Vali Slain - Part V

[Guest guest]

Dear raama bhakthaas

 

In the previous post, we saw how the 'human face' of vaali was given

out by poet kamban. Let us now enjoy the 'monkey face' and

the 'divine face' of vaali as given by kamban.

 

We know the saying "in a fit of rage, the animal instinct only

rules". We also know the story that there was a duel between vaali

and maayaavi and that took place inside a cave. In that dual after a

prolonged time, vaali killed maayaavi. While entering the cave,

vaali instructed sugreevan and hanumaan to guard outside, and

waittill his return. But because of lapse of a long time and also

the noises heard during the fight, sugreeva and hanumaan, thinking

that vaali was killed, closed the cave with a rock. When vaali

returned to the entrance of the cave after killing maayavi, he saw a

huge boulder placed at the entrance of a cave, and thus his coming

out of cave was blocked. When he came out exercising his mite, he

did not see sugreevan and hanumaan, whom he asked to wait. So with

full fit of anger, with blood red eyes, on reaching the palace, he

roared and jumped on sugreevan, for he found him on the throne.

Because of absence of a king for a long time, the ministers advised

sugreevan to occupy the seat of the(ó

 

Following verses projects vaali, with the monkey's traits, in

maayavi episode.

 

oLiththavan uyirkkaLLai uNdu uLam

kaLiththa vaaliyum kadidhin eidhinaan

viLiththu ninRu vERu urai peRaan irundhu

aLiththavaaRu nanRu iLavalaar enaa

 

- 59 natpukkOt padalam kitkindhaa kaaNdam

 

vaal visaiththu vaan vaLi nimirndhu enak

kaal visaiththu avan kadidhin eRRalum

neela niRaththu viN nedu mugattavum

vElai pukkavum periya veRpu elaam

 

-60 natpukkOt padalam kitkindhaa kaaNdam

 

Erinaan avan engum anchuRach

seeRinaan nedum sikaram eidhinaan

vERu ill aadhavan pudhalvan meimmai aam

aaRinaalum vandhu adi vaNaginaan

- 61 - natpukkOt padalam kitkindhaa kaaNdam

 

meaning: [or a rough translation] - vaali, feeling happy after

killing maayaavi, who dragged him into the darkness of the caves -

oLiththvan - swiftly returned to the entrance of [cave] and called

the brother. Since could not get reply from brother, stopped for a

moment. Then, raising his tail, and jumping into the blue sky. This

made hill tops flew across into ocean. He roared with anger so that

all were afraid of. Seeing this the son of sun sugreevan rushed to

vaali and bowed in frontof him.

 

Point: please see word 'evarum anchuRach cheeRinaan' - all became

afraid of his rage - a typical monkey - to raise his tail and jump

into the sky in anger.

 

On the call of sugreevan for a fight for the first time after

friendship [sakhyam] with raama, see how vaali reacts. The fit of

rage gives out vaali's monkey facet - the animal instincts.

 

pOip podithana mayirp puRaththa vempoRi

kaayap podu uRRu ezhu vada kanalum kaN keda

theep podiththana vizhi dhEvar naatinum

meeppodiththana pugai uyirppu veengavE 16 vaali vadhaip padalam

 

kaikkodu kaiththalam pudaippak kaavalin

dhikkayangaLum madhach cherukkuch chindhina

ukkana urum inam ulaindha umbarum

nekkana nerindhana ninRa kunRamE

-17 vaali vadhaip padalam

 

kadiththa vaai eyiRu ugu kanalgaL kaar visumbu

idiththa vaai ugum urum inaththin sindhina

thadiththu veezhvana enath thagarndhu sindhina

vadiththa thOL valayaththin vayangu kaasarO

- 20 vaali vadhaip padalam

 

meaning [as a rough translation] when sugreevan called vaali for a

duel, vaali in a fit of anger comes dashing out. The amount of anger

is described here as -

due to the raging anger, vaali went into horripillation - this

caused sparks of fire come out of his hair ends. That sparks looked

like the mass destruction fire named vadavaagni. The hot air from

nose and resulting smoke reached even the dhEvalOkam. When he came

out clapping both hands to announce his coming, the sound was like

thunder, resulting all the dhik gajangaL - 8 elephants protecting

the directions - to shed the madha neer - become frightened. The

upper world trembled and earth also shook itself. When he minced his

teeth in anger, sparks came out and that sound was heard as thunder

splitting. When he cusped his shoulders the ornament there shed the

gems studded in them.

 

Point: All these show how much he was angry and how much animal

instincts he exhibited.

 

Now let us see the divine face of vaali: Whenever the lord has

showered any ordinary person a bit of grace, immediately the person

becomes so soft, mellifluous [negizhdhal - may be I am not able to

give an English word for that]. First when thaaraa says that

sugreeva has sought the help of raama, to vaali and suggests him not

to go for fight, he replies - as said in thulasi raamaayanam.

 

Doha: kaha baalee sunu bheerum priya samadharasi raghunaatha |

joun kadhaachi mOhi maarahin thou puni houun sanaatha || 7

kishkindhaa kaaNdam

 

meaning: Said vaali, Listen, my timid darling, the Lord of raghus

looks upon all with the same eye. Even if He kills me, I will attain

His divine abode and have Him as my eternal Lord. (7)

 

Point: See the amount of divine nature vaali exhibits having

realized the lord of raghus is the supreme lord, and it is in fact a

boon to get killed by his hand. This killing, normally raamaa will

not do, for he is a righteous man, not to kill any body

unnecessarily.

 

Just getting back to kamban - the request of vaali to raama on

sugreevan - in this verse the divinity and dignity just pours out -

you can see for yourself - perhaps my vouching is not necessary -

 

Oviya uruva, naayEn uLadhu onRu peRuvadhu unbaal

poo iyal naRavam maandhip pundhi vERuRRa pOdhu

theevinai iyaRRumEnum embi mEl seeRi enmEl

Eviva pagazhi ennum kooRRinai Eval enRaan 136 vaali vadhaip padalam

 

Meaning: hey raama, one who has a beauty like a perfect picture, I

want to seek one thing from you, may be at times my brother

sugreevan may drink the wine from flowers and may lose self control,

and cause harm to you. At that time do not angry on him, please

spare him from the same shaft you used against me.

 

[naRavam is kaLLu - the wine or honey or nectar from flowers.

pundhi is bhudhdhi,

maandhi -just not drinking but enjoying while drinking.

Pagazhi - is koor ambu - sharp arrows]

 

See how nicely he puts across to spare his brother from raamaa's

arrows. Here the divinity in vaali speaks. Dear bhakthaas when you

read next verse you will definitely agree this verse is the epitome

of vaali's divinity to be exhibited.

 

innum onRu irappadhu uNdaal embiyai umbimaargaL

than munaik kolviththaan enRu igazhvarEl thaduththi thakkOi,

munmunE mozhindhaai anRE ivan kuRai mudippadhu aiyaa

pin idhu en vinaiyin seigai adhanaiyum pizhaikkalaamO

 

137 - vaali vadhaip padalam

 

meaning: hey raama I have one more to seek from you. When somebody

accuses my brother sugreevan as "see here is one, who got his own

elder brother killed by others", then you have to prevent that kind

of scoffs being thrown on him, for you have already assured him to

pardon his mistakes. I got killed due to my own earlier sins. Nobody

can prevent reaping for sins committed'.

 

See the extent of deep divinity being poured out by vaali - some

third person should not accuse his brother. Is it a 'maraNath

theLivu' as normally said - no- the very presence of that 'Oviya

uruva raama' - makes any body pour out all divinity. Enjoy that

oviya uruva raamaa till next post.

 

Perhaps all the feelings when you read in original tamil may not

have come out in this translation, for which I may be excused.

 

 

with due respects

 

v.anjaneyulu, itarsi