Why did Rama kill Vali from behind a tree? The best answer to this question is given by Lakshmana in Kamba Ramayanam, said V.S. Karunakarachariar in a discourse. Lakshmana says Rama had to kill Vali the way He did, because had Vali seen Rama, he would have surrendered to Him. And Rama would have been duty-bound to save Vali.
Lakshmana explains why this would have been unacceptable. Sugreeva did not know that his brother Vali was victorious in a fight with an asura. Assuming that Vali was dead, Sugreeva became the king. But Vali was not dead. When Vali found that Sugreeva had become the king, he turned against him. Although Sugreeva fell at his feet, Vali refused to forgive Sugreeva. Since Vali had rejected Sugreeva’s saranagati, he himself did not deserve to be saved by saranagati. That is why Rama did not face him, for thus He was able to avoid the need to save Vali, in the event of saranagati by Vali. This is, perhaps, the ideal answer to Vali, because Saranagati is the essence of the Ramayana, and when that very concept was rejected by Vali, how could he expect Rama to treat him kindly? The word ‘kishku’ occurs in the Agamas, and means saranagati. Kishkinda kanda is so titled, because it tells us about the disastrous consequences of turning away one who surrenders to us. Vali had ignored Sugreeva’s surrender. And thus, he was not given an opportunity to save himself through saranagati.
Published – September 10, 2024 04:26 am IST
