Vali Vadham 16

[Guest guest]

The sal tree proposal

 

 

Habits die hard. You are not able to trust your God when he promises to stand

by your side. You are not able to believe that he is prepared take over from

you and help you root out the cause of all troubles from your life. You are not

able to accept the fact that he is strong enough, powerful enough and superior

enough to wrench you from the hands of the misery that has been haunting you for

years. That was precisely the condition in which Sugriva was.

 

"Obstinate are my trammels," sang Rabindranath Tagore in Gitanjali, "but my

heart aches when I try to break them. Freedom is all I want, but to hope for it

I feel ashamed. I am certain in that priceless wealth is in thee, and that thou

art my best friend, but I have not the heart to sweep away the tinsel that fills

my room. The shroud that covers me is a shroud of dust and death; I hate it,

yet I hug it in love."

 

Tagore wrote these lines in an entirely different context. But don't they

describe Sugriva's state of mind perfectly and precisely? He is not able to

accept the fact that his Lord has come to him as his friend and he is not able

to express his fears neither to Him nor to his followers and ministers. Such

was the fear he had for Vali. Hanuman understood what was running in Sugriva's

heart.

 

'piridhum annavan peru vali aatralai periyOy aridhi enninin uNdu ubaayam.' If

at all you want to ascertain his might, there is a way to find it out. 'ahdhu

aru marangaL neriyin nindrana Ezhil ondru uruva in nediyOn pori koL venjaram

pOvadhu kaaN.' There are seven sal trees (known as maraa maram in Tamil) on the

way. You will see Rama's arrow, spitting fire, would bore through one of them.

 

Look at the confidence with which Hanuman beams. He has not spoken to Rama

about his proposal. There was no indication to show that this great prince

would accept to undergo a test of strength, to prove himself fit enough to kill

Vali, in return for a favour to be done much later after Sugriva assumes power.

There was no assurance of any kind from him as yet. Even if he organises a

search, where, how and in what length of time would he be able to locate the

whereabouts of Sita? Nobody knew for sure. In fact, Valmiki's Sugriva says, "I

do not know at all the abode or strength or prowess or even the pedigree of that

sinful ogre (Ravana) of vile birth." (Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kanda, Canto

VII, Sloka 2)

 

This was not true at all. Rt. Hon'ble Srinivasa Sastriyar says, "Of course if

the Uttara Kanda be taken into account, this is a very clear violation of

conscience. There it is distinctly stated that Ravana stayed for one month in

Vali's place, just like Sugriva as a member of the family. Then it would be

incredibly wrong. But I would hesitate a lot before I brought a charge against

Sugriva of infidelity at the beginning of the contract…. Sugriva is unable to

talk clearly. So he is not likely to launch at once into a piece of falsehood…"

 

It was at such a time that Hanuman comes forward and commits Sri Rama, on his

behalf, without consulting him and says 'you will see one of his arrows drilling

through a sal tree. That would be sufficient to prove that it is powerful

enough to bury itself deep into Vali's chest and drink his blood.'

 

Faith. Faith is the difference. Not that Sugriva did not have faith.

Hanuman's faith was of a different kind, grade and strength. Sugriva's faith

was not that stronger, at least for now.