वाल्मीकि [ vālmīki ] [ vālmīki ] m. ( incorrectly [ vālmiki ] ) N. of the celebrated author of the Rāmâyaṇa (so called , according to some , because when immersed in thought he allowed himself to be overrun with ants like an anthill ; he was no doubt a Brāhman by birth and closely connected with the kings of Ayodhyā ; he collected the different songs and legendary tales relating to Rāma-candra and welded them into one continuous poem , to which later additions may have been made ; he is said to have invented the Śloka metre , and probably the language and style of Indian epic poetry owe their definite form to him ; according to one tradition he began life as a robber , but repenting be took himself to a hermitage on a hill in the district of Banda in Bundelkund , where he eventually received Sītā , the wife of Rāma , when banished by her husband ; cf. Lit. IW. 314 ; 315 ) Lit. MBh. Lit. R.

  of a son of Garuḍa Lit. MBh.

  of a grammarian Lit. TPrāt.

  N. of the authors of various works (the Yoga-vāsishṭha , the Adbhuta-rāmâyaṇa , and the Gaṅgāshṭaka) Lit. Cat.

  ( with [ kavi ] ) of the son of Rudra-maṇi Tri-pāṭhin and author of the Ramalêndu-prakāśa Lit. ib.