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Vali Vadham 44

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Hari Krishnan • December 19, 2002 


 
The famed gold chain of Indra

Home page line: Vali was wearing this chain in his fight with Dundhubhi as well as Mayavi.  Ravana when he wanted to fight Vali, quite misunderstood thisÂ…

When Sugriva was describing the battle between Dundhubhi and Vali, he mentions that Vali was drunk at that time.  Dundhubhi pointed this out and told Vali that he would give the latter sufficient time to regain his senses and then fight with him.  Vali told him, “Do not (be misled by to) think that I am drunk, if you are not afraid of engaging in a contest (with me).  Let this inebriety (of mine) be construed as (a state of) drunkenness resorted to by a hero on the occasion of this duel (with you).  (Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kanda, Canto 11, Sloka 38)

In the next Sloka, Sugriva says, “Replying to him thus and throwing (about his neck) a chain of gold gifted (to him) by his father, the mighty Indra, Vali stood prepared for an encounter (with the demon), highly enraged.”  It was in his commentary on this Sloka that Govindaraja had mentioned “You will acquire all the strength of your enemy if he comes in front for battle.”  

The complete details on this chain of gold are not given.  However, it is obvious that the chain would empower Vali with half the skills and strength of his opponent, while the strength of the opponent would not in any way be diminished.  In other words, half the strength of the opponent would be added to the strength of Vali but that would not in anyway affect the strength of the opponent.  Otherwise, when Vali was wearing this very same chain in his fight with Mayavi, it should not have taken twenty-eight long months for him to win his battle!  Mayavi was in no way affected by Vali wearing the chain, though ValiÂ’s strength would have without doubt increased by half that of his opponentÂ’s.  

Vali was wearing this chain in his fight with Dundhubhi as well as Mayavi.  Ravana when he wanted to fight Vali, quite misunderstood this and approached Vali from behind when the latter was meditating.  That was an easy win for Vali, however, tying him up in his tail and tucking him under his armpit, he jumped over hills and plunged in the seven seas for his morning ablutions.  

The point is Vali’s gold chain would not have had any effect on Rama in anyway, even if he had chosen to appear before him when he let his arrow loose on him.  In fact, Rama did appear before Vali when he was stuck with his arrow and was lying in the ground.  Vali was wearing his gold chain at that time.  Valmiki says, “Even though he lay fallen to the ground, neither grace nor life breath nor vital energy nor prowess left the body of the high-minded monkey.  The well-known excellent bejewelled chain of gold, bestowed (on him) by Indra (the ruler of gods) preserved the life, vital energy and grace of Vali (the foremost of monkeys).  With that necklace of gold that heroic leader of monkey hordes appeared like a cloud whose outlines are tinged with the (roseate) hues of dusk.  His necklace and body as well as the arrow which pierced his vital parts, even while he lay fallen, shone as though his splendour had been divided into three parts.”  (Ibid, Canto XVII, Sloka 7)

His body was shining; his necklace was shining and the arrow that pierced him was shining and that looked like ValiÂ’s splendour was divided into three parts.  Okay.  What did the necklace do now?  It **preserved** ^the life, vital energy and grace of Vali,^so says the Sloka.  

A question arises now.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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