When we speak on Kishkinda, all we remember is the fight between Vali and Sugreeva in which Lord Rama killed Vali by hiding behind a tree. Lord Rama’s killing of Vali from behind is elaborately discussed in Valmiki Ramayana itself and also analysed by subsequent acharyas. That one act does seem to be a stain on to otherwise spotless and virtuous character. Vali himself fumes and rants at the apparent injustice in being killed while be engaged in a duel with another. And Lord Rama Himself answers. So let us see what Lord Rama answers.
Vali when he is hit by Lord Rama’s arrow, which is capable of rending the earth, falls in pain and he looks around and sees Lord Rama coming there with a smile on His face. In a fit of rage amidst his agony, he says, “I thought you are a virtuous person. How could you have done such a vicious act? I think it is because of your association with this vicious person Sugreeva that you have also become spoiled.” Lord Rama smiles and He says, “O Vali, it seems that with the deterioration of the body even the intelligence gets deteriorated. You are accusing me of immorality without understanding the intricacies of dharma.” Lord Rama further says that I am the servant of Bharat who is currently the ruler of the world. Lord Rama’s consciousness can be seen here. He is not saying I am God. He is saying I am the servant of His own younger brother who is the king and I am serving on his behalf. So He says as a member as a servant of the king and the member of the royal Kshatriya class, it is my duty to protect the virtuous and to punish the unrighteous or the vicious. You, O monkey, have for no reason what so ever grievously wronged your faithful younger brother Sugreeva. Although there was no fault of his, you attacked him, you insulted him, you exiled him and you threatened to take his very life. Not only that you even took up his own wife as your wife. And because of this you are an aggressor, an Aatatai. In the Vedic scriptures, it is described that person coming as an aggressor with the malevolent intention, he deserves to be killed and there is no sin in killing such a person by whatever means. So if somebody comes to kill, somebody comes to abduct one’s wife to exploit and abuse her, somebody comes to steal away one’s property, somebody tries to destroy one’s property with arson, in all these cases, the aggressor can be killed, not just by anyone but by the Kshatriyas. By those who are meant to be upholders of law and they incur no sin for killing such aggressors. The Kshatriyas are like the policeman and Aatatai are like the criminals. So Lord Rama says that because you for no good reason wronged your brother so viciously, it is my duty to kill you and to give justice to your brother. And that is why I have killed you. This is the first and foremost reason.
And then the Lord says further that you know you are a monkey and as a hunter can kill an animal without necessarily confronting it, a hunter can kill an animal while being in a tree, while being concealed in the bushes, so the Kshatriyas codes allows one to do that. That’s why I have killed you and I have done nothing wrong. And then Lord Rama goes further and says, “O Vali, if you still feel that I have wronged you than I can give you back your life right now.”
Actually, Sri U. Ve. Velukkudi Krishnan Swami explained things briefly, but there are pages and pages of this in Valmiki Ramayana and subsequent acharyas give this elaboration about Lord Rama’s further conversation.
So when Vali hears all the answers that Lord Rama is giving and he hears His powerful and sweet voice, he becomes purified. Ultimately Vali is not evil; Vali is not a demon like Ravana. He is a powerful person and his power to some extent went to his head and he seriously misunderstood Sugriva’s intentions. So the arrogance which has come because of his power now was removed by the arrow that burned through his body, through his heart. So actually Lord Rama’s arrow and Lord Rama’s words purified him and they brought forth his natural devotion. And Vali at that time said, “My dear Lord, lives I’ll get many, but a death like this when will I get again. To die in Your presence is the greatest fortune and it is a perfection of life. I seek only that I can behold Your face and die in your presence.” And Vali being completely purified, he gave his own necklace which was given to him as a source of his power and as long as he was wearing that necklace he could not die. That’s how he was able to stay alive even after being pierced by Lord Rama’s arrow to talk with him for so long. He took that necklace and he gave it not to his own son but he gave it to Sugreeva. Now, it’s natural for him to give it to his son. And nobody could have blamed him because that would have made his son invincible. But actually Vali himself was so convinced and transformed by Lord Rama’s answer that he realized that I have wronged Sugreeva and to seek forgiveness to Sugreeva, he gave him his own necklace. And before giving that necklace he told Angada, his son; don’t bear any animosity against Sugreeva or Rama because they have not killed me. It is my own bad deeds that have caused my death. Please serve Sugreeva as you have served me and please serve Lord Rama as The Supreme Lord.
And then he told Lord Rama that please let the hatred that the Sugreeva and his associates may have had against me, not be expressed against Tara, his wife or Angada. Lord Rama smiled and said, not at all. In fact when Sugreeva saw Vali’s change of heart, Sugreeva became remorseful. And if we see, Sugreeva was not at all eager to go for the kingdom. After receiving that necklace from his brother Vali, Vali felt dead. While dying he uttered the names of Rama and attained the exalted spiritual destination. Sugreeva felt remorseful and he said, “I have killed my own brother. How can I become the king and take care of the kingdom.” Then Lord Rama told him that - follow the instructions of your brother that is the way you can please him. He wants you to become the king.
When Lord Rama answered Vali’s question, Vali was convinced but unfortunately people who read the Ramayana are not convinced. Vali was convinced and the conviction was demonstrated through his transformation.
Still the question may remain, why did Lord Rama have to kill Vali like that? Why He didn't kill him directly in the battle. He could have. Vali had earlier performed tapasya and got blessings from the gods. He wanted immortality but he could not get immortality from any of the gods; because only Lord Vishnu, by the performance of pure devotional service, can give us immortality. So he had asked for immortality in an indirect way by saying that whenever I have to fight with anyone let half of that person’s powers come to me. If Vali has power of hundred units, and even some enemy has power of hundred units, equal to him. Then what would happen with Vali’s benediction? That he would have hundred and fifty units power and his opponent would have fifty units. Even his opponent had thousand units of power, if half of his power would come to Vali then his opponent could have left five hundred and could have five hundred plus hundred - six hundred. So Vali has by this tricky benediction ensured his victory always. Lord Rama is the supreme Lord, and He could still have killed Vali anyway, but he honoured the benedictions of the devtas, just as Lord Narsimha Dev came in a special form. Neither man nor lion and killed Hiranyakashyipu in a special way, neither at day time nor at night time but in twilight. Like that Lord Rama in order to honour the benediction of the devtas, arranged to have Vali killed in a way in which he was not facing Him. Vali was looking away from him. This is not told in the Valmiki Ramayana but in the subsequent retellings of the Ramayana.
After doing the "Preta kainkaryams" for Jatayu, Lord Rama & Lakshmana proceeded to a place called Krouncha-aranyam. Lakshmana was going a few yards before Rama. Suddenly, he chanced upon a Raakshasi known as Ayomukhi with wide mouth and ugly appearance. She fell in love with Lakshmana and dragged him to her side asking him to marry her. Lakshmana wriggled out of her grip, cut her nose and ears. She ran away.
A little further off, they came across a figure that had no head but with a wide mouth in its big belly and long hands extending to several miles. The figure was that of a Gandharva turned a demon called "Kabandan" due to a curse of Sage Sthoola Siras. He used to grab whatever and whoever came within the ambit of his long hands, devour them to satisfy his hunger. Rama and Lakshmana somehow got caught, entangled in his grip. He was about to put them in his mouth. Not knowing how to escape his grip, Rama and Lakshmana cut off his hands. Kabandhan took his original from of Gandharva and narrated how the Sage who cursed him also advised him that when Rama and Lakshmana cut his arms, he would be relieved of the curse. Kabandhan requested them to dig a huge pit, burn and bury his body. They did accordingly and Kabandhan attained Svargam. But, before that, he advised Rama and Lakshmana to proceed to a mountain called "Rishya-mookha" where the monkey king Sugreeva was living and asked Rama to seek his friendship saying that Sugreeva would help him in searching for and locating Sita.
On their way to Rishya-mookham, they met with Sabari, an old woman at the hermitage of Sage Matanga. She was a great Bhaktai who was doing kainkaryam to Maharishis. The Maharishis while leaving for higher worlds asked her to remain till Rama came her way when she would attain moksham and join them in Heaven. Accordingly, she gathered ripe fruits, preserved them for offering to Rama. When Rama did arrive, she was happy to offer the fruits and Rama offered her moksham.
{Swami Desika, however, says that Rama was a witness to her attaining Parama-padam implying that it was her Achaarya Bhakti that earned for her moksham and Rama was just a witness to this spectacle}
Wandering in the forest with his brother Lakshmana in search of his wife Sita - kidnapped by the rakshasa king Ravana, Rama meets the rakshasa Kabandha and kills him, freeing him from a curse. The freed Kabandha advises Rama to seek the help of Sugriva to find Sita.
Continuing on his journey, Rama meets Hanuman and is impressed by his intelligence and skills as an orator. This also boosts Rama's confidence in Sugriva. Sugriva tells him the story of how Vali became his enemy. In Sugriva's version, he is entirely innocent and Rama believes him.
Sugriva is very scared of Vali and he is full of doubts that Rama could kill him. He tells him many incredible stories of Vali's power. As proof, he shows Rama a hole in a saal tree which Vali had made in one shot. When it is Rama's turn, he penetrates seven trees of saal in a row with one arrow. After going through the trees, the arrow even makes a strike on a huge rock and splits it into pieces. Sugriva is happy and says, "O Rama, you are great." Rama shoots an arrow through seven Saal trees to prove his power to Sugreeva. As per legend the arrow after passing through seven trees hits a boulder and shatters it to pieces.
Rama asks Sugriva to challenge Vali and bring him outside Kishkindha. As Rama explains later, for 14 years he cannot enter a city. Moreover, Rama does not want any unnecessary bloodbath of Vali's army with whom he wants to maintain friendly relations.
At Kishkinda we saw the place where Ram stood and shot the arrow. We can also see the mountain where Vali & Sugreeva fought. The place of 7 sala viruksham/trees can also be seen. We will see the cave in which Lord Rama and Sugreeva had discussion in our next upcoming articles.
Vali when he is hit by Lord Rama’s arrow, which is capable of rending the earth, falls in pain and he looks around and sees Lord Rama coming there with a smile on His face. In a fit of rage amidst his agony, he says, “I thought you are a virtuous person. How could you have done such a vicious act? I think it is because of your association with this vicious person Sugreeva that you have also become spoiled.” Lord Rama smiles and He says, “O Vali, it seems that with the deterioration of the body even the intelligence gets deteriorated. You are accusing me of immorality without understanding the intricacies of dharma.” Lord Rama further says that I am the servant of Bharat who is currently the ruler of the world. Lord Rama’s consciousness can be seen here. He is not saying I am God. He is saying I am the servant of His own younger brother who is the king and I am serving on his behalf. So He says as a member as a servant of the king and the member of the royal Kshatriya class, it is my duty to protect the virtuous and to punish the unrighteous or the vicious. You, O monkey, have for no reason what so ever grievously wronged your faithful younger brother Sugreeva. Although there was no fault of his, you attacked him, you insulted him, you exiled him and you threatened to take his very life. Not only that you even took up his own wife as your wife. And because of this you are an aggressor, an Aatatai. In the Vedic scriptures, it is described that person coming as an aggressor with the malevolent intention, he deserves to be killed and there is no sin in killing such a person by whatever means. So if somebody comes to kill, somebody comes to abduct one’s wife to exploit and abuse her, somebody comes to steal away one’s property, somebody tries to destroy one’s property with arson, in all these cases, the aggressor can be killed, not just by anyone but by the Kshatriyas. By those who are meant to be upholders of law and they incur no sin for killing such aggressors. The Kshatriyas are like the policeman and Aatatai are like the criminals. So Lord Rama says that because you for no good reason wronged your brother so viciously, it is my duty to kill you and to give justice to your brother. And that is why I have killed you. This is the first and foremost reason.
And then the Lord says further that you know you are a monkey and as a hunter can kill an animal without necessarily confronting it, a hunter can kill an animal while being in a tree, while being concealed in the bushes, so the Kshatriyas codes allows one to do that. That’s why I have killed you and I have done nothing wrong. And then Lord Rama goes further and says, “O Vali, if you still feel that I have wronged you than I can give you back your life right now.”
Actually, Sri U. Ve. Velukkudi Krishnan Swami explained things briefly, but there are pages and pages of this in Valmiki Ramayana and subsequent acharyas give this elaboration about Lord Rama’s further conversation.
So when Vali hears all the answers that Lord Rama is giving and he hears His powerful and sweet voice, he becomes purified. Ultimately Vali is not evil; Vali is not a demon like Ravana. He is a powerful person and his power to some extent went to his head and he seriously misunderstood Sugriva’s intentions. So the arrogance which has come because of his power now was removed by the arrow that burned through his body, through his heart. So actually Lord Rama’s arrow and Lord Rama’s words purified him and they brought forth his natural devotion. And Vali at that time said, “My dear Lord, lives I’ll get many, but a death like this when will I get again. To die in Your presence is the greatest fortune and it is a perfection of life. I seek only that I can behold Your face and die in your presence.” And Vali being completely purified, he gave his own necklace which was given to him as a source of his power and as long as he was wearing that necklace he could not die. That’s how he was able to stay alive even after being pierced by Lord Rama’s arrow to talk with him for so long. He took that necklace and he gave it not to his own son but he gave it to Sugreeva. Now, it’s natural for him to give it to his son. And nobody could have blamed him because that would have made his son invincible. But actually Vali himself was so convinced and transformed by Lord Rama’s answer that he realized that I have wronged Sugreeva and to seek forgiveness to Sugreeva, he gave him his own necklace. And before giving that necklace he told Angada, his son; don’t bear any animosity against Sugreeva or Rama because they have not killed me. It is my own bad deeds that have caused my death. Please serve Sugreeva as you have served me and please serve Lord Rama as The Supreme Lord.
And then he told Lord Rama that please let the hatred that the Sugreeva and his associates may have had against me, not be expressed against Tara, his wife or Angada. Lord Rama smiled and said, not at all. In fact when Sugreeva saw Vali’s change of heart, Sugreeva became remorseful. And if we see, Sugreeva was not at all eager to go for the kingdom. After receiving that necklace from his brother Vali, Vali felt dead. While dying he uttered the names of Rama and attained the exalted spiritual destination. Sugreeva felt remorseful and he said, “I have killed my own brother. How can I become the king and take care of the kingdom.” Then Lord Rama told him that - follow the instructions of your brother that is the way you can please him. He wants you to become the king.
When Lord Rama answered Vali’s question, Vali was convinced but unfortunately people who read the Ramayana are not convinced. Vali was convinced and the conviction was demonstrated through his transformation.
Still the question may remain, why did Lord Rama have to kill Vali like that? Why He didn't kill him directly in the battle. He could have. Vali had earlier performed tapasya and got blessings from the gods. He wanted immortality but he could not get immortality from any of the gods; because only Lord Vishnu, by the performance of pure devotional service, can give us immortality. So he had asked for immortality in an indirect way by saying that whenever I have to fight with anyone let half of that person’s powers come to me. If Vali has power of hundred units, and even some enemy has power of hundred units, equal to him. Then what would happen with Vali’s benediction? That he would have hundred and fifty units power and his opponent would have fifty units. Even his opponent had thousand units of power, if half of his power would come to Vali then his opponent could have left five hundred and could have five hundred plus hundred - six hundred. So Vali has by this tricky benediction ensured his victory always. Lord Rama is the supreme Lord, and He could still have killed Vali anyway, but he honoured the benedictions of the devtas, just as Lord Narsimha Dev came in a special form. Neither man nor lion and killed Hiranyakashyipu in a special way, neither at day time nor at night time but in twilight. Like that Lord Rama in order to honour the benediction of the devtas, arranged to have Vali killed in a way in which he was not facing Him. Vali was looking away from him. This is not told in the Valmiki Ramayana but in the subsequent retellings of the Ramayana.
Chintamani Temple, Anegundi:
This is the place from where Sri Rama fired the lethal arrow at Vali; the ashram is on the river bank on the other side from Hampi. The actual spot abutting the river, from where Sri Rama fired His lethal arrow at Vali.After doing the "Preta kainkaryams" for Jatayu, Lord Rama & Lakshmana proceeded to a place called Krouncha-aranyam. Lakshmana was going a few yards before Rama. Suddenly, he chanced upon a Raakshasi known as Ayomukhi with wide mouth and ugly appearance. She fell in love with Lakshmana and dragged him to her side asking him to marry her. Lakshmana wriggled out of her grip, cut her nose and ears. She ran away.
A little further off, they came across a figure that had no head but with a wide mouth in its big belly and long hands extending to several miles. The figure was that of a Gandharva turned a demon called "Kabandan" due to a curse of Sage Sthoola Siras. He used to grab whatever and whoever came within the ambit of his long hands, devour them to satisfy his hunger. Rama and Lakshmana somehow got caught, entangled in his grip. He was about to put them in his mouth. Not knowing how to escape his grip, Rama and Lakshmana cut off his hands. Kabandhan took his original from of Gandharva and narrated how the Sage who cursed him also advised him that when Rama and Lakshmana cut his arms, he would be relieved of the curse. Kabandhan requested them to dig a huge pit, burn and bury his body. They did accordingly and Kabandhan attained Svargam. But, before that, he advised Rama and Lakshmana to proceed to a mountain called "Rishya-mookha" where the monkey king Sugreeva was living and asked Rama to seek his friendship saying that Sugreeva would help him in searching for and locating Sita.
On their way to Rishya-mookham, they met with Sabari, an old woman at the hermitage of Sage Matanga. She was a great Bhaktai who was doing kainkaryam to Maharishis. The Maharishis while leaving for higher worlds asked her to remain till Rama came her way when she would attain moksham and join them in Heaven. Accordingly, she gathered ripe fruits, preserved them for offering to Rama. When Rama did arrive, she was happy to offer the fruits and Rama offered her moksham.
{Swami Desika, however, says that Rama was a witness to her attaining Parama-padam implying that it was her Achaarya Bhakti that earned for her moksham and Rama was just a witness to this spectacle}
Wandering in the forest with his brother Lakshmana in search of his wife Sita - kidnapped by the rakshasa king Ravana, Rama meets the rakshasa Kabandha and kills him, freeing him from a curse. The freed Kabandha advises Rama to seek the help of Sugriva to find Sita.
Continuing on his journey, Rama meets Hanuman and is impressed by his intelligence and skills as an orator. This also boosts Rama's confidence in Sugriva. Sugriva tells him the story of how Vali became his enemy. In Sugriva's version, he is entirely innocent and Rama believes him.
Sugriva is very scared of Vali and he is full of doubts that Rama could kill him. He tells him many incredible stories of Vali's power. As proof, he shows Rama a hole in a saal tree which Vali had made in one shot. When it is Rama's turn, he penetrates seven trees of saal in a row with one arrow. After going through the trees, the arrow even makes a strike on a huge rock and splits it into pieces. Sugriva is happy and says, "O Rama, you are great." Rama shoots an arrow through seven Saal trees to prove his power to Sugreeva. As per legend the arrow after passing through seven trees hits a boulder and shatters it to pieces.
Rama asks Sugriva to challenge Vali and bring him outside Kishkindha. As Rama explains later, for 14 years he cannot enter a city. Moreover, Rama does not want any unnecessary bloodbath of Vali's army with whom he wants to maintain friendly relations.
At Kishkinda we saw the place where Ram stood and shot the arrow. We can also see the mountain where Vali & Sugreeva fought. The place of 7 sala viruksham/trees can also be seen. We will see the cave in which Lord Rama and Sugreeva had discussion in our next upcoming articles.
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