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Vali Vadham 23

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Hari Krishnan • December 12, 2002 


Vali and his regard for Rama


Sugriva challenged Vali from the outskirts of Kishkindha.  'idithu urappi vandhu pOr edhirthiyEl adarppen endru' 'If you come out and fight with me, I will kill you,' he boomed in a voice like thunder 'adithalangal kotti' thumped his feet (on the earth) 'vaai madithu' pouted his lips 'alangu thOl pudaithu' drummed on his shoulders with his paw.  Vali was sleeping and when he heard this shout, he was angered beyond control and jumped to his feet to kill Sugriva the very same moment.  As far as Vali was concerned, it was long overdue.  He jumped up from his bed with shouts of 'Here I come' and was about to rush out to meet Sugriva.  

Tara, wife of Vali, stopped him for she had the intelligence report on the alliance between Rama and Sugriva.  Valmiki defers this to a later scene.  That is, Sugriva was overpowered by Vali in the first encounter and escaped from him.  He was so upset with Rama (in Valmiki Ramayana) that he did not keep his word.  Kamban cuts all arguments of Sugriva short at that stage.  We will see how it is dealt with by Kamban, a little later.

Rama pacified him saying that he could not distinguish between the two of them and asks Lakshmana to pluck a Gajapuspi creeper and makes a garland of it for Sugriva to wear and sends him back to challenge Vali once again.  It is when Sugriva calls Vali for a second encounter that Tara lets out the information that she has reliable report from Angada.  "I shall communicate (to you) today the useful report which has already been heard by me from the mouth of Prince Angada speaking (on one occasion), O gallant one!  The aforesaid Prince Angada for his part had (once) gone to the interior of the forest.  The following news which was broken (to him) by spies conveyed by him (to me).  (Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kanda, Canto XIV, Sloka 15-16)

Now if such intelligence was available, no woman would allow her husband to go for what she considers to be potentially risky right in the first instance.  Kamban shifts the scene to its appropriate place and Tara tells Vali, 'My dear king, Sugriva is no match to you and has been beaten by you times without number.  If he comes back and challenges you without fear, there must be some strong reason behind this.  It is not logical to think that he became so powerful overnight.  There must therefore be some powerful ally that he has obtained.  That is why he is challenging you.  Please think over it.'

Vali patiently listed his past exploits and tried to pacify her.  She persisted.  'annadhu kEttavaL' She who listened to the Vali's words 'arasa, aayavarkku in uyir natpu amaindhu iraaman enbavan' My King, (I hear that) a person by name Rama has 'un uyir kOdalukku udan vandhaan' come to take your life away 'ena thunniya anbinar sollinaar endral'.  I was informed thus by reliable sources who love us.  

Notice the use of the word iraaman enbavan a person by name Rama.  Or in the modern journalistic usage, one Mr. Rama.  That shows Tara was not aware who Rama was.  But not Vali.  He knew who Rama was.  He knew what he did.  He had great regards for him.  


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



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