Ramaayana of valmiki and Kamban - Kishkindha kanda-Vali argues with Rama

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6.Vali argues with Rama and

gets convinced

 

When

Vali saw Rama he started speaking to him accusing him of improper conduct. He

asked Rama whether it was proper for him to attack someone who was not fighting

with him but with some one else and quite unaware of his presence, He said that

believing that Rama would not harm him while he was fighting with Sugreeva he

came to the battle in spite of Tara's

advice to the contrary.

 

Vali

said,

 

na thvaam vinihatham aathmaanam dharmadhvajam

aDhaarmikam

 

Jaane paapasamaachaaram thrNaiH

koopam iva aavrtham (Kish.17.22)

 

" I did not know you as one who has demeaned one self, hoisting a flag of dharma

while being adharmic and one who is intent on evil conduct as a well covered

with grass."

 

He

further said that why should Rama kill him who has done him no harm and a

forest creature by donning the robes of a hermit and doing something against

kshathriya dharma.

 

He

said that if the purpose of Rama was only to get back Sita with the help of

Sugriva, he himself would have done it much more easily by dragging Ravana with

a noose around his neck.

 

Vali

quoted dharma saying that one who kills a king, a Brahmin, and cow and one who

is a thief, and one who kills without reason etc. will go to hell, thus including

Rama in that list. Moreover he said his flesh or bones or skin are prohibited

for use by sastras and Rama could not defend himself saying that he killed him

like an animal in hunt.

 

Rama

replied that while quoting from sastras,

Vali forgot conveniently that what he has done is a grievous sin punishable by

death, namely committing incest with the wife of his younger brother who should

be treated like a son and hence his wife

is like a daughter to Vali. He said that he was only an forest animal but his

speech proved that he was much more evolved and equal to a human being. Hence

said Rama , he was punishing Vali as a king would, in place of Bharatha,

because the forests came under the territory of kings of the Ikshvaku race.

 

Hearing

that and by the presence of Rama the evil propensities of Vali evaporated and

he became pure and started praising Rama for what he had done and asked his

forgiveness. Then he entreated Rama to take care of his son Angadha .

 

Rama

, assuring him that he will take care of Angadha and Thara said to him these

words which he was going to expand later in Krishnavathara.

 

 

thath bhavaan dhaNDa samyogaat asmaat

vigata kalmaShaH

gathaH svaam prakRthim Dharmyaam Dharma dhiShTena varthmanaa (Kish.18 62)

 

"By

the punishment you have become free of blemish and attained your true nature."

 

In

Gita Krishna says, kshipram bhavathi

Dharmaathmaa SaSvath shaanthim nigacChathi, one who atones for his sins becomes righteous at once by resorting to the

Lord and attains peace.

 

This

is what happened to Vali.

 

Now

let us go to Kamban and see how he portrays this scene.

 

Vali

was not able to take the arrow out to see who has sent it. Kamban says,

 

sudusaram

thannai thunaikkaratthaal pattri

vaalinum

kaalinum vali urappaRippaan

 

He

grasped the arrow with his hand and pulled it using his tail and legs,

wondering whether it was devas or Vishnu or Siva. Then he saw the name of the

one who sent the arrow.

 

Kamban

says,

 

mummai

Saal ulagukku ellaam moolamandhiratthai muttrum

 

thammaiyE

thamarkku nalgum thanipperumpadhatthai

thanE

 

immaiyE ezumai nOykkum marundhinai iraaman ennum

 

Semmai

Ser naamam thannai kaNgaLil theriyakkandaan

Vali

saw the name Rama, which was the moola

manthra of all the worlds, the name of one, who is the supreme resort and who gives Himself to the devotees and which is

the elixir for the deceases of samsara,

appear before his eyes.

 

Thus

Vali saw the nama before he saw the naami, the tsuanami which was going to submerge

him in wisdom. Kamban says `kaNgaLil theriyakkandaan,' meaning that he saw it

with his eyes. The sinful propensities were not removed yet and the nama

appeared only to the eyes and not to the heart, as a result of which he started

arguing with Rama.

 

Vali

says,

 

Vaaimaiyum

marabum kaathu man uyir thurandha vaLLal

 

Thooyavan

maindhanE nee bharathan mun thonRinaaye

 

"

You are the son of the great Dasaratha who protected his word and also his

tradition and you were born before Bharatha!!"

 

And

then he said,

 

dhEviyai

pirindhapinnar thigaitthanai pOlum seigai

 

Perhaps

you were perplexed about your action after being separated from Seetha. While

speaking with scorn Vali addresses Rama as Oviyatthil ezudha oNNaa uruvatthaai,

the one whose beauty could not be displayed on a painting. Such is the glory of

Rama that even those who are angry with him only refer to him in glowing terms

as Surpanakha did when she complained about him to Ravana.

 

Rama

replied that Vali has no right to speak about dharma because what he did was adharma.

He wronged his brother and appropriated his wife. Rama said he only punished

Vali because he was wicked towards Sugreeva who became the friend of Rama and it

was his duty to protect those who took refuge in him.

 

Vali

replied that the values that apply to kshathriyas do not hold good for monkeys who have no such

rules of conduct. Rama replied that Vali was the offspring of a deva and not an

ordinary monkey and also his sense of dharma and adharma proved that he was

above the state of an animal.

 

Then

Vali asked whether it was right for Rama to attack him with his arrow remaining

out of sight. Lakshmana said that Rama

has already promised Sugreeva that he would kill Vali on the same day and if he

had come in front and Vali surrendered the promise would not be fulfilled.

 

The

implied meaning is that Vali was created to help the Lord in His incarnation as

Rama to destroy Ravana but Vali made friends with Ravana and if he made Ravana

to return Seetha the avathrakaarya would not be fulfilled.

 

Then

the ramanama which appeared to the eyes of Vali went inside his heart and

changed it to a pure one. Vali then praised Rama and asked forgiveness.