Valmiki was supposed to be an abandoned child having high parentage. He was brought up in the lower strata of the society; and grew up as a dacoit. It is said that he once encountered a sage (Devrishi Narada) and not finding much made him a hostage. The sage started reasoning with Valmiki, which ultimately inspired him to change his ways. He finally took to the life of an ascetic.
Valmiki, though a learned sage, was not accepted among the Brahmins due to his earlier background. Sita, the wife of King Ram had been abandoned by Ram due to the increased social pressure from his subjects. She reached the ashram of Valmiki and gave birth to twin sons. They were named Luv and Kush and were being brought up in the ashram under the tutelage of Valmiki.
Valmiki, though a learned sage, was not accepted among the Brahmins due to his earlier background. Sita, the wife of King Ram had been abandoned by Ram due to the increased social pressure from his subjects. She reached the ashram of Valmiki and gave birth to twin sons. They were named Luv and Kush and were being brought up in the ashram under the tutelage of Valmiki.
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Ram had by then become a strong king. King Ram had powerful rulers as friends all across the Indian subcontinent. The systems ushered in by King Ram were much superior to those of his predecessors. Ram-Rajya or "the way Ram rules" had the acceptance of all the classes of the society. Ayodhya was now the strong kingdom and King Ram was planning to perform the Ashwamedh Yajna, which would have made him the ruler of all lands at that time.
Here Valmiki saw an excellent opportunity to create Ramayan, the story of King Ram to be recited during the Ashwamedh Yajna. The medium during those times was primarily vocal. Luv and Kush were the best possible advocates for the venture named Ramayan, the story of King Ram himself.
In Ramayan, Valmiki highlighted the incidents in which the people of the lower strata stood by Ram, in all walks of his life. This not only enhanced the position of the lower class, but also helped Valmiki to catapult to the status of a great Guru and the greatest of the poets of ancient India.
