Vali Slain - Part IV

[Guest guest]

Dear raama bhakthaas

 

In the previous post we saw vaali has exhibited three different

faces when he had a fight with his brother and also when he was

killed by raamaa with a single arrow.

 

First let us see, how the poet kamban describes the human face. Any

human being, who has self-confidence, will say, 'I have earlier done

that work so nicely, this project with so much ease etc. As such

this particular task on hand is just nothing for me'. Same thing

vaali also does, - in a just common human way or form or face - when

thaara said 'your brother has a new friend in raama who is none

other than the supreme lord has come to help sugreeva'.

 

For that he replies

aaRRalil amararum avuNar yaavarum

thORRanar Enaiyavar sollaRpaalarO [paaladhO also is another version]

kooRRum en peyar solak kulaiyum aar ini

maaRRalarkku aagi vandhu edhirum maaNbinar.

 

28 - vaali vadhaip padalam kitkindhaa kaaNdam

 

meaning or a rough translation - before my mite countless dhEvaas

and raakshasaas have failed. Yaman, the death god, also fears to

utter my name. In such a situation how can some body oppose me in

support for my brother?

 

Next: When a human being is having a high regard or a good opinion

about somebody, it is difficult for a second person to change that

opinion in a speedy manner [even if some thing is said in adverse

manner by his own wife, with a good intention]. Same thing happens

when thaaraa says raama has come in help of sugreevan. Vaali is not

changing his mind to accept that raamaa will go in friendship with

sugreeva, for raamaa is a big man who needs no help except his own

bow and mite, and, will not go for friendship with a monkey like

sugreevan.

 

ninRa pErulagu elaam nerukki nErinum

venRi venjilai alaal piridhu vENdumO?

than thuNai oruvarum thannil vERu ilaan

punthozhil kurangOdu puNarum natpanO?

 

- 34 - vaali vadhaip padalam kitkindhaa kaaNdam

 

meaning: "even when all people in the stable earth and all in nether

worlds combined together comes in war with raamaa, he relies only on

his bow kOthandam and not anything else. How come such a raama, make

friendship with sugreeva the monkey? He will not", said vaali.

 

Third human face: Vaali believes a good man will not suddenly stoop

down low to kill an unknown person for the sake of his friend, that

too when these two are fighting a duel against each other. Instead,

perhaps he may try for a compromise only when he learns that both

are brothers.

 

thambiyar alladhu thanakku vERu uyir

imbarin iladhu ena eNNI Eyndhavan

embiyum yaanum uRRu edhirndha pOrinil

ambu idai thodukkumO aruLin aazhiyaan

 

35 - vaali vadhaip padalam kitkindhaa kaaNdam

 

meaning; vaali says "raamaa considers nothing else is great apart

from his brothers, and that too such a decision made after a good

consideration. He is also the symbol of mercy. How can such a raama

come in between my brother and me to shoot me with an arrow? No, he

will not".

 

See here the vaalmeeki raamaayaNam slOkam also:

 

na cha kaaryO vishaadha: thE raaghavam prathi math kruthE |

dharmajna: cha kruthajna: cha katham paapam karishyathi || 4-16-5

 

meaning: vaali says to thaara when she prohibits him from going to

fight - "Also, you need not bother about Raghava's doing some harm

to me, as I wonder how a diligent man and knower of virtue can

commit sin". [4-16-5]

 

Fourth human face: whenever some high profile person does a lowly

act, then the common folk around strikes wonder, adding how can such

a great man do that lowly act. This is quite common even today.

Same 'common human face' vaali also puts up when he was beaten by

raama with a single arrow.

 

illaRam thuRandha thambi emmanOrkku aagath thangaL

villaRam thuRandha veeran thOnRalaal vEdha nannool

sollaRam thuRandhu ilaadha sooriyan marabum thollai

nallaRam thuRandhadhu ennaa nagai vara naaN utkoNdaan

 

-80 vaali vadhaip padalam kitkindhaa kaaNdam

 

meaning: vaali felt shy thinking about raamaa, for raama, instead of

remaining in the house and doing his dharmam, came to the forest.

Also vaali thought 'for our sake he forbade his style of fighting

with bows and arrows, on account of such a raamaa the sun's clan

which is hailed for its righteousness has lost it'.

 

But once the same vaali is beaten by raama and on the ground, yet

again he puts a simple human face - of doubting raama that when a

person like raama is in separation from his beloved wife, then his

right thinking faculty goes off, because of the suffering due to

this separation. This is something normal in any human being - if

one is in over sorrow, or over stretched in anger or so, his steady

thinking faculty goes off. As a result he does some thing adverse or

funny. Vaali applies same logic to raama: see verse:

 

kO iyal dharumam ungaL kulaththu udhiththOrkatku ellaam

Oviyaththu ezhudha oNNaa uruvaththaai udaimai anRO

aaviyai sanakan peRRa annaththai amizhdhin vandha

dhEviyai pirindha pinnai thigaiththnai pOlum seigai

 

- 86 vaali vadhaip padalam kitkindhaa kaaNdam

 

meaning: vaali addresses raamaa - hey raamaa - one who is so

beautiful who can not be drawn in a picture, the royal ness or raja

dharmam is part of wealth owned by your race [or clan], such a

person, you, perhaps, lost your balance and did this [act of killing

vaali from behind], because of the separation pangs from your wife,

that life of you, daughter of janaka, janaka kumari, that swan like

woman, that lady who came along with nectar.

 

Please note here that line "Oviyaththu ezhudha oNNaa uruvaththaai" -

something great and picturises how vaali in spite of being beaten

enjoys the beauty of raama - that 'manaththukku iniyaan'.

 

Dear bhakthaas, see how nicely the poet puts great words in the

mouth of vaali and makes us enjoy about the greatness of seethaa

also. See the words

aaviyai - she is the life of you, oh raamaa

sanakan peRRa annaththai - that swan like dame born to janaka

amizhdhin vandha dhEviyai - that lady who came with nectar or from

milk ocean.

 

Let us see the other two faces of vaali in the next post as

projected by the poet kamban

 

with due respects

 

v.anjaneyulu, itarsi