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Vali Vadham 26

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Hari Krishnan • December 13, 2002 


Unable to distinguish


As could be expected Vali soon beat Sugriva to a pulp.  Sugriva could not take it any more and he ran back.  Vali chased him.  "Exhausted and battered with the blows (of Vali) his (whole) body bathed in blood, and chased in anger by Vali, he entered the large forest (occupied by sage Matanga).  Seeing him having penetrated into the forest and saying 'Indeed you are spared' the aforesaid Vali, even though possessed of extraordinary might, desisted from the pursuit due to fear of the curse."  (Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kanda, Canto XII, Sloka 23-23).

On seeing Rama, Sugriva could not hold it any more.  He gently upbraids Rama.  "Having demonstrated your prowess and saying to me 'Challenge Vali (to a duel), what have you done now by getting me smitten by the enemy?  In all faith it should have been pointed out by you that very moment: 'I am not going to kill Vali.'    Then I would not have moved from this place.'  (Ibid, Sloka 26-27)

Valmiki's Sugriva has a genuine reason to speak these words to his ally.  Rama was his ally and he could speak those words freely.  'You came to me.  You wanted some help from me and you promised some help in return.  You went to the extent of proving your prowess.  But when it came to the actual battle, you failed me.  You let me down.  You did not keep your word.'

And Rama had his reason.  We all know the reason.  Let's hear it through Valmiki's verse.  "Sugriva, dear brother, let anger be banished (from your mind) and the reason why this deadly arrow was not discharged by me be heard.  You, O Sugriva, and Vali resemble each other in personal embellishment, costume, stature and gait too.  I do not perceive any distinction between you in voice as well as in splendour, in look, and in prowess as well as in speech.  Puzzled as I was by the likeness of your features, O jewel among the monkeys, I did not let fly the deadly and terrible arrow possessed of great velocity and capable of destroying the enemy." (Ibid, Sloka 29-31)

'I did not discharge my arrow lest by accident I kill you instead of Vali.  And if I did so, what happens to the search of Sita and the mission.  "You are our refuge in this forest," (Ibid, Sloka 35) 'and therefore go once again and challenge him for a single combat again.'  So saying, Rama told Lakshmana to pluck a gajapuspi creeper and make a garland of it for Sugriva to wear it during his second combat with his brother, for the sake of distinction.

Some are not able to accept this explanation of Rama.  'If he could not distinguish, he could have asked Hanuman who was standing by his side,' they argue.  The fact that Rama did not kill Vali in the first instance indicates a conflict in his mind, they contend.  Though we have no right to doubt the words of Sri Rama and are bound to accept his reason for it, the greatest of Ramayana scholars and commentators and one of the greatest of Rama bhaktas, Govindaraja has something else to mention here.  Srinivasa Sastriyar quotes Govindaraja expounding a conflict in the mind of Rama at the moment.

We will study it in our next instalment.



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