The ascetic Valmiki asked Narada — the eminent sage, foremost of those skilled in speech, devoted to penance and Vedic study — the following question.
Ramayana
श्रीमद्वाल्मीकिरामायणम्
मूल श्लोकः
तपःस्वाध्यायनिरतं तपस्वी वाग्विदां वरम्। नारदं परिपप्रच्छ वाल्मीकिर्मुनिपुङ्गवम्॥
tapaḥ-svādhyāya-nirataṁ tapasvī vāg-vidāṁ varam nāradaṁ paripapraccha vālmīkir muni-puṅgavam
VR 1.1001