Vali Vadham 44

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The famed gold chain of Indra

 

Home page line: Vali was wearing this chain in his fight with Dundhubhi as well

as Mayavi. Ravana when he wanted to fight Vali, quite misunderstood this…

 

When Sugriva was describing the battle between Dundhubhi and Vali, he mentions

that Vali was drunk at that time. Dundhubhi pointed this out and told Vali that

he would give the latter sufficient time to regain his senses and then fight

with him. Vali told him, “Do not (be misled by to) think that I am drunk, if

you are not afraid of engaging in a contest (with me). Let this inebriety (of

mine) be construed as (a state of) drunkenness resorted to by a hero on the

occasion of this duel (with you). (Valmiki Ramayana, Kishkindha Kanda, Canto

11, Sloka 38)

 

In the next Sloka, Sugriva says, “Replying to him thus and throwing (about his

neck) a chain of gold gifted (to him) by his father, the mighty Indra, Vali

stood prepared for an encounter (with the demon), highly enraged.” It was in

his commentary on this Sloka that Govindaraja had mentioned “You will acquire

all the strength of your enemy if he comes in front for battle.”

 

The complete details on this chain of gold are not given. However, it is

obvious that the chain would empower Vali with half the skills and strength of

his opponent, while the strength of the opponent would not in any way be

diminished. In other words, half the strength of the opponent would be added to

the strength of Vali but that would not in anyway affect the strength of the

opponent. Otherwise, when Vali was wearing this very same chain in his fight

with Mayavi, it should not have taken twenty-eight long months for him to win

his battle! Mayavi was in no way affected by Vali wearing the chain, though

Vali’s strength would have without doubt increased by half that of his

opponent’s.

 

Vali was wearing this chain in his fight with Dundhubhi as well as Mayavi.

Ravana when he wanted to fight Vali, quite misunderstood this and approached

Vali from behind when the latter was meditating. That was an easy win for Vali,

however, tying him up in his tail and tucking him under his armpit, he jumped

over hills and plunged in the seven seas for his morning ablutions.

 

The point is Vali’s gold chain would not have had any effect on Rama in anyway,

even if he had chosen to appear before him when he let his arrow loose on him.

In fact, Rama did appear before Vali when he was stuck with his arrow and was

lying in the ground. Vali was wearing his gold chain at that time. Valmiki

says, “Even though he lay fallen to the ground, neither grace nor life breath

nor vital energy nor prowess left the body of the high-minded monkey. The

well-known excellent bejewelled chain of gold, bestowed (on him) by Indra (the

ruler of gods) preserved the life, vital energy and grace of Vali (the foremost

of monkeys). With that necklace of gold that heroic leader of monkey hordes

appeared like a cloud whose outlines are tinged with the (roseate) hues of dusk.

His necklace and body as well as the arrow which pierced his vital parts, even

while he lay fallen, shone as though his splendour had been divided into three

parts.” (Ibid, Canto XVII, Sloka 7)

 

His body was shining; his necklace was shining and the arrow that pierced him

was shining and that looked like Vali’s splendour was divided into three parts.

Okay. What did the necklace do now? It **preserved** ^the life, vital energy

and grace of Vali,^so says the Sloka.

 

A question arises now.