100 shlokas of Sankshepa Ramayanam - The first chapter of Ramayana

Long ago, on the quiet banks of the river Tamasa, sat the sage Vālmīki. He was a gentle ascetic, but that day his mind was heavy. He wondered about the world, about good and evil, about right and wrong. He wished to know if there lived one person who held all virtues, someone who was strong yet gentle, wise yet humble, mighty yet kind.

As he sat in deep thought, a radiant figure appeared before him. It was Devarṣi Nārada—the sage of the sages, knower of past, present, and future. His presence lit the forest like the rising sun.

Vālmīki bowed with respect.

"O Nārada," he said, "you know all the worlds. Tell me, is there anyone who is truly noble? One who is truthful, fearless, compassionate. One who follows dharma and never turns away from duty. One who is learned in the Vedas, strong in body and mind, yet free from pride. One who loves all beings, who keeps his word, whose beauty and goodness shine like the moon. Does such a person walk upon this earth?"

Nārada smiled, for he knew the answer.

"O great sage," he replied, "there is one. Only one. His name is Rāma, born in the line of Ikṣvāku. He is gentle in speech, firm in virtue, brave in battle, and beloved by all. His strength is like Viṣṇu's, his truth like dharma itself, his patience like the earth, and his radiance like the full moon. He protects the weak, honors his elders, and rules his heart with wisdom."

Nārada then began to recount Rāma's life—his youth in Ayodhyā, his exile to the forest, the devotion of Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa, the battles against fierce rākṣasas, the friendship of Hanumān and Sugrīva, the war in Laṅkā, and the triumph of dharma.

As Vālmīki listened, his heart filled with wonder. He knew he had found the hero worthy of a great story, a story that children and elders, humans and even gods would cherish forever.

And so, with Nārada's blessing, Vālmīki prepared to compose the Rāmāyaṇa, the sacred history of the noble prince Rāma.

This was the beginning.