Vali-Sugreeva: Epic Characters of Ramayana

By Sri Hari

Vali and Sugreeva were born to a vanara maiden as a boon from Indra and Suryadeva respectively. Vali was crowned the king of Kishkinda. As a result of a number of boons he became invincible. When Ravana challenged his might, he simply carried the demon under his arm and smashed him down thus humiliating him. Ravana had to bow down to him and seek his friendship. There ensued a battle between Vali and  Dundhubi, who came in the form of a wild buffalo. Vali destroyed him completely and hurled him in the sky. In doing so, the blood from the dying animal defiled Sage Matanga's ashram due to which the sage cursed Vali and the vanaras saying that whoever came near his ashram would fall down dead. Mayavi, Dundubhi's brother, retreated into a cave after challenging Vali. Vali followed him in leaving Sugreeva guarding the mouth of the cave. Poor Sugreeva who had been sworn not to enter the cave stood guard for more than a year after which he heard the loud scream of the rakshasa and then saw blood streaming out. Thinking that Vali had been killed, he shut the mouth of the cave with a boulder  with the intention of preventing further damage at the hands of the demon. However, Vali returned, accused Sugreeva of usurping his place by deceit and banished him from Kishkinda. Sugreeva later on forged friendship with Rama and Lakshmana, killed Vali and helped Rama get back Sita after commanding an army himself at the  battle of Lanka. On his deathbed, Vali heard Rama speak about dharma and made peace with Sugreeva. He asked him to take over the responsibility of the kingdom, his son Angada and his wife Tara. Sugreeva repented for bringing about his brother's end, performed his last rites and helped him reach heaven. When Rama decided that it was time for him to get back to vaikunta, the purpose of his incarnation being over, Sugreeva was among those who accompanied him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bharatha Samskruthi Prakashana
• Release date: May 24, 2019
• ISBN: 9789389020762

Book preview

EPIC CHARACTERS OF RAMAYANA

Vali-sugreeva

Written by

SriHari

Translated by

Prof. G. S. Mudambadithaya

© Bharatha Samskruthi Prakashana, Bengaluru. All rights reserved.

Published by:

Bharatha Samskruthi Prakashana

C/o. Bharatha Darshana,

163, Manjunatha Road, 2nd Block,

Thyagarajanagar, Bangalure 560 028,

Ph: [phone], [phone]

bharathasamskruthi.com

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Date: 02 March, 2019

ISBN: 9789389020762

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Sri Srirangasadgurave Namah

Bharatha Samskruthi Prakashana, the intellectual and spiritual offspring of Bharatha Darshana, a premier publishing house of Bangalore, has been rendering yeoman services to the cause of literature, culture and its blossom, ‘The Epic Characters of the Mahabharatha,’ has bloomed in all splendor in the world of children’s literature and we have welcomed and blessed it. Now the second bud has blossomed in the form of ‘The Epic Characters of Ramayana’ and has already begun spreading its fragrance around. It is a set of books based on Ramayana. We welcome it and bless it.

There is a difference between the Ramayana and the Mahabharatha in style and treatment. There is no second opinion about differences regarding form, magnitude, delineation of characters and the time of composition of these two great epics. Srimad Ramayana is a pure epic in seven cantos. There are twenty four thousand stanzas. It is an epic par excellence dealing with a theme and characters who lived in tretayuga, composed by a contemporary poet. The Mahabharatha is essentially history. It is in eighteen parvas having hundred thousand stanzas. It deals with a theme and characters who lived in dwaparayuga , again composed by a contemporary poet. (There is a view that these two great epics depict the culture of different regions of this holy land and are composed by many poets and they portray the various events and circumstances which took place during the Aryan invasion of India. We do not agree with such views).

All the same these two epics provide us with the images of the Vedas. These are the essence of vedas, national epics of Bharatha and sources for thousands of books on our culture which followed them from the natural stream of poetical composition and enjoyment of literature. At the same time they are never drying sources of Purusharthas namely dharma, artha, kama and moksha. In the background of the struggle among human beings, they paint the struggle between the good and the evil very beautifully and announce to the world the message of victory of the good over the evil. These eloquent and learned creations, have a few universal and sovereign truths to give to the world and as a result they have occupied the pride of place among great literary works in the world.

Let the new series which is written in the same style and rhythm of the first, become popular among readers and become succour to