Rāmāyana | Kiṣkindha Kaṇḍa | Chapter 9

9. Mayavi's Story

[Vali the elder son was crowned as the king at his father's death. One day an asura called Māyāvi challenged him. He went to fight with him along with Sugrīva. Māyāvi entered a cave, Vali entered behind him. When blood and foam came out of the cave, the ministers Crowned Sugrīva as the king. One day Vali came back.]

"My Elder brother Vali is a destroyer of enemies who earlier used to respect my father as well as myself." 9.1

"After my father' s death he being the eldest was made the king of monkeys by the ministers as well as other great monkeys." 9.2

"While he was ruling the great kingdom belonging to my father's and grandfather's, I remained like a servant by his side and obeyed him." 9.3

"There was a lustrous Rākṣasa called Māyāvi who was the elder brother of Dundubhi and son of Maya and he had a great enmity with Vali due to an affair with a woman." 9.4

"He arrived one silent night to the doors of Kiṣkindha and he made great blaring sound and invited Vali for a fight." 9.5

"My brother who was sleeping, after hearing that great bellowing sound and that great Vali could not tolerate that sound and came out." 9.6

"Though me and ladies bowed to him and tried to prevent him, he came out with great anger and wanted to kill that great Asura." 9.7

"That greatly strong one spurned all of us and then due to my love for him, I also went along with him." 9.8

That Asura seeing from a great distance my brother and myself coming towards him, was greatly scared and ran away." 9.9

"When he was running out of fear, we both speedily followed him, by the path which was lit my the moon, which was just then rising." 9.10

"That Asura speedily went inside a hole on the earth, which was difficult to enter and covered it with grass and we who have reached that place waited near it.," 9.11

"Vali seeing the asura entering the hole on earth flew in to a great rage and with great anger he told me the following words." 9.12

"Oh Sugrīva, stand near the entrance of this hole on earth with alertness, as I am entering in to it to kill that enemy." 9.13

"When I heard these words, I begged that destroyer of enemies, but he made me swear on his feet that I would not enter that hole." 9.14

"After he entered the hole almost one year passed away and I was wasting my time by standing near the entrance of the hole." 9.15

"Thinking that I have lost my brother and becoming alarmed due to love at being not able to see my brother and started doubting that some harm might have occurred." 9.16

"After a very long time from the entrance of the hole blood with foam started oozing out and I became greatly saddened." 9.17

"The sound of screaming of that Asura reached my ears; but not the screeches of my brother, who was involved in the fight." 9.18

"Oh friend, I concluded from the signs that my brother has been killed and closed that hole with a stone as big as a mountain and with great sorrow performed water oblations and reached back Kiṣkindha and though I tried to conceal the happenings, the ministers persuaded me to tell about it. 9.19-9.20

"Then I was persuaded by them and I was crowned and started ruling that kingdom as per justice, Oh Rāma. And at that time he who was half monkey came back after killing that Asura enemy." 9.21

"Seeing me crowned, with his eyes reddening with anger, he arrested me and all the ministers and started telling very rude words." 9.22

"Though I was capable of killing him, Oh Rāma, thinking it is a sin, I did not try to do it, as I honoured him as my brother." 9.23

"When my brother entered the city after killing the enemy, I acknowledged him as great soul and saluted him with a very happy inner mind but he did not say any words of blessing." 9.24-9.25

"Oh Lord Rāma, though I bowed to him in salutation, with my crown touching his feet, Vali did not show any sign of grace towards me." 9.26

This is the end of Ninth Sarga of Kiṣkindha Kanda which occurs in Holy Rāmāyaṇa composed by Vālmīki as the First Epic.