Chapter 21: Vali and Sugriva
The sacred fire burned gently upon Mount Rishyamuka as Rama and Sugriva completed their oath of friendship.
From that moment onward, they were no longer strangers.
They were allies bound by Dharma.
Rama had promised to help Sugriva regain his kingdom.
Sugriva, in return, had vowed to search every corner of the earth until Sita was found.
As the evening grew quiet, Rama turned to Sugriva.
"My friend," he said, "tell me everything that happened between you and your brother Vali."
Sugriva lowered his head.
The memories were painful.
After a long silence, he began.
---
"Vali and I were once inseparable.
He was not only my elder brother but also the mighty king of Kishkindha.
No warrior among the Vanaras could match his strength.
He was fearless, generous, and loved by his people.
I served him with complete loyalty.
There was never any jealousy between us."
"But one night, a terrible Rakshasa named Mayavi arrived outside the gates of Kishkindha."
The demon roared with rage and challenged Vali to battle.
Unable to ignore the insult, Vali accepted the challenge.
Mayavi fled into a deep and narrow cave.
Vali immediately pursued him.
Before entering, he turned to me.
'Sugriva,' he said, 'wait here.
If I do not return, protect the kingdom.'
I obeyed.
Days passed.
Then weeks.
Nearly a month went by.
I remained outside the cave, waiting faithfully.
Suddenly I heard terrifying cries from within.
Soon afterward, blood flowed out of the cave.
I believed my brother had been killed.
Fearing that the Rakshasa might emerge and destroy Kishkindha, I sealed the entrance with a massive boulder and returned to the kingdom."
Sugriva paused.
Tears filled his eyes.
"The ministers begged me to become king.
Reluctantly, I accepted, believing Vali was dead."
"But fate had another plan."
"Vali had defeated Mayavi and survived.
When he finally escaped the cave, he discovered that the entrance had been sealed."
"He believed I had betrayed him."
"He thought I had trapped him inside so I could seize the throne."
"No matter how many times I tried to explain the truth, he refused to believe me."
"He drove me from Kishkindha."
"He took my kingdom."
"He even took my wife, Ruma, by force."
"I fled with a few loyal companions, including Hanuman."
"Only Mount Rishyamuka remained safe for me, because the sage Matanga had cursed Vali that if he ever entered this mountain, he would lose his life."
Sugriva looked at Rama.
"This is why I have lived here in fear."
"I have no kingdom."
"No home."
"No hope."
Rama listened carefully.
He understood Sugriva's pain.
He also knew that Vali had committed a grave violation of Dharma by taking his younger brother's wife and refusing to hear the truth.
Rama spoke calmly.
"Sugriva, I have given you my word."
"I shall restore justice."
"I will help you reclaim your kingdom."
Though grateful, Sugriva still carried doubt.
He had witnessed Vali's strength countless times.
"Rama," he said respectfully, "Vali possesses extraordinary power.
No ordinary warrior can defeat him."
To demonstrate his strength, Sugriva pointed toward the gigantic skeleton of the demon Dundubhi lying nearby.
"Vali once hurled this mighty demon's body with a single blow."
Without speaking, Rama walked toward the enormous skeleton.
With the gentle touch of his foot, he sent it flying an astonishing distance.
The Vanaras stood speechless.
Yet Sugriva wished for one final proof.
He pointed toward seven mighty sala trees standing in a row.
"Vali could shake these trees with his strength."
Rama quietly lifted his bow.
He placed a single arrow upon the string.
The forest fell silent.
The arrow flew like a flash of lightning.
It pierced all seven sala trees in a single flight.
It continued through the earth before returning to Rama's quiver.
Hanuman folded his hands in admiration.
Sugriva's doubts vanished completely.
He now understood that Rama possessed divine strength beyond imagination.
Filled with renewed confidence, Sugriva prepared to challenge Vali.
The time for hiding had ended.
The time to reclaim Kishkindha had arrived.
Soon, the mighty brothers would face one another in a battle that would decide the future of the Vanara kingdom.
And Rama would be called upon to fulfill the promise he had made before the sacred fire.
Thus destiny moved another step toward Lanka.
For without Sugriva's kingdom...
There could be no Vanara army.
Without the Vanara army...
There could be no bridge across the ocean.
And without that bridge...
The rescue of Sita would remain impossible.
The fate of Kishkindha had become part of the fate of the world.