Valmiki
Legendary Indian poet and sage, revered as the first poet (Adi Kavi) and author of the Ramayana.
Chronology: Unknown – Unknown
Origins & Early Life
Valmiki (; Sanskrit: वाल्मीकि, romanized: Vālmīki, lit. 'from an anthill', [ʋɑːlmiːki]) was a legendary poet and Hindu maharishi (sage) who is celebrated as the traditional author of the smriti epic Ramayana, one of Hinduism's two Itihasas, based on the attribution in the text itself. He is revered as Ādi Kavi (Sanskrit: आदिकवि), the first poet, author of Ramayana, the first epic poem. The Ramayana, originally written by Valmiki, consists of 24,000 shlokas and seven cantos (kaṇḍas).
Pivotal Works & Achievements
The Ramayana is composed of about 480,002 words, being a quarter of the length of the full text of the Mahabharata or about four times the length of the Iliad. The Ramayana tells the story of a prince, Rama of the city of Ayodhya in the Kingdom of Kosala, whose wife Sita is abducted by Ravana, the demon-king (Rakshasa) of Lanka. The scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th to 4th centuries BCE, and later stages extending up to the 3rd century CE, although original date of composition is unknown. As with many traditional epics, it has gone through a process of interpolations and redactions, making it impossible to date accurately. British satirist Aubrey Menen says that...
Enduring Legacy & Impact
The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.
Source: Wikipedia