Having stopped questioning further, Śrī Vālmīki asserts here that he is in an inquisitive mood, not a challenging mood. His attitude is: “If you are pleased to answer my questions, kindly do so. I am not ordering or obliging you. I am just curious out of astonishment.”

The word hi can mean “for” indicating a reason or “obviously.” By observing Vālmīki’s delighted face, Śrī Nārada would have understood his nonchallenging attitude. Formerly unhappy about not having a teacher to answer these questions of his, he is now desirous of receiving answers from His Divine Grace Śrī Nārada Muni.

Maharṣe, “O great sage,” indicates that the sage Vālmīki considered that because Śrī Nārada was a great sage, he would know about the subject he has inquired about. This is in line with the rule that a candidate seeking knowledge should infer the extent of a teacher’s knowledge before surrendering unto him as a disciple. The word ṛṣi refers to a person who is thoroughly well-versed in Vedic knowledge. And Nārada Muni was a maharṣi because he had learnt all about the object of Vālmīki’s questions in detail from Lord Brahmā himself. “Why shouldn’t the great sage answer my questions?” Vālmīki thought.

The word naram is synonymous with puruṣam, “person.”¹

One might object as follows:

“But these questions by Vālmīki don’t seem consistent because Vālmīki was undoubtedly aware of everything concerning Lord Rāma. This statement will appear in Canto 2 (Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa):

iti sītā ca rāmaś ca lakṣmaṇaś ca kṛtāñjaliḥ
abhigamyāśramaṁ sarve vālmīkim abhivādayan

‘With their palms joined in submission, Sītā, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa reached [Vālmīki’s] āśrama. They introduced Themselves and honored Vālmīki.’ (Rāmāyaṇa 2.56.16)

“And how can Vālmīki, a citizen of Lord Rāma’s kingdom, not know about His attributes? He himself will describe the state of affairs during Rāma’s presence:

viṣaye te mahārāja rāma-vyasana-karśitāḥ
api vṛkṣāḥ parimlānāḥ sa-puṣpāṅkura-korakāḥ

‘Mahārāja, in your kingdom, even the trees, with their flowers, sprouts and buds have withered, distressed over Rāma’s calamity.’ (Rāmāyaṇa 2.57.8)

“And how is it possible for this sage to not know the glory of Śrī Rāma when every individual citizen in His kingdom knew it? For it will be observed:

rāmo rāmo rāma iti prajānām abhavan kathāḥ
rāma-bhūtaṁ jagad abhūd rāme rājyaṁ praśāsati

‘All talks of the citizens were about Rāma, about Rāma and about Rāma. The entire world was filled with consciousness of Rāma when Rāma ruled His kingdom.’ (Rāmāyaṇa 6.131.101)

“And how is it appropriate for the sage to inquire from Nārada who had just descended from Satyaloka thus, for which Nārada Muni answers, ‘There is a person known to the people as Rāma’ (Rāmāyaṇa 1.1.8)?”

The answer to these questions is as follows: The question does not explicitly reveal the factual intention of the questioner. Nor does the answer reveal the factual intention of the answerer. It is also impossible for Vālmīki to be curious to know about a person [other than Rāma] having such qualities when [in fact] he knows all about Lord Rāma’s activities, as such knowledge was a mere āmalaka fruit in his hand. And Nārada Muni, before beginning to answer the sage’s questions, states that he would think and reply (Rāmāyaṇa 1.1.7).² That would also be inappropriate if the question and answer factually mean nothing more than what they appear to be.

Rather, in accordance with the questioner and the thoughtful answerer, it should be understood that the factual meaning of the question is: Is the Supreme Truth that is understood as possessing various auspicious attributes in the various systems of meditation in the Upaniṣads Lord Viṣṇu or one of the worshipable deities headed by Lord Rudra?

Having understood the inner intent of Vālmīki, His Divine Grace Nārada answered that the Supreme Person who is to be known, understood and realized from the Upaniṣads is Lord Viṣṇu in the form of Rāma, and that Brahmā and the other worshipable deities are His menial servants obedient to the movement of His eyebrows, absolutely dependent on Him. He also intends to point out that the words sat “the Eternal Being,” brahma “the Great Being,” ātmā “the Ultimate Soul” (found in the Upaniṣads while referring to the Absolute Truth) culminate in reference to or describe partial aspects of Lord Viṣṇu and that all of the qualities of the Supreme Absolute Truth described in all of the Upaniṣads are found in Lord Rāma.

Therefore, these questions and answers by these two sages are perfect and nondefective.