Vali (Ramayana): Difference between revisions

'''Vaali''' ({{lang-sa|वाली}}, nominative singular of the root वालिन् (''Valin''), also known as '''Bali''', was king of [[Kishkindha]] in the [[Hindu]] epic [[Ramayana|Ramayan]]. He was the husband of [[Tara (Ramayana)|Tara]], biological son of Vriksharaja, the elder brother of [[Sugreeva]] and father of [[Angada]]. He was killed by [[Rama]], an [[avatar]] of [[Vishnu]]. Vaali was invincible during ''[[Treta Yuga]]''. Vaali defeated some of the greatest warriors like [[Ravana]]. Vaali was blessed with the ability to obtain half the strength of his opponent. [[Rama]] killed Vaali by hiding behind the trees. However, during first attempt, [[Rama]] could not recognize which one is Vaali and which Sugriva due to their similar looks. Thus, during the next attempt, [[Sugriva]] wore a garland of red flowers and went to battle with Vaali. This time, Lord [[Rama]] could recognize which was Vaali and shot an arrow that killed him.<ref name="ritsin">{{Cite web|last=Ritu|date=2013-06-10|title=Bali and Sugriva – Ramayana|url=http://ritsin.com/a-tale-of-two-brothers-bali-and-sugriva-the-ramayana.html/|access-date=2020-08-21|website=Indian Mythology|language=en-US}}</ref>

Vaali was the husband of [[Tara (Ramayana)|Tara]]. As one myth goes, fourteen types of gem or treasure were produced from the [[Samudra manthan|churning of the ocean]] during the time of Kurma Avatar. One gem is that various [[Apsara]]s (divine nymphs) were produced and [[Tara (Ramayana)|Tara]] was an Apsara produced from the churning of the ocean. Vaali who was with his father [[Indra]], helping them in the churning of ocean, took Tara and married her.<ref name="ritsin"/>

Vaali was very courageous. This can be understood from the fact that, when Tara tried to stop him and begged him not to go to fight [[Sugriva]], by saying that it is Lord Rama who is helping Sugriva and has come to Sugriva's rescue; Vaali replied to Tara that even if he is fighting against God he cannot ignore a challenge for a fight and remain quiet. He adds that even if the caller for the fight had been his own son [[Angada]], he would still go to fight.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Silas|first=Sandeep|date=2012-05-27|title=By myself in Bali|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/travel/by-myself-in-bali/article3462543.ece|access-date=2020-08-21|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

== Vaali's boon ==

Vaali was granted a boon by Lord [[Brahma]] after sitting in penance. Vaali asked Brahma for a boon such that in any duel, Vaali's opponent would loses half his strength to Vaali. [[Brahma]] granted the boon happily. Already Vaali was extremely powerful with his power almost equal to 70,000 elephants. Thus Vaali became invincible. It is said that no one could defeat Vaali in head-on battle.<ref name="DelhiOctober 15">{{cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/fyi/story/dussehra-special-why-and-how-did-ram-kill-kishkindhas-king-bali-how-did-bali-avenge-his-death-268169-2015-10-15|title=Dussehra Special: Why and how did Ram kill Kishkindha's King Bali? How did Bali avenge his death? - FYI News|website=India Today|date=2015-10-15|access-date=2021-01-06}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=15 curses from Ramayan and Mahabharat that no one knows about|url=https://www.speakingtree.in/allslides/15-curses-from-ramayan-and-mahabharat-that-no-one-knows-about|access-date=2020-08-21|website=www.speakingtree.in}}</ref>

[[Ravana]] comes to know about Vaali and his strengths through [[Narada]]. Hearing Narada praising Vaali, [[Ravana]] became extremely arrogant and went to [[Kishkinda]]. There Vaali was in meditation. Ravana challenged Vaali to come and fight. First [[Sugriva]] fought with Ravana and was defeated. Ravana then reached Vaali and challenged him. Vaali and Ravana then fought a fierce battle. Vaali defeated Ravana and tied him with his tail (carried him on his shoulders in some other versions). Vaali then arrested Ravana. Vaali started carrying Ravana under his armpit for years.<ref>{{Cite web|last=नवभारतटाइम्स.कॉम|date=2019-07-25|title=भगवान राम के अलावा इन चार योद्धाओं से भी हार चुका था रावण|url=https://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/astro/photo/not-only-ram-even-ravan-defeated-in-war-by-these-4-warriors-63810/|access-date=2020-08-21|website=नवभारत टाइम्स|language=hi-IN}}</ref> Ravana could not bear the insult and asked Vaali for friendship.<ref>{{Cite web|title=ramayana - How did Vali defeat Ravana? What's the story?|url=https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/questions/7472/how-did-vali-defeat-ravana-whats-the-story|access-date=2020-08-21|website=Hinduism Stack Exchange}}</ref> Immediately Vaali released Ravana, thus demonstrating that Vaali was the greatest and most powerful being on the Earth.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP6F4-D2z14|access-date=2020-08-21|website=www.youtube.com}}</ref>

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 Vaali became his enemy. In Sugriva's version, he is entirely innocent and Rama believes him.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2012-04-01|title=Lasting friendship|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/religion/lasting-friendship/article3269444.ece|access-date=2020-08-21|issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

Sugriva is very scared of Vaali and he is full of doubts that Rama could kill him. He tells him many remarkable stories of Vaali's power. As proof, he shows Rama a hole in a saal tree which Vaali had made in one shot. When it is Rama's turn, he penetrates seven saal trees 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 asks Sugriva to challenge Vaali 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 Vaali's army with whom he wants to maintain friendly relations. Despite this, killing Vaali would not be impossible for Rama as Sugriva and Vaali were identical twins. Just a few days before, Rama had killed [[Khara (Ramayana)|Khara]] and [[Dushan (Ramayana)|Dushana]] and their army of 14,000 rakshasas.

Sugriva formed an alliance with Rama. Rama had been travelling the length of India in search of his kidnapped wife, Sita. Sugriva asked Rama's help in return for his help in defeating Ravana and rescuing Sita. The two hatched a plan to topple Vaali from the throne.

[[File:Brooklyn Museum - Vali and Sugriva Fighting Folio from the Dispersed 'Shangri Ramayana'.jpg|thumb|left|250px|"Vaali and Sugriva Fighting"; page from an illustrated manuscript of the Ramayana. Northern India (Punjab Hills, Jammu area), c. 1700 – 1710]]

[[File:Stone bas relief at Banteay Srei in Cambodia.jpg|thumb|250px|A stone bas relief at Banteay Srei in Cambodia depicts the combat between Vaali and Sugriva. In the middle, the two brothers are shown fighting. To the right, Rama fires his bow. To the left, Vaali lies dying in the arms of another monkey.]]

Sugriva challenged Vaali to a fight. When Vaali sallied forth to meet the challenge, Rama emerged from the forest to shoot and kill him with an arrow from behind a tree.

The dying Vaali told Rama, "If you are searching for your wife you should have come to me for help and friendship. Whoever took [[Sita]], be it [[Ravana]] himself, I would have defeated them and would have brought them to your feet, to your mercy."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Friendship of Śrī Rāma & Sugreeva, and Vāli Vadh by Śrī Rāma|url=http://lordrama.co.in/vali-vadh.html|access-date=2020-08-21|website=lordrama.co.in}}</ref>

Vaali asked the following questions:<ref>{{Cite web|title=Valmiki Ramayana - Kishkindha Kanda|url=http://www.valmikiramayan.net/kishkindha/sarga5/kishkindha_5_prose.htm|access-date=2020-08-21|website=www.valmikiramayan.net}}</ref>

Rama makes the following replies to Vaali:

[[File:Killing of Vali Monkey.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Killing of Vaali]]

==After Vaali's Death==

After death of Vaali, Sugriva recaptures his kingdom and regains his wife Ruma. [[Angada]], son of Vaali and Tara, is made Yuvraja, or the crown prince.<ref name="DelhiOctober 15"/>

Rama's slaying of Vaali had a special significance. At the beginning, Vaali argued with Lord Rama, why he had to kill him in a cowardly way. Rama explained to him about the various purusharthas and showed him his Vishvarupa and how everything was pre-ordained according to the Kala-chakra and granted him [[moksha]]. Vaali was then convinced and also asked his son [[Angada]] to stand by his uncle [[Sugriva]] and assist in the divine work of Lord Rama.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bali – Valmiki Ramayana Story|url=https://universalteacher.com/1/bali/|access-date=2020-08-21|website=universalteacher.com}}</ref>

Vaali's son, [[Angada]], joined Lord Shri [[Rama]]'s army and was given important responsibilities in Rama's war against Ravana.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Who was Angad? What is Angad's role in Ramayana?|url=https://www.timesnownews.com/spiritual/religion/article/who-was-angad-what-is-angads-role-in-ramayana/578108|access-date=2020-08-21|website=www.timesnownews.com|language=en}}</ref>

[[File:Pullamangai Vaalivadham2.jpg|thumb|250px|The miniature panel in Pullamangai, Pasupathi Koil, [[Thanjavur]] captures the scene of Vaali's death. [[Tara (Ramayana)|Tara]] his wife, [[Angada]] his son, his brother [[Sugreeva]] and other Vanaras are lamenting his death.]]

Because Lord Rama had killed Vali while hiding, he was blessed by Lord [[Rama]] to kill him when he took the incarnation of Krishna. Later on born as Jara hunter in ''[[Dvapara Yuga]]'' to kill Lord [[Krishna]], the next avatar of Lord [[Vishnu]], in same way he got killed by Lord [[Rama]]. He was searching for hunt in forest and he saw a deer but it actually was Lord Krishna's bare foot. He shot an arrow with an iron piece of mace attached to it.{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}}

*[http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m03/m03278.htm Mahabharata, Book III: Vana Parva, Section 278]: online text for the section of the Mahabharata describing Rama's alliance with Sugriva and the killing of Vaali.

*[https://archive.is/20070929094537/http://angkorblog.com/_wsn/page2.html Photographs of a bas relief] at the temple of Banteay Srei in Cambodia depicting the combat between Vaali and Sugriva.