Vālmīki (Cyclopedia of World Authors)
Vālmīki (vahl-MEE-kee) is one of those ancient authors who tantalize scholars because so little is known or can be known about them. According to Hindu tradition, Vālmīki lived in 867,000 b.c.e.; Westernized scholars have offered their own guesses ranging from about 700 b.c.e. to approximately 500 c.e. Vālmīki may be a legend that people long ago created to account for a great work of literature. The traditional story is that Vālmīki was a highway robber. Priests told him to ask his family, whom he supported through his thefts, whether they would be willing to share in hell the...
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