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The Valmiki Samhita (Sanskrit: वाल्मीकिसंहिता, romanized: Vālmīkisaṁhitā) is a Sanskrit text of six chapters. It comes under the Narada Panchratra. The Valmiki Samhita[1] is attributed to the worship of Rama and Sita. It describes them to be the ultimate reality.
| Valmiki Samhita | |
|---|---|
| Pancharatra | |
| Information | |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Author | Valmiki |
| Language | Sanskrit |
| Chapters | 6 |
| Verses | 529 |
According to the Valmiki Samhita, Rama is Svayam Bhagavan whose abode is higher than the highest and who is considered as the origin of Chaturvyuha, namely Vasudeva, Sankarshana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha.[2] And from him the lineage of Shadakshar 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 to Bhavishya Purana only Hymns mentioned in Valmiki Samhita's are allowed to write not the entire as it also contains vedic portion as Maithili 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]
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- First Chapter: This chapter, containing 69 shlokas, is known as Vedotpatti Nirupanam. In this chapter, Brahma reveals that the lord of the Vedas are Rama and Sita.[5]
- Second Chapter: This chapter with 86 shlokas is known as Vishishtadvaita Siddhanta Nirupanam. In this chapter for the very first time the word Vishishtadvaita was used. Here in this chapter is a detailed explanation of Vishishtadvaita Philosophy.[6]
- Third Chapter: This chapter, 109 shlokas long, is known as Rama Mantra Mahatmaya Varnanam. In this chapter a detailed glorification of Sri Ram Mantraraj (The Mantra King of Rama, i.e. Ram Shadakshar Mantra, rāṃ rāmāya namaḥ) is described as well as how the mantra of Rama came to this earth.[7]
- Fourth Chapter: This 35-shloka chapter is known as Urdhvapundra Nirupanam. In this chapter the glory of the Urdhva Pundra is described and why it should be applied on forehead.[8]
- Fifth Chapter: This chapter is known as Kalakshepa Vidhi Nirupanam. This 76-shloka chapter contains the complete Maithili Maha Upanishad (attached with Atharvaveda) in which the lineage of Sri Ram Mantraraj (The Mantra King of Rama, i.e. Ram Shadakshar Mantra, rāṃ rāmāya namaḥ) is described by Sita to seven sages including Lātyāna.[9]
- Sixth Chapter: This is the last chapter of Valmiki Samhita and is known as Prakridvishaya Nirupanam. There are a total of 154 shlokas in the sixth chapter.[10]
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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 to Parvati by Shiva. This Upaniṣad describes the lineage of Sri Ram Mantraraj (i.e. Ram Shadakshar Mantra, rāṃ rāmāya namaḥ)[13]
Maithili Mahopanishad
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
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Valmiki Samhita comes under Panchratric text and Lakṣmī Narsimha Bhatt has placed it at 172 place in his work Panchratra Samhitasu[14] and a western scholar F. 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 work Sanskrit Vangmay Ka Brihad Itihaas.[16] Eminent scholars in India like Swami Karpatri and Anjani Nandan Sharan has kept Valmiki Samhita under a most important text in the worship of Rama and Sita in their works Ramayana Mimansa and Vinay Piyush respectively .[17][18] Valmiki Samhita's mention is also found in other scriptures like Vishwamitra Samhita.[19]
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