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Vali Vadham 42

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Hari Krishnan • December 18, 2002 


Would Vali have fought Rama?


Rt. Hon'ble Srinivasa Sastriyar, quoting the great commentator of Valmiki, Govindaraja, observes as follows on this point.  "To throw some light upon this I will read to you two of the comments of the greater exegetists.  Govindaraja himself - no man can claim to be a greater Rama baktha than he - does not mince his words over the question.  He says Â… Â…that is, Vali knowing the great skill in battle of his antagonist, might have made his submission and when submission is made Rama was not the man to go forward with a battle.  He must at once grant protection to the saranagata.  In that case the promise that he had made would be frustrated."

It is more than obvious now that Vali did not have the kind of anger or hatred against Rama and on top of it was very much aware of the supremacy of Rama and that he lacked the fuel that would have led him to a 'fight to the last' with Rama.  The explanation of Lakshmana sounds convincing.

Sastriyar gives another explanation.  "Now what do you think would have been Rama's fate if he had actually entered upon a straight face to face fight with Vali?  I do not that say he would have lost.  No.  That is not my point.  But let us remember that the fight between Ravana and Sri Rama is described by the Poet as having lasted for seven days, that there was no remission or relaxation of the struggle, that it continued to be of the same intensity all those days and nights that there was no moment when either combatant failed in his vigilance or in the exercise of his greatest strength.  

Now if that was the case later on with Ravana, with Vali the fight would have lasted at least for seven or eight days.  Sugriva's patience would have been lost.  He would have been stricken with fear and Rama's promise to dispose of Valid that day would not have been carried out.  And you know in the style of the battles of those days, when you have a straight fight, you do not kill your enemy straightway.  The first arrow never succeeds.  Your arrow is resisted by the other man's arrows and you try a second time, a third time, a fourth time, etc.  It is only after the enemy is exhausted and you too are getting nearly exhausted, that the issue is finally decided.  That would have been the result of a straight encounter between Vali and Rama.  Never doubting for a moment that Rama would have come out victorious, it is at the same time clear that he would have to be carrying on for many days this well-maintained struggle and that perhaps by that time Sugriva would have lost his patience completely."

There is a point there.  Rama had promised Sugriva that he would dispatch Vali the very day.  

And there is this story about Vali's much talked about boon that he would acquire half the strength of the opponent.  Govindaraja interprets Valmiki to mean, 'full strength'.  To put it in the words of Sastriyar, Govindaraja says "You will acquire all the strength of your enemy if he comes in front for battle."  

'That's it you see,' people chuckle.  'That was precisely the reason why Rama hid behind the tree.  He was afraid that he would lose his strength, if he appeared before Vali.'  

Can it be so?  I am afraid that this question of the so-called boon of Vali has not been studied in proper light.  In the first place, it was not a boon - that is it was not like the boons that Hiranya, Ravana or anyone else for that matter received.  



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