Who is Valmiki?

The Adikavi and the Origins of Lyric Poetry

Abstract

This article examines the Valmiki Ramayana’s status as the adikavya (“original poem”) by tracing the poetic awakening of Valmiki and its implications for the origin of lyric poetry in Sanskrit literary tradition. Challenging the later interpretations by rasa-dhvani theorists who see Valmiki’s first verse as a sublimation of personal sorrow into aesthetic universality, the article argues that this aestheticization also serves as a normative appropriation that reabsorbs the disruptive force of viraha (anguish of separation) into the cultural ideals of Brahmanical order. The article situates Valmiki’s poetic genesis in the “kraunca incident,” where his intense emotional response to the killing of a mating bird becomes the source of the first shloka. The use of the term dvija (twice-born/bird) subtly positions Valmiki in empathetic identification with the victim. The paradox of poetry emerging from anger and grief—emotions traditionally seen as transgressive—raises questions about the moral and aesthetic foundations of the Ramayana. Additionally, the article contrasts this with Narada’s earlier idealized summary of Rama’s life, which omits Sita’s separation, thereby revealing a tension between ideal dharmic order and raw emotional rupture. Ultimately, the article shows how the Ramayana both contains and transforms emotional extremes into foundational literary expressions, while preserving cultural norms through the act of poetic composition.