This is well-known in the Vedas. He created this universe and, with the desire for the welfare of people, Rama imparted the transcendental mantra to Sita, the daughter of King Janaka than She revealed this to the glorious Hanuman, the repository of virtues. Hanuman then conveyed it to Brahma, who in turn passed it on to the sage Vasishtha. Thus, in this sequence, the divine mantra descended into this world."[3]
According toBhavishya Purana only Hymns mentioned inValmiki Samhita's are allowed to write not the entire as it also contains vedic portion asMaithili Mahopanishad in its chapter 5:
वाल्मीकिसंहितायाश्च लेखने च तथा क्वचित् ।
स्तोत्रमात्रं लिखेद्विप्रा अव्रती न लिखेत्क्वचित् ॥८१॥
"If one ever wishes to transcribe the Valmiki Samhita, only hymns should be written, and that too, by a group of learned individuals! It should never be written without observance of religious vows."
-(Bhavishya Purana, Madhyam Parva 1.7.81)[4]
Maithili Mahopanishad (Sanskrit: मैथिली महोपनिषद्) is found completely quoted in Valmiki Samhita's Chapter 5.[11]Maithili Mahopanishad[12] has total five chapters in a dialogue form between Sita and sages and this dialogue was described toParvati byShiva. This Upaniṣad describes the lineage of Sri Ram Mantraraj (i.e. Ram Shadakshar Mantra, rāṃ rāmāya namaḥ)[13]
इममेव मनुं पूर्वं साकेतपतिर्मामिवोचत् । अहं हनुमते मम प्रियाय प्रियतराय । सर्वेद वेदिने ब्रह्मणे । स वसिष्ठाय । स पराशराय । स व्यासाय । स शुकाय । इत्येषोपनिषत् इत्येषा ब्रह्मविद्या ।
Goddess Sita says: This six-syllabled mantra, 'The Ram Mantra,' was given to me by the Lord of Saket, imparting divine instructions. I passed this Mantra to my dear and beloved servant, Hanuman. Hanuman passed it on to the knower of Vedas, Brahma. Brahma passed it on Vashishtha. Vashishtha instructed Parashara. Parashara passed it on to Vyasa. Vyasa imparted it to Shukadeva Muni. This is the essence of the Upanishads, this is the knowledge of the ultimate truth.—Maithili Mahopanishad Chapter 5
Valmiki Samhita comes underPanchratric text andLakṣmī Narsimha Bhatt has placed it at 172 place in his workPanchratra Samhitasu[14] and a western scholarF. Otto Schrader has kept Valmiki Samhita at 148 place in his work- Introduction to Panchratra and Ahirbudhnya Samhita.[15]Acharya Baldev Upadhyay has also kept Valmiki Samhita under Panchratric text in his workSanskrit Vangmay Ka Brihad Itihaas.[16] Eminent scholars inIndia likeSwami Karpatri and Anjani Nandan Sharan has kept Valmiki Samhita under a most important text in the worship of Rama and Sita in their worksRamayana Mimansa and Vinay Piyush respectively .[17][18] Valmiki Samhita's mention is also found in other scriptures like Vishwamitra Samhita.[19]