Vali Vadham 1

[Guest guest]

The killing of Vali has been one of the incidents in the Ramayana that has

generated enough heat in the past. Critics and commentators have not been tired

in presenting argument after argument both against and in defence of Sri Rama.

Mixed are the pursuers of the epic and the purposes of their pursuits have been

widely and markedly different. A devotee of Sri Rama is contented with reading

perhaps portions of the Sundara Kanda. Chanting would be the right word here.

His purpose is totally different. He looks at Ramayana as a source for helping

him to tide over a crisis. Undoubtedly the Ramayana does help everyone to tide

over personal crises and there is nothing wrong in chanting Sundara Kanda with a

fixed purpose in mind. Ramayana has been the source of strength for the

poorest, lowliest and the lost.

 

 

 

The critic is basically a devotee too. But he needs something more than the

benefits that Ramayana bestows. He studies the epic in toto. He holds each and

every character under different lights and carefully and dispassionately allows

light from different angles to fall on them. He knows for certain that his

efforts would bring out the dazzling qualities of the gem that he is holding in

hand. Sometimes such an effort brings out the hidden facets of the gem that

were not seen in proper light at all, earlier.

 

 

 

Both the epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata have carefully built the

characters in such a manner that there is not a single hero without the

slightest blemish or a villain without at least a trace of goodness in him. If

Dharmaputra was the embodiment of all that is good, the epic underlines his

desire for the game of dice, playing it with all an equal zeal if not more than

that of the gamblers in any of the casinos around the world. The history of

Nala maharaja, narrated in the Vana Parva of the Mahabharata depicts Nala

playing the game of dice with Pushkara so enthusiastically that he plays the

game for months on end till he loses his all. But fortunately for him, sanity

returned when Pushkara asked him to continue the game with Damayanthi, his

queen, as the stake. He called it quits and walked out of it immediately.

 

 

 

The loser plunges into gambling with an increased zeal, says Valluvar. The more

the loss, the higher the intensity. He says

 

 

 

‘izhath thorum kaadhalikkum soodhe pOl thunbam

 

uzhaththorum kaadhatru uyir.’ (Kural 940)

 

 

 

The passion for gambling increaseth with the losses incurred in bettings; even

so doth the craving of the soul for life grow with the grief that it suffereth

therein. (Tr. by Sri VVS Aiyar) The gambler plunges deeper and deeper into

gambling with every loss. It is not unlike the desire of the person who is

afflicted with the most painful of diseases, whose desire to live increases with

the increase of his pains and sufferings due to the disease. Is it very

difficult to read the central message? ‘Gambling is not any different from the

most painful disease. Once you are afflicted, it is not easy to be cured unless

you have the guidance and assistance of an expert. Sometimes the disease may be

so strong as to elude any cure. Therefore be careful.’

 

 

 

We have come a very long way away from our pursuit. Let us get back to the

subject in hand. The message of the epics is clear. None is above a closer and

dispassionate examination and questioning. Actually the Poets want us to probe

deeper and deeper into the drama they have created on purpose. The deeper one

delves, the richer the treasure that he gets. Let us therefore get along with

our pursuit. Was Rama right in killing Vali? How does Valmiki present the case

and how Kamban builds the scenes and adds his own touches to enrich the drama?

 

 

 

We should first see how Rama happened to meet Sugriva. How he became friends

with Sugriva rather than with Vali. Becoming a friend of Vali would have been a

better choice for Vali was one among the two who had overpowered Ravana. Then

why should he seek the alliance of Sugriva? Why should he declare his vow to

annihilate Vali?