File:Ratnakar to Valmiki.PNG

Ratnakar to Valmik
Narada after thinking for a while asked him to chant the name of God Rama but for Ratnakar even pronouncing it was difficult. When Narada saw that even after trying very hard, Ratnakar was not successful in his attempts to chant Rama's name, he asked him to pronounce it backward that is 'Mara' and then Narada went away. Ratnakar started to chant 'Mara, Mara' sitting there. Ratnakar sat down in the forest and continued chanting with closed eyes. His concentration was so deep that he remained in meditation for years. He sat there so long in meditation that an anthill grew all around and above him!

One day Narada came that way and carefully cleared away anthill. With a kind smile, Narada declared Ratnakar a sage, "As you are now reborn from a 'Val-Mika' (ant-hill), from now you'll be known as Valmiki.