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Vali Vadham 11

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Hari Krishnan • December 5, 2002 


The Mayavi incident

Mayavi was an ogre, and was elder to Dundhubhi. Vali and Mayavi had a personal issue to settle, on account of a woman.  "While he justly ruled over his ancestral kingdom, I remained submissive to him at all times and stood like his servant.  There was a glorious son of the demon Maya, elder than Dundhubhi.  The said Vali formerly had a bitter enmity with him on account of a woman," says Sugriva.  (Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kanda, Canto 9, Sloka 4)

Mayavi arrived at dead of night in Kishkindha and challenged Vali to a single combat.  Vali accepted the challenge and soon Mayavi could resist him no further.  He then ran into a cave.  Vali ran after him with the intention of killing him.  Sugriva followed him.  Vali posted him at the mouth of the cave and asked him to stand guard there till he came back, killing Mayavi.  Twenty-eight months passed from that day.  There was no sign of either Vali or Mayavi coming out of the cave.  Sounds of anger and pain were heard outside.

"Since I did not perceive my (elder) brother with my own eyes (all these long months) my mind began to apprehend his death.  Nay concluding him to have been killed (by the demon) I for my part was overcome by a feeling of misgiving through affection.  Then, on seeing after a long time blood mixed with foam emerged from the aforesaid hole, I felt extremely distressed because of that.  The yell of thundering demons too reached my ears, while the noise of my elder brother, even though he was roaring while engaged in the encounter, did not fall on my ears.  By recourse to reason on the strength of the aforesaid indications, I for my part, concluded my (elder) brother to have been killed.  Nay, blocking up the mouth of the hole with a rock as big as a hillock, and offering water (to the spirit of deceased), stricken as I was with grief, I returned to Kishkindha, O friend!  Although I concealed the truth*, the secret was learnt by the ministers with effort."  (Ibid, Sloka 16-20)

*What Sugriva means here is that he did not inform the ministers and his people of his apprehension that Vali might have died and that the fact was found out by themselves.  

But that still leaves Sugriva open to criticism.  If he suspected that Vali was killed by Mayavi, why did he not rush in, to help Vali?  Why did he block the mouth of the cave with a hillock?  If he was afraid of facing Mayavi single-handed, why did he not spread the information, collect enough number of their warriors to eliminate Mayavi?  

Sastriyar asks, "Is he a hero and dutiful brother, who knowing that his brother was inside the cave, closes the cave by means of a huge rock and walks away to become king and the husband of his wife? No doubt Sugriva thought at the time that it was not Mayavi that had been killed by Vali, but that it was Vali that had been killed by Mayavi.  What grounds he had to think so, the Poet does not say; nor does Sugriva himself say.  He saw blood coming out after one year* of waiting.  It might be the Asura's blood or not.  Sugriva imagined that it was Vali's and hoping to shut the evil Rakshasa in, he put a huge rock.  But we cannot forget that people might ask, "If he was not sure, why not make sure by walking in?  Why did he not take his monkeys?  People must have put that question and come to their own conclusion.  Only we know that the Poet does not make an open censure of Sugriva's conduct, but gives a charitable construction and says that he was by no means anxious to become a king, but that his ministers fo

That was a difficult position indeed.  Kamban circumvents this point so beautifully.  It is wonderful that his study of the original was so deep, critical, positive and objective.  He proves his craftsmanship once again.  

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