Summary
Vali dismissing Tara's words, who is dissuading him to confront Rama, starts out to fight out Sugreeva. A ghastly fight ensues in which Vali depletes Sugreeva's strength by the boon and Indra's chest-plate, and thus Sugreeva seeks Rama's help. Rama shoots his arrow which hits Vali on chest, but does not render him dead immediately. Thus that great mighty and unassailable Vali is brought down to ground.
Chapter [Sarga] 16 in Detail
taam evam bruvatiim taaraam taaraadhipa nibha aananaam |
vaalii nirbhartsayaamaasa vacanam ca idam abraviit || 4-16-1
While Tara with a face that shines like the lord of stars is speaking thus, Vali dauntingly spoke to her with these words. [4-16-1]
garjato asya ca susa.mrabdham bhraatuh shatror vishesatah |
ma.rsayisyaami kena kaaranena varaanane || 4-16-2
"He is an younger brother and an adversary in particular, oh, pretty-faced Tara, can I by any reason tolerate him when he kept raving on frenetically, tell me. [4-16-2]
adharsitaanaam shuuraanaam samaresu anivartinaam |
dharsanaam arsanam bhiiru maranaat atiricyate || 4-16-3
"To those valiant ones who neither give ground nor get assailed in wars, oh, shyly, endurance of a overweening war-whoop is more than death. [4-16-3]
sodhum na ca samartho aham yuddha kaamasya sa.myuge |
sugriivasya ca sa.mra.mbham hiina griivasya garjatam || 4-16-4
"I am incapable of withstanding that dumbly Sugreeva's bawling commotion desiring a brawling duel. [4-16-4]
na ca kaaryo visaadah te raaghavam prati mat krite |
dharmajnah ca kritajnah ca katham paapam karisyati || 4-16-5
"Also, you need not bother about Raghava's doing some harm to me, as I wonder how a diligent man and knower of virtue can commit sin. [4-16-5]
nivartasva saha striibhih katham bhuuyo anugacchasi |
sauhridam darshitam taavat mayi bhaktih tvayaa kritaa || 4-16-6
"How do you follow me again, you return with all these females, truly you have expressed your friendliness owing to your devotion to me. [4-16-6]
prati yotsyaami aham gatvaa sugriivam jahi sa.mbhramam |
darpam ca asya vinesyaami na ca praanair viyoksyate || 4-16-7
"You may do away with your perplexity as I will retaliate Sugreeva on my going there only to drive him and his arrogance out, but without letting his lives loose. [4-16-7]
aham hi aji sthitasya asya karisyaami yat iipsitam |
vrikshaih musti prahaaraih ca piiditah prati yaasyati || 4-16-8
"As he is firmed up for a combat, I will indeed have to effectuate what his desire is, by caning with trees and fistfights, by which roughed up he returns. [4-16-8]
na me garvitam aayastam sahisyati duraatmavaan |
kritam taare sahaayatvam darshitam sauhridam mayi || 4-16-9
"My nerve and pace of combat will be insufferable to that malign minded Sugreeva, oh, Tara, you have offered your helping suggestion and you have shown all your friendliness to me, it is enough. [4-16-9]
shaapitaa asi mama praanaih nivartasva janena ca |
alam jitvaa nivartisye tam aham bhraataram rane || 4-16-10
"I adjured you on my lives, return with your followers, and I shall return to you on easily defeating and returning that 'brother of mine." Said Vali to Tara. [4-16-10]
tam tu taaraa parisvajya vaalinam priya vaadinii |
cakaara rudatii mandam daksinaa saa pradaksinam || 4-16-11
She that pleasant articulator and talented Tara then hugged and circumabulated Vali, suppressing her moaning, as an honor to the braver. [4-16-11]
tatah svastyayanam kritvaa ma.ntravit vijaya esinii |
a.ntahpuram saha striibhih pravistaa shoka mohitaa || 4-16-12
Then she who is a hymnodist that Tara has performed a hymnal bon voyage wishing triumph to Vali, and entered palace chambers along with other females, disoriented by her own sadness. [4-16-12]
pravistaayaam tu taaraayaam saha striibhih svam aalayam |
nagaryaa niryayau kruddho mahaa sarpa iva shvasan || 4-16-13
On Tara entering her own palace chambers along with other females, Vali emerged out of the city hissing like an infuriated great snake. [4-16-13]
sa nihshvasya mahaaroso vaalii parama vegavaan |
sarvatah caarayan dristim shatru darshana kaa.nksayaa || 4-16-14
He that highly rancorous Vali suspired with high audacity and spread his sight everywhere intending to sight his enemy. [4-16-14]
sa dadarsha tatah shriimaan sugriivam hema pingalam |
susa.mviitam avastabdham diipyamaanam iva analam || 4-16-15
Then that celebrated Vali saw Sugreeva who is in golden-ochre hue, whose girdle cloth is tightened for a fight, and who is with an air of self-confidence, blazing like fiery-fire. [4-16-15]
tam sa dristvaa mahaabaahuh sugriivam paryavasthitam |
gaadham paridadhe vaaso vaalii parama kopinah || 4-16-16
That strong armed Vali who is highly provoked has also tightened his girdle cloth on seeing proximately available Sugreeva. [4-16-16]
sa vaalii gaadha sa.mviito mustim udyamya viiryavaan |
sugriivam eva abhimukho yayau yoddhum krita ksanah || 4-16-17
He that formidable Vali strongly tightening his girdle-cloth too, and proceeded towards Sugreeva in a well timed manner uplifting fists to fight him off. [4-16-17]
shlistam mustim samudyamya sa.mrabdhataram aagatah |
sugriivo api samuddishya vaalinam hema maalinam || 4-16-18
Even Sugreeva has come at that imprudent Vali with golden pendant, on tightening his fists, lifting them up at the ready, and aiming them well at Vali. [4-16-18]
tam vaalii krodha taamraaksah sugriivam rana kovidam |
aapata.ntam mahaa vegam idam vacanam abraviit || 4-16-19
Vali spoke this word to that Sugreeva who is swooping down on him, whose eyes are reddened in fury, and who is an expert and expeditious in fighting. [4-16-19]
esa mustir mahaan baddho gaadhah suniyata a.ngulih |
mayaa vega vimuktah te praanaan aadaaya yaasyati || 4-16-20
"Properly clenching fingers this great fist of mine is firmly clenched, and it will unclench only on taking your lives when I pitch this on you at full speed." So said Vali threateningly to Sugreeva. [4-16-20]
evam uktah tu sugriivah kruddho vaalinam abraviit |
tava ca esa haran praanaan mustih patatu muurdhani || 4-16-21
Thus said, Sugreeva with high dudgeon said, "this fist of mine shall fall on your forehead plundering your lives." [4-16-21]
taaditah tena tam kruddhah samabhikramya vegatah |
abhavat shonita udgaarii saapiida iva parvatah || 4-16-22
Coming near instantaneously Vali hit him, whereby Sugreeva is enraged and became like a mountain streaming blood in its torrents. [4-16-22]
sugriivena tu nihsha.nkam saalam utpaatya tejasaa |
gaatresu abhihato vaalii vajrena iva mahaa girih || 4-16-23
But Sugreeva unhesitatingly uprooted a saala tree with his force and thrashed the limbs of Vali as with the thunderbolt thrashing a great mountain. [4-16-23]
sa tu vrikshena nirbhagnah saala taadana vihvalah |
guru bhaara bhara aakraantaa nauh sasaarthaa iva saagare || 4-16-24
But Vali when thwacked with saala tree had staggered and looked like a tossing ship in an ocean filled with heavy weight of merchandise and brimming with merchants, but on the brink of wrecking. [4-16-24]
tau bhiima bala vikraantau suparna sama veginau |
prayuddhau ghora vapusau candra suuryau iva a.mbare || 4-16-25
parasparam amitra ghnau cchidra anvesana tatparau |
Those two, Vali and Sugreeva, with their sensational energy, triumphing zeal, frightful physiques, swiftness as good as the Divine Eagle Garuda, vigilance in exploring perilous body parts of one another, ravagement of their own enemies fought frighteningly, like the sun and moon in the sky, which is inconceivable. [4-16-25, 26a]
tato avardhata vaalii tu bala viirya samanvitah || 4-16-26
suurya putro mahaaviiryah sugriivah parihiiyata |
But Vali being the possessor of might and vigor progressed and though greatly mighty is son of sun, Sugreeva, regressed. [4-16-26b, 27a]
vaalinaa bhagna darpah tu sugriivo manda vikramah || 4-16-27
vaalinam prati saamarso darshayaamaasa raaghavam |
Sugreeva became retardant in aggression when Vali routed his pride and then he exasperatedly started searching for Raghava to counteract Vali. [4-16-27]
vrikshaih sa shaakhaih shikharaih vajra koti nibhaih nakhaih || 4-16-28
mustibhih jaanubhih padbhih baahubhih ca punah punah |
tayoh yudddham abhuut ghoram vritra vaasavoh iva || 4-16-29
Among those two there happened a deadly fight time and again using trees with branches, peaks of mountains, their own nails that are similar to the razor-sharp edges of thunderbolts, and with fists, knees, feet, and arms, like the fight that once chanced between demon Vritra and Indra. [4-16-28b, 29]
tau shonitaatkau yudhyetaam vaanaarau van caarinau |
meghau iva mahaa shabdaih tarjamaanau parasparam || 4-16-30
Those forest moving Vanara-s that are soaked in blood have gone on clashing, threatening each other, like two clouds clashing uproariously. [4-16-30]
hiiyamaanam atha apashyat sugriivam vaanareshvaram |
prekshamaanam dishah ca eva raaghavah sa muhur muhur || 4-16-31
Raghava has then seen the lord of monkeys Sugreeva who is repeatedly eyeing all sides for help and who is even deteriorating in his enterprise. [4-16-31]
tato raamo mahaatejaa aartam dristvaa hariishvaram |
sa sharam viikshate viiro vaalino vadha kaa.nkshayaa || 4-16-32
On seeing the lord of monkeys Sugreeva in a forlornness, then the refulgent and fearless Rama scanned for an arrow aiming to eliminate Vali. [4-16-32]
tato dhanusi sa.mdhaaya sharam aashii visa upamam |
puurayaamaasa tat caapam kaala cakram iva antakah || 4-16-33
Then on tautening a venomous serpent like arrow in the bow, Rama started to draw out bowstring, whereby that bow attained a similitude with the Time-disc of the Terminator. [4-16-33]
tasya jyaatala ghosena trastaah patraratheshvaraah |
pradudruvur mrigaah ca eva yugaa.nta iva mohitaah || 4-16-34
At the blast of bowstring the lordly birds and animals are panicked, like those that will be startled by the approach of ear ending, and they all fled. [4-16-34]
muktastu vajra nirghosah pradiipta ashani sa.mnibhah |
raaghavena mahaa baano vaali vaksasi paatitah || 4-16-35
The arrow released by Raghava that has the boom of thunderbolt's thunderclap and the flashes of a lightning fell on the chest of Vali. [4-16-35]
tatah tena mahaatejaa viirya yuktah kapiishvarah |
vegena abhihato vaalii nipapaata mahii tale || 4-16-36
Hit by the fleetness of that arrow then that highly magnificent and intrepid lord of monkeys Vali fell onto the plane of earth. [4-16-36]
indra dhvaja iva uddhuuta paurna maasyaam mahiitale |
ashvayuk samaye maasi gata sattvo vicetanah |
baaspa sa.mruddha kanthastu vaalii ca aarta svarah shanaih || 4-16-37
Like the flag that will be raised in honor of Indra during the month of Ashwin on a full-moon day, but thrown onto earth along with its flagstaff after the festival, Vali with depleted energy and dissipated vitality slowly fell onto ground, and with tears blocking throat he moaned piteously. [4-16-37]
narottamah kaala yugaa.ntakopamam sharottamam kaa.mcana ruupyabhuusitam |
sasarja diiptam tam amitra mardanam sa dhuumamagnim mukhato yathaa harah || 4-16-38
That best one among men Rama released a blazing and enemy subjugating arrow which in simile is like an Epoch-ender at the end of era, and that best arrow decorated in gold and silver looked like the glance from the Third-Eye of Rudra, emitting fire with smoke. [4-16-38]
atha uksitah shonita toya visravaih
supuspita ashoka iva acalodgatah |
vicetano vaasava suunur aahave
prabhranshita indra dhvajavat ksitim gatah || 4-16-39
That Indra's son Vali, dampened with blood and sweat, then looked like just felled Ashoka tree which has stemmed up and so far standing high on a mountain with fully bloomed clusters of its blood-red flowers, and when his anima is undone he even looked like the flagstaff on which a flag is raised in honor of Indra, but which is altogether dislodged and abandoned on the ground. [4-16-39]
iti vaalmiiki raamaayane aadi kaavye kiskindha kaande sodashah sargah
Thus, this is the 16th chapter in Kishkindha Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate