Ramakatha Rasavahini, Part 2, Chapter 4 (b) - An Ally Accepted

[Guest guest]

Part 2 - Chapter 4 (b)An Ally Accepted

 

Rama rose. Both he and Lakshmana moved forward, armed with bow and arrow, with

Sugriva by their side. Hanuman and others were permitted to remain in that

hill-residence itself. Sugriva was given necessary instructions, while on the

way; at last, he was directed to go forward alone, and shout a challenge in

front of the main gate of the City. Following this command given by Rama,

Sugriva stood before Kishkindha City and shouted so fiercely that the walls of

the fort shook, and the earth quaked in fear. No sooner did that call fall on

his ear than Vali rose from his bed as a cobra does when it is trodden upon,

and came out, ready to fight and put Sugriva to flight. He knew it was his

brother who had challenged him to

combat.

At this, Tara, Vali's wife, clasped his feet and reminded him of the words

spoken by his own son some days earlier. She said, "Lord! The brothers who have

sought his help are no ordinary men. They are endowed with mighty powers.

Sugriva, who was in hiding all this time, has come now with new confidence and

courage. He has even dared challenge you. He would not venture to do so without

looking before and after. He must have received conviction about their

capabilities and won the promise of their assistance. The princes, Rama and

Lakshmana, have Divine Powers; it is not propitious that you enter into battle

with them." Listening to her pathetic importunities, Vali burst into a jeering

laugh. "Cowardly woman!", he said, "It is said that Rama is equal-minded. If

that is true, he will certainly look upon both of us with an equal eye.

Moreover, I have not done him any harm, have I? In spite of this, if Rama kills

me, well, I shall believe my birth

and years of life have been fulfilled thereby!" Tara was happy on the one hand

that he had such an outlook; on the other hand she could not entertain for a

moment the idea of separation from her lord. So, she pleaded again, "Lord! It

is considered a bad omen when a woman objects. Do not rashly accept the

chal1enge." But, Vali set aside all her pleadings. "When battle calls, no one

cares for omens. Either the enemy should die or one's own life should end." So

saying Vali pushed Tara aside and rushed towards the main entrance to the Fort

roaring in terror-striking rage.

He saw only Sugriva there; so, he jumped on him and both began a heavy fight

with their fists, inflicting hammer-blows on each. Sugriva could not bear the

rain of fierce hits; he felt a desire to flee; Vali with many a kick and pull,

caused such agonizing pain that Sugriva managed to escape, leaving Vali victor!

Vali retired into the Fort, patting his thighs exultingly. Rama and Lakshmana

followed the fleeing Sugriva. When they reached the hill-resort, Sugriva fell

at the feet of Rama, his heart heavy with the burden of disappointment,

despair, pain and fear. He said, "Lord! I do not understand why you caused this

disgrace to me. I proceeded on this venture, buoyed up with a huge pile of hope

that you would come to my rescue. All the while, I was watching for the Moment

when your arrow will hit Vali and finish him. But, that event never happened. I

could not bear the weight of those blows; so, I had to take the shameful course

of fleeing for

sheer life. My brother is a mighty hitter; I could not stand those blows."

Rama consoled him and said, "Sugriva! Don't grieve. Listen to the reasons. You

are so like each other, so indistinguishable one from the other, so much the

same in appearance and attainments, that I could not take correct aim at him."

Those words had a deep inner meaning, too. They meant that Vali too was devoted

to His Feet. "He too is my votary. He has yearned for My Grace as much as you

have." But, Sugriva could not grasp the hidden import of the declaration. He

prayed, "Knowing so much, could you not discover who Vali was and who Sugriva

was? I cannot believe your words. I do not know the reason why you could not.

Perhaps, you wanted me to display my ability to the utmost. If that was your

intention, I could have taken note of it from the beginning itself; what really

happened was, I was so confident that you would bring about his downfall, that I

took the fight rather easy, and in a light-hearted manner."

Rama drew the down-hearted, dispirited Sugriva to his presence and consoled him

profusely. He passed his Divine hand over the body of Sugriva, so that the pain

disappeared in a trice. The wounds and contusions were instantaneously healed.

Sugriva was overwhelmed with surprise. He exclaimed, "Rama! Your hand can

achieve anything; it contains everything. Creation, Preservation, Destruction,

all three are subservient to Your Will. I have no desire to rule over this

kingdom. Compared to the joy Your Grace can confer, that joy is nothing at

all."

Rama did not pay heed to his words. He said, "These words of yours are but

reflections of passing thoughts. You spoke like this when you had a vision of

my Power and Glory. I do not attach much value to them, for, I care more for

feelings that rise in the heart. There are many great devotees who forget

everything when they experience the Sport and Supreme Might of God, and believe

that there is nothing higher than God. But, after some time, or when their

mental cravings do not bear fruit, they develop doubts even about what they

experienced or saw! These are the veils that hide, the curtains that distort

the truth in the minds of those with weak faith. I know how it all happens and

so I do not attach much value to these sentiments. You have to get ready to

confront your brother once again." Thus, Rama forced Sugriva into the fray.

Sugriva had no liking for the fight, but he was certain that this time Rama

would keep his promise and kill Vali. He walked boldly on, with confidence in

his heart. Rama got some wild flowers and had them strung as a garland which he

put round Sugriva's neck. What Rama meant was: Vali had already told Tara that

Rama looked upon all as equal. It was this 'equal' sight that prevented him

from killing Vali. "Now, I have put this garland of flowers round his neck to

show that my love towards Sugriva is greater, and so, I can with justice, deal

with Vali differently. Sugriva has a garland extra, indicating that he wears

the symbol of Divine Love. Love needs no reason for its flow; it comes from no

selfish urge."

Thus encouraged and filled with heroism, Rama and Lakshmana persuaded Sugriva to

shout the challenge again at the gate of Vali's Fort. They hid themselves behind

a tree that was nearby. When Vali rushed out eager for the fight, and when the

earth quaked under the weight of his impact, Sugriva was frightened; he prayed

to Rama with all his heart to come to his succour soon, and went forward to

meet his foe. To justify his own attainments and capacity, Sugriva fought to

the best of his ability. When his strength gave way, and the first signs of

exhaustion appeared in him, he called out 'Rama' just once. Rama has as his

favourite task the guarding of his devotees. So, when he heard the call, he

placed an arrow on his bow and shot it straight into the proud heart of Vali.

Vali swung round helplessly and slid until he fell flat on the ground. At that

moment, Rama came near Vali and granted him the Divine vision of Himself.

Though struck by the fatal shaft, Vali rose and assumed a sitting posture; he

was strong and courageous beyond compare! With folded palms, he cast his

lingering looks on that cloud-blue complexion, those lotus-petal eyes, and shed

streams of tears in his ecstatic exhilaration. He could scarce contain his joy;

he exclaimed "O Rama! Being such a divinely auspicious embodiment of beauty,

being the very Lord of all Creation, why had you to perform this questionable

act? Had you but told me, and then, killed me, I would have been extremely

happy to die. Would I have refused to render you the good that Sugriva could?

No. No. This has been thus done, not without some justifiable reason. For, the

Lord would never undertake any task without just reason. Seen from the outside,

the task might appear contrary to our idea of Divinity; but, with the inner

view, the fact that it is based on Truth would become evident. I know that the

deeds of the Lord

should not be interpreted from the common worldly point of view. The Lord is

above and beyond the Gunas, attributes that limit and regulate human conduct.

So, His deeds can be understood correctly only when viewed from a position

unaffected by emotion, passion, or prejudice. Acts done with perfect equanimity

can be understood only by perfect equanimity. If you are swayed by

characteristics and attributes, you would naturally see only kindred

characteristics and attributes, even when they are absent!" Vali was endowed

with a very clear intellect. So, he argued thus and said, "Rama, I know full

well your prowess and skill. You can with one arrow destroy not only this Vali,

but the entire Universe. You can create the Universe again. Nevertheless, I

desire to learn from you the sin for which you have killed me. Please identify

for me the error I was responsible for. You have come upon earth

in human form in order to re-establish Righteousness, haven't you? What is the

meaning and purpose of this action - hiding behind a tree, like a common

hunter, in order to kill me".

Rama graciously sat by the side of the dying Vali and said, "Vali! You know that

my deeds are not motivated by selfish ends. Give up your wrong notion that I

sought and secured the friendship of Sugriva in order to search the whereabouts

of Sita. Why, you yourself said just now that I have assumed this human form for

the purpose of re-establishing righteousness on earth! Now, tell me, if I simply

witness the wrong, the unjust and vicious deeds of yours, what would you call

it? Service or dis-service to the world? Righteous or unrighteous? The

brother's wife, the sister and the daughter-in-law are all three equivalent in

status to one's daughter. To cast sinful eyes on them makes one a heinous

sinner. No sin affects one when such a sinner is killed.

"How unjust was it for you to infer that Sugriva closed the entrance of the cave

with the evil intention of killing you! You said you would come out at the end

of fifteen days, at the most, and asked him to wait at the mouth of the cave

until then. Yet, he waited there, anxiously awaiting you, for one full month!

Finally, when he was assailed by the smell of blood, he was grieved that his

brother was killed by the ogre; he hesitated to enter the cave, for to the ogre

who destroyed you, Sugriva would certainly be no match. When he placed the

boulder up against the mouth of the cave, his intention was to prevent the ogre

from coming out, and to see that he is confined within that cave itself. The

citizens pressed on him the rulership and he had to accede to their wishes.

What crime had Sugriva committed when he acted thus? You did not stay to

inquire. He never disobeyed your commands and directives, even to the slightest

extent; for he loved you

and revered you. He adheres strictly to the path of Truth. But, you treasured in

your heart vengeance against him for no reason at all; your overweening pride

drove him into the forest. When you sent him out, you should have allowed his

wife too to go with him. Instead you chose her to be your wife, the person whom

you should have treated as your own daughter. Do you call this a sin or don't

you? There is no sin more heinous than this. Besides, you occupy the position

of the ruler of this region. You have to protect and foster your subjects. How

can you punish those who commit crimes when you yourself revel in the same

crime? 'As is the King, so are the subjects', says the proverb. The people will

be such as their rulers are. Therefore, what you have done becomes more heinous

and more reprehensible. Doesn't it?"

Thus, Rama out of His infinite love clarified to Vali the crimes and sins he had

committed. Vali listened with attention and thought over what he heard. At last,

he realized his error, and said, "Lord! My cleverness has failed to make you

pronounce my acts as right. Now hear me! I am not a sinner at all. Had I been a

sinner, how could I be floored by an arrow from the Lord's own hands, and how

could I pass my last moments looking on the Face of Divinity and listening to

the sweet words of the Lord?" Rama was highly pleased at these words spoken

with such high wisdom, out of the depths of love and devotion, delight and

dedication. Then Rama wished to announce to the world the genuine spirit of

renunciation that Vali had at heart. He said, "Vali! I am restoring you to

life. I am freeing you from the obligation of old age and senility. Come. Have

your body back again". He placed His hand on the head of Vali. But, even while

He was blessing him so,

Vali intervened with a prayer, "Ocean of Compassion; Give ear to my appeal.

However many attempts one might make throughout life, at the moment when breath

deserts us, death cannot be avoided. At that moment, even the souvereign sages

do not get Your Name on their tongues! Unique good fortune I have secured now,

here, when I pronounce Your Name, look on Your Form, touch Your feet and listen

to Your Words. If I miss this chance and let it slip away, who can say how long

I may have to wait for these again? Continuing to breathe, what great

achievement will I accomplish? No. I do not wish to live any longer".

"Lord! Even the Vedas, the Source of all Knowledge, speak of you as only 'Not

this' 'Not this'; thus they proceed, until they declare finally, 'This' 'This'

I have now secured in my grasp; shall I let it slip? Is there in this world a

fool who would give up the Divine Wish-Fulfilling Tree that he has in his grasp

for the sake of a wild weed? This Vali, born out of a mental resolution of

Brahma Himself, endowed with strength of body and sharpness of intellect and

renowned for these qualities, cannot yield to the temptation of clinging to the

body as if it is real and valuable. No. If I yield, I will become the target of

infamy. Why elaborate? When there is no self-satisfaction, what do other types

of satisfaction matter? Lord! As a result of Your Darsan and Your words, I have

overcome all sense of duality and distinction. I have acquired the

Vision of the One, apart from all the rest. The mass of 'consequence' I had

earned through my sins has been destroyed; let the Body which is burdened with

the Consequence be destroyed along with it. Do not allow another body appear to

bear the burden". Vali declared his determination to give up his breath and

called his son to his presence. He said: "This fellow grew up until now as the

lust-born son of this body. He is strong, virtuous, humble and obedient. Now I

wish You would foster him as Your Love-deserving Son. I have placed him in Your

hands." With these words he placed the hands of his son in the hands of Rama.

Rama drew Angada, the son, near Him, and blessed him, with great love. Pleased

at the acceptance, Vali shed tears of joy; his eyes were fixed on the Divine

Face before him. His eyes slowly closed in death. Will an elephant worry or

take any notice of flowers that fall away from the garland round its neck? With

the same unconcern, Vali too allowed his breath to slide

away from him.

The inhabitants of Pampa Town gathered in sad groups as soon as they heard the

news of Vali's demise. His wife, Tara, came to the place, accompanied by her

retinue; she fell upon the body and lost consciousness. The agonizing wail of

Tara was so poignant that stones melted in sympathy. When she recovered

consciousness, off and on, she looked on the face of her lord and cried in

utter grief. "In spite of all the protest I made and the arguments I used, to

stop you, you rushed forward to this doom. The wife should ever be vigilant

about the security and happiness of her lord; there is no one more concerned

about the welfare of the husband than the wife. Others, however eminent, will

always have some little egoism mixed in the advice they give. Lord! On account

of the mischief of Destiny, my counsel could not prevail. Lord! How am I to

foster and bring up this son? Will those who killed you desist from harming

your son? Who will guide us now? How

did your mind agree to leave us behind and proceed to the next world? For whose

sake must I continue this life?"

Then, Tara turned to Rama and poured out her heart. "You sent my dear Lord, my

very breath, to the next world. Do you want us, who are left behind, to live at

the mercy of strangers? Is this the right thing for a noble person, a person

devoted to right conduct, to be proud about? Is it appropriate? If you do not

desire our progress, if you have no wish to alleviate our sorrow, then, kill me

and my son; the arrow that killed the mighty hero will not quail before a weak

woman and a stripling lad. Let us join him in his journey". She fell at the

feet of Rama and wept in inconsolable anguish. Rama said, "Tara! Why do you

weep so? You are a heroic wife; do not behave in this manner, for, it brings

your role into infamy. Be calm. Control yourself. The body is a temporary

phase; it is contemptible. Vali himself regarded this body as debased! Its

fall, its end, might happen any day, it cannot be avoided. It is but an

instrument to achieve the

Supreme Goal and if that end is not kept in view and attained through it, the

body is but a lump of coal whose destiny is the fire. Weeping for Vali as this

body is foolish, for, the body is here. Do you then weep for the Atma that was

in this body? That Atma is eternal; it cannot die or decay, diminish or

disintegrate. Only those who have not realized the Atma principle suffer from

the delusion that the body is themselves; until then, even the most learned are

led into error. Being enamoured of the body as if it is you is 'ignorance';

being aware of the Atma, which you really are is 'wisdom'. Getting the

knowledge of the Atma is as precious a piece of good luck as getting a diamond

in the dust. The Atma is the gemstone embedded in this mass of flesh. The body

carries urine and faeces, bad odours and bad blood; it is pestered by pests and

problems. Its decay cannot be arrested; it must

die some day. The achievement that one can realize through it is its

justification. That is the crown of human life. Your husband has achieved many

heroic and honourable victories through his body. While ruling this kingdom, he

protected and promoted his servants and faithful followers as if they were his

very breath. He destroyed the Rakshasas. He had deep devotion towards God. But,

he inflicted injury on his brother. Besides that sin, he did not commit any

other. His death at my hands was the consequence of that sin. Therefore,

believe that it too has been washed away. Now, you have no reason to grieve.

When Tara heard these words of counsel and consolation, wisdom dawned in her

mind and she was calmed. Rama said that there should be no more delay. He asked

Tara to go back and have the funeral rites for Vali performed by Sugriva. He

advised Sugriva to bring up Angada with love and care. When the rites were

over, he sent Lakshmana into the Capital City, and had Sugriva installed on the

throne. Hanuman and others too entered the City and helped him as friends and

followers, to carry on the task of government successfully. As soon as he

assumed the reins of office, Sugriva called together the elders and leaders of

the community; he ordered them to make all proper arrangements to seek and find

the whereabouts of Sita. He asked them to initiate all steps necessary for the

purpose. Sugriva was not happy that he became the ruler and was honoured by

that responsibility; he was, on the other hand, sad and morose, because he had

been the cause for the

killing of his brother. "Alas! Anger leads one to perpetrate the direst of sins;

it breeds hatred, and murders love. Shame on me! To what depths have I fallen,

since I allowed anger and hatred to enter my heart; My heart is torn in anguish

by the words of adoration Vali addressed to Rama. I never realized, even in my

dreams, that Vali had such a deal of devotion and dedication in him. Ah! His

wisdom is boundless. His furious anger did not allow that wisdom to express

itself! Yes. Anger suppresses the divine in one; lust and anger drag life into

disaster". Though much depressed by these thoughts, Sugriva learned the

guidelines of government from Lakshmana. He prayed to Rama that He should enter

the City and bless him and his subjects. But Rama said that he had to live in

the forests only and not enter any town or city. Otherwise he would be

disobeying his father's wish.

Sugriva held a conference of leaders and announced that, since the season was

late autumn, rains were imminent and the monkey hordes would be hard put to it

to move about in the cold and in the storm, So, he suggested that as soon as

the autumn passed, they must set about the task of searching for the place

where Sita was. He presented this information to Rama and Lakshmana also. Rama

realized the truth of these statements and he acceded to the proposal. The

brothers retired to the Rshyamuka Hill and took residence there.

The rains started soon; it poured as if potfuls were emptied from the sky on

every square inch of space! It became a hard task for Lakshmana to procure, in

time, even tubers and fruits for sustenance! They could not come out of the

shelter of the hermitage. Sunlight was scarcely to be seen. Rama spent the time

in administering valuable counsel to Lakshmana. "Lakshmana!", he would say,

"when a wicked son is born, the code of morality will be corroded. When a

cyclone starts its career, the clouds shudder in fear. The company of bad men

is the prelude to the disappearance of wisdom. The company of good men makes

wisdom blossom." Thus, they spent their days, learning and teaching, matters

concerned with Wisdom and its acquisition and preservation.

Bhajan: Prayer: Khanda Kandanthara

 

 

 

Ramakatha RasavahiniThe Sweet Story of Rama's GloryOriginal in Telegu written by

Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai BabaRendered into English by Professor N. Kasturi

Source: http://www.vahini.org/ramakatha2/ch4b.htmlVahini.org: 'Vahini' Books

written by Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba

 

 

Mail - More reliable, more storage, less spam