Vali Vadham 43

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Instruments of protection

 

A study of the epics reveals that the divine gifts fall under three categories.

First among them is what is known as boons. It is a kind of blanket protection

against several forces or granting of a wish or the fulfilment of one or the

other aspiration. The kind of assurance given to Hiranya for instance that he

could not be killed either in the morning or in the night; either on earth or in

the sky etc. or the powers granted to Ravana or Indrajit fall under this

category. Then there is the second kind. Granting of weapons of destruction.

Like the pasupadhastra received by Arjuna or the other various divine weapons

that Gods and other celestials grant.

 

The third kind is the instruments of protection. Karna was born with an armour

and earrings, blessed by his father, Surya. These would protect him. Though

these did not give the kind of invincibility to the warrior, they were supposed

to protect him from being killed in a battle. It has to be remembered that

Karna was defeated several times by Arjuna, **before** Indra came a-begging for

the armour and earrings, which Karna readily and without hesitation cut from his

body and gave away.

 

Then the Mahabharata speaks about a divine breastplate and arm-wraps that

Dhuriyodhana was given by Acharya Dhrona, on the fourteenth day of the war.

They had the power to protect the wearer against any divine weapon and that made

the arrows of Arjuna to fall like reeds, without in any way harming

Dhuriyodhana. But there was a catch. Dhuriyodhana did not learn the mantras

that were required to be chanted before they can be worn. Acharya Dhrona had

chanted them on his behalf, because there was no time for Dhuriyodhana to learn

when the war had picked up momentum nor did the latter have the inclination to

learn it. Arjuna tormented Dhuriyodhana by shooting his arrows on

Dhuriyodhana's fingers and nails, which remained unprotected by the breastplates

and the arm-wraps.

 

It is therefore evident that even those divine instruments of protection were

limited in their use. They could of course protect. But they could extend

protection only against specific situations or persons. They thus had

limitations - unlike the blanket protection granted by boons. Scholars would

even joke that Lord Shiva would without hesitation grant protection against all

kinds of odds to his devotees. And the devotee would in turn become a

terrorist. It would then be for Lord Vishnu to break his head to find out a

solution and look for loopholes for the destruction of the miscreant!

 

To come back to our discussion, these were intended to protect against specific

situations or specific portions or limbs that they were supposed to protect.

Like the breastplate and arm-wraps of Dhuriyodhana. They could protect only his

chest and arms and not fingers and fingernails!

 

The much spoken about ability of Vali to receive half the strength - or all the

strength - of his opponent was through one such instrument of protection, a

chain of gold given to him by his divine father, Indra. This story is not

narrated in Kamba Ramayana. There we find Hanuman saying that Vali would

receive half the strength of his opponent, when he appraises Rama. Then once

again we find this mentioned by Vali himself, when Tara stops him from

responding to the challenge of Sugriva. Kamban does not elaborate on this.

 

The story is mentioned in passing by Sugriva in Valmiki Ramayana, when he

narrates how Vali prepared himself for the battle with Dundhubhi.