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Vali Vadham 47

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Hari Krishnan • December 20, 2002 


The grandeur of Vali


Despite all that Vali is a grand character.  The creation of Valmiki is without doubt excellent and it is further honed in the hands of Kamban.  It is natural and obvious that the best of any character comes out and reaches its point of culmination when the character is live and kicking.  It is a pathetic fact that the greatness of Vali comes out at the time of his death, just minutes before he gives up the ghost.  His words uttered at his last moments would evoke tears from even the hard-hearted.

'aviyuru manathan aagi' His mind thus pacified and convinced, 'aRath thiran azhiyach cheyyaan puviyudai aNNal enbadhu eNNinan' he thought that he who owns the earth (Rama) would not do a deed that is not right. 

'What you have done is correct and I deserve to be punished.  I spoke ill of you and used harsh words against you.  Bear with me for those words I spoke to you, senselessly and out of pain.  "(Pray) propitiated by me, O powerful ruler of men, possessed of terrible prowess and vying with the mighty Indra, forgive whatever you have been unwittingly told by me, agonized as I was with pain caused by your arrow and (therefore) confounded."  (Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kanda, Canto 18, Sloka 66)

'Kindly listen to me.  I have a few submissions to make.  My brother Sugriva has in fact done me good.  He brought you here to kill me.  I do not feel bad about it at all nor do I have any kind of regret or remorse over what he did.  'paNdodu indru alavumE en perum pazha vinaith thandame adiyanErkku uru padham tharuvadhE'.  All the effects of my past misdeeds have been wiped off by your punishment.  Your single arrow that bore through my chest took them away.  The doors of salvation are now open for me.  'vetru arasu eidhi embi veetu arasu enakku vittaan.'  My brother has taken a very ordinary kingdom from me and has given me the kingdom of heaven.  

Those are the words of a realised soul, observes Sri VVS Aiyar.  He says, "Val's addresses to Sugriva and Angada and Rama are a masterly study of how the clarified soul will look upon the affairs of the world after attaining jnana.  He not only exonerates his brother of his murder, but looks upon him as one who helped him to attain the highest salvation."

What is more moving is the other request that Vali placed before Rama.  'You have very loyal brothers.  They may not think of my brother kindly.  They may even speak ill of him. 'embiyai umbimaaragal than munaik kolvithaan endru igazhvarel' if your brothers talk ill of my brother saying that 'this is the younger one who killed his elder.'  If that happens, it is your duty to stop them from doing so."  

"Rama, I am entrusting my younger brother to you.  If at any time he falters, he fails, he misbehaves or commits any sinful deed, please bear with him.  'poo iyal naravam maandhi pundhi vEru utra pOzhdhil' He may drink and his mind may go astray.  At such time, 'theevinai iyatrumEnum' even if he commits misdeeds, 'en mEl Eviya pagazhi kootrinai Eval' please desist from aiming the arrow that you aimed at me.  Bear with him."



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



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