Vali’s End

When Sugreev challenges Vali to a duel, his wife Tara advises him against responding to the challenge. She reasons with him that one who has just been disgraced and vanquished, will never throw another challenge so quickly and confidently, without the explicit support of a formidable ally. She cautions him that she has word that Sri Ram and Lakshman, of incredible prowess, are now Sugreev’s allies. Also, it would be better to befriend them and endear his brother now. Vali’s pride, however, does not allow him to yield to her advice.During Vali and Sugreev’s fight, had it not been for Ram intervening, Sugreev would have been killed. Ram intervenes in the duel, causing Vali’s downfall. As he lies defeated, he asks Ram how he could call himself a righteous man and yet slay a monkey who has not wronged him. In a soft and courteous manner, Lord Ram replies, ‘It is your ignorance that forces you to speak thus, and it is my foremost duty to punish evil-doers who oppress innocent people. Forgetting all virtue and morality, giving into lust, you coupled with Sugreev’s wife, who was to be looked upon as a daughter by you. Death is the only punishment meted out for such a sinful act.’Vali objects, stating that the laws of humans do not apply to monkeys, and he should not be held accountable to human standards of morality. Sri Ram responds to this by suggesting that if this is the case, then his birthright as a kshatriya permits him to hunt an animal in any direction that suits him. Sri Ram explains that whichever way Vali looks at it, he is wrong to have acted in such a manner. Vali chokes with emotion on hearing these words and begs for forgiveness. Entrusting his son Angad to Sri Ram and Sugreev, Vali takes his last breath.Arrogance makes us stray from the path of virtue. Vali received a boon by which any opponent who faced him would become half weak, and this lost strength would add on to Vali’s might, thus making him twice as powerful. This signifies how we tend to falter and become weak in the face of temptation. While Vali represents temptation, Sri Ram represents the slayer of temptations. Ram, who slew the arrogant Vali

Vali’s End

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