When Valmiki initially intends to compose the Ramayana, he goes to take a bath in the Tamasa river. There, he sees a couple of Krounchi birds flying & cooing charmingly together. A hunter kills the male bird and the female bird wails & grieves. Valmiki curses the hunter.
मा निषाद प्रतिष्ठां त्वमगमः शाश्वतीः समाः |
यत् क्रौञ्चमिथुनादेकमवधीः काममोहितम् || १-२-१५
The violent hunter is cursed to never have peace for having killed one of the passionate birds.
However, here is a problem. The first verse for a divine epic poem needs to be something positive. He has instead, uttered a curse. How can he start the Ramayana with a curse?
It turns out that this verse has one more meaning.
Ravana, with your passion, you killed (through abduction/torture) one of birds (Rama & Sita) who were flying from forest to forest, your glory in Lanka is at its zenith and will wane now.
However, this is still a negative verse. Is there a different meaning?
At this point, Brahma, the creator arrives. Valmiki explains his predicament. Brahma tells him that Goddess Saraswati was on his tongue when he uttered this verse, and this verse is actually positive.
He explains yet another meaning of this verse.
Rama (as Vishnu, Mother Lakshmi's abode), for having killed Ravana who abducted Sita in a moment of passion & relieving the world of evil, you will gain everlasting divinity.
Brahma then blesses Valmiki that his Ramayana will exist as long as mountains & rivers exist on the earth.
Thus starts the Ramayana by Valmiki, called the Adi Kavyam (first poem epic), with an incredible verse that has three meanings.
References:
https://valmikiramayan.net/utf8/baala/sarga2/bala_2_frame.htm
https://theindiandharma.wordpress.com/2017/03/24/episode-24-lord-brahma-rephrases-valmiki-maharishis-first-sloka/
Ramayanam Upanyasam in Sunnyvale a decade back by Shri Velukkudi Krishnan
