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In the fourth sopan of the Ramcharitmanas, Rama has given Sugriva his word that he will kill Vali with one arrow. He goes on speaking, and his first words are on the one who is not pained by a friend’s pain. When the teaching ends, Sugriva names his brother’s strength and his steadiness in battle. He has bones to show, and tal palms.
Rama goes on to the bad friend, and urges Sugriva to give up his care. Rama brings the bones and the tal palms down without effort, and knowledge rises in Sugriva. Hearing his words of dispassion, Rama says with a smile that his word is not false. Taking Vali’s feet in her hands, Tara pleads with him, and Vali answers that death at Rama’s hand would be to find his master. A fist strikes like a thunderbolt. Rama puts a garland of flowers on Sugriva, and watches from behind a tree. An arrow strikes Vali in the heart. Vali puts his question to Rama, and Rama answers him. Rama offers him his life. Vali refuses it and asks a boon. He asks Rama to take his son Angada.
Vali’s household, and Rama behind the tree
The main figures in this episode
- Rama who tells Sugriva the virtues of a good friend, speaks of the bad friend, and urges him to give up his care. He brings down the bones and the tal palms Sugriva shows him, without effort. Hearing Sugriva’s words of dispassion, he says his word is not false, and sets out with him. He sends Sugriva twice, watches from behind a tree, and strikes Vali in the heart. He answers Vali’s question, touches his head, and offers him his life.
- Sugriva the friend who has heard Rama’s word and names Vali’s strength. Knowing Rama the Lord, he asks that, leaving everything, he may worship him day and night. Sent by Rama, he roars and fights, and flees in distress. He fights again with a garland of flowers on his neck, and loses heart.
- Vali Sugriva’s brother, very strong and most steady in battle in Sugriva’s words. He runs out hurried by anger, calls Rama even-eyed, and takes Sugriva to be like a straw. Struck in the heart, he sits up, recognizes the Lord, and asks Rama what his fault was. He refuses the life Rama offers, asks a boon, and gives up his body.
- Tara Vali’s wife. Taking his feet in her hands, she pleads with him. The two brothers Sugriva has met, she says, are Lakshmana and Rama, bounds of splendor and strength, who could conquer even Time in battle.
- Lakshmana named by Tara as one of the two brothers Sugriva has met, the sons of Kosala’s lord.
- Angada Vali’s son, his equal in humility and strength in Vali’s last words. Vali asks Rama to take him and, taking his arm, make him Rama’s own servant.
Who is called a friend
Rama went on. “Those who are not pained by a friend’s pain, at the sight of them there is heavy sin. One should count one’s own pain, like a mountain, as dust, and a friend’s dust of pain as like Meru. Those to whom such a wit does not come by nature, why do the fools stubbornly make friendship? Turning his friend from the wrong road, a friend sets him on the right. He shows his virtues and hides his faults. In giving and taking he keeps no doubt in his mind. He always does good to the measure of his strength. In a time of trouble he loves a hundredfold. The Vedas say these are the virtues of a good friend.”
The friend to leave
Rama went on. “To the face he speaks soft, contrived words. Behind, he means ill, with crookedness in his mind. His mind goes like a snake’s gait, brother. In leaving such a bad friend there is good. A foolish servant, a miserly king, a bad wife, and a deceitful friend: these four are like thorns. Friend, give up your care, trusting my strength. In every way I will serve your purpose.”
Vali’s strength, and the tal palms
Sugriva said, “Listen, Rama. Vali is very strong, and most steady in battle.” He showed Rama Dundubhi’s bones and the tal palms. Rama brought them down without effort.
The commentary names Dundubhi a rakshasa.
At the sight of his measureless strength, Sugriva’s love grew. He trusted that this one would kill Vali. Again and again he bowed his head at his feet. Knowing him the Lord, Sugriva was glad in his mind.
Sugriva’s dispassion
Knowledge rose in Sugriva, and then he spoke. “Master, by your grace my mind has become steady. Happiness, wealth, family, and greatness: leaving them all, I will do service. All these hinder bhakti to Rama, say the saints who worship your feet. Enemy and friend, happiness and grief in the world are made by maya. In the highest truth they are not. Vali is my greatest well-wisher, by whose grace I have met you, Rama. If a fight with him comes in a dream, on waking and understanding it, my mind will shrink. Now, Lord, show grace in this way, that, leaving everything, I may worship you day and night.”
Hearing the monkey’s words, full of dispassion, Rama smiled, bow in hand.
The commentary reads the dispassion as passing.
Rama’s smile, and the word that is not false
Rama spoke. “All you have said is true. Friend, my word is not false.”
The commentary reads the word as Vali’s killing and the kingdom for Sugriva.
In the commentary’s reading Kakabhushundi here speaks to Garuda: “Rama makes all dance like a juggler’s monkey, Garuda. In this way the Vedas sing.”
Toward Vali, and Tara’s plea
Taking Sugriva with him, Rama set out, bow and arrows in hand. Then Rama sent Sugriva. Given strength, he went near and roared.
Hearing it, Vali ran out, hurried by anger. Taking his feet in her hands, his wife pleaded with him. The commentary names her Tara. She said, “Listen, husband. The two brothers Sugriva has met are bounds of splendor and strength. The sons of Kosala’s lord, Lakshmana and Rama, could conquer even Time in battle.”
Vali said, “Listen, timid one, my dear. Rama is even-eyed. If by chance he should kill me, then I will have found my master.”
The commentary reads “found my master” as gaining the highest state.
The first fight, and the garland
So saying, the very proud one went, taking Sugriva to be like a straw. The two closed. Vali threatened him hard. Striking with his fist, he roared with a great sound. Then Sugriva fled in distress. The blow of the fist struck like a thunderbolt.
Sugriva said, “What I told you, Rama: he is not my brother. He is Time.”
Rama said, “You two brothers are of one form. From that confusion I did not kill him.” Rama touched Sugriva’s body with his hand. His body became a thunderbolt, and all his pain was gone. Rama put a garland of flowers on Sugriva’s neck. Giving him great strength, he sent him again. Again the fight went many ways. Rama watched from behind a tree.
The arrow, and the question
Sugriva used much trickery and strength. Feeling fear, he lost heart. Then Rama, drawing his arrow, struck Vali in the heart.
At the arrow’s blow Vali fell to the ground in distress. Then, seeing Rama before him, he sat up. Rama was dark of body, with matted hair bound on his head, red of eye, arrow fitted and bow drawn. Looking again and again, Vali set his mind on those feet. Recognizing the Lord, he counted his birth fruitful. Love in his heart, hard words in his mouth, he spoke, looking toward Rama.
“For dharma’s sake you came down, master. You killed me like a hunter. I the enemy, Sugriva the dear one? For what fault, master, did you kill me?”
Rama said, “A younger brother’s wife, a sister, a son’s wife, listen, fool, a daughter: these four are alike. Whoever looks on them with an evil eye, in killing him there is no sin. Witless one, your pride is very great. You did not give ear to your wife’s counsel. Knowing him to rest on the strength of my arms, you wished to kill him, base and proud one.”
The commentary reads the four as alike.
The last plea, and the boon
Vali said, “Listen, Rama. With my master my cleverness does not work. Lord, am I a sinner even now, with you as my goal at my last hour?”
Hearing the very soft words, Rama touched Vali’s head with his own hand. “I will make your body firm. Keep your life.”
Vali said, “Listen, Rama. Sages strive birth after birth, and at the end ‘Rama’ does not come to be said. The one by the strength of whose name Shiva at Kashi gives all alike the undying state, that very one has come before my eyes. Will such a thing, Lord, come about again?”
“He is before my eyes. The Vedas sing his virtues forever, saying ‘not this.’ Conquering breath and mind and drying their senses, sages glimpse him in meditation now and then. Knowing me to be under great pride, the Lord said, ‘Keep your body.’ What fool would stubbornly cut down the wish-tree to make a hedge of babul?”
“Now, master, look on me with compassion and give the boon I ask. In whatever womb I am born by my karma, there let me love Rama’s feet. This son is my equal in humility and strength. Lord, take him. Taking his arm, master, make Angada your own servant.”
The garland that falls from the neck
Making firm his love for Rama’s feet, Vali gave up his body, as an elephant does not know a garland of flowers falling from its neck.
The good friend, the arrow, and the garland
Rama’s teaching came first, on the friend who feels a friend’s pain and on the friend whose mind goes like a snake. Sugriva named Vali’s strength and showed the bones and the tal palms, and Rama brought them down. Sugriva, knowing him the Lord, was glad, and his words turned to leaving everything. Smiling, Rama said that his word was not false, and set out with him. Sugriva roared. Vali ran out, heard Tara’s plea, and answered that if Rama should kill him, he would have found his master. The first fight ended in a fist and a flight, the second in an arrow. Vali sat up, recognized the Lord, and asked his question with love in his heart and hard words in his mouth. Rama answered him. Offered his life, Vali asked what fool would cut down the wish-tree for a hedge of babul. He asked for love of Rama’s feet in whatever womb he was born, and for Rama to take his son. Then he gave up his body.
The next episode opens as Rama sends Vali to Rama’s own abode.
The same story, elsewhere: Valmiki’s Ramayana, chapter 15: The Meeting of Hanuman and Rama, and the Pact with Sugriva, and chapter 16: The Slaying of Vali.
Source: the Gita Press edition of Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas, Kishkindhakand, doha 7 to 10, read with Hanuman Prasad Poddar’s Hindi commentary.