Śri Maha ganapataye namah

We discussed that Vali subdued his wife Tara and rejecting her pleas rushed out to battle. His belief was that Rama would not harm him as he had not harmed Rama.

The brothers were engaged in a fierce duel. Rama was on the lookout for a suitable opportunity to release the arrow. He could not release just any arrow. As it is, even the ordinary arrow released by him had the ability to bring down 7 gigantic trees. Nevertheless, Vali was no ordinary vanara. He was a vanara who had in him the might of many elephants. He was a demon in the guise of a vanara. He was a demon who, due to his formidable might, was overflowing with arrogance. Rama, therefore, wanted to use a special arrow to kill him. Finding a suitable opportunity, Rama released the arrow. Vali who could never be killed by any weapon, suddenly collapsed to the ground the moment he was pierced by Rama’s arrow.

It is said that barring Hanuman, no living entity in this creation can withstand the might of Rama’s arrow.

Seeing Vali, who was collapsing to the ground, Rama came out of hiding and stood before him. Immediately Vali began to accuse Rama of unrighteous behaviour. Vali had only a few moments left to live. Once hit by Rama’s arrow, his end was inevitable. At this dying juncture, he began to hurl abuses upon Rama. Humiliated that he had been pierced with the arrow, Vali began to chastise the Lord himself. However, for every accusation hurled by Vali, Rama gave him a befitting reply.

‘What prompted you to indulge in unrighteous actions O Vali? Setting aside the reasoning offered by all well-wishers, you chose to walk on the unrighteous path. Even after your younger brother willingly abdicated the throne upon your return, even after he fell at your feet seeking refuge, you vowed to drive him away from the kingdom. Heartlessly, you trashed him. While you clearly sided with unrighteousness (adharma), you preach to others the rules of righteousness when you fail to apply them to yourself.

Only he who abides by righteousness develops the ability to understand the dharma of others, not otherwise. On the contrary, the person who justifies his unrighteous deeds (adharma) as righteous, while condemning the unrighteous deeds of others or viewing their righteous deeds as unrighteous, loses even the ability to judge what is righteous and what is not’.

Jaya Guru Datta