> The famous sage Valmiki was a Shudra who became a Brahmin by composing the epic Ramayana. Could you cite a reference ? The traditional stories that I have he

> The famous sage Valmiki was a Shudra who became a Brahmin by composing the epic Ramayana. Could you cite a reference ? The traditional stories that I have heard from my grandparents tells a different story. That he was born Agni Sharma (Brahmin) and acquired the name Valmiki for reciting the words "death" (mara) which repeated seemed he was chanting "Rama".