The Story of Bali and Sugriva

Bali was the vanara king who ruled the kingdom of Kishkindakanda. He had a younger
brother named Sugriva . Hanuman was the minister and companion of Sugriva.

Bali's wife was Tara, an Apsara who was produced from the churning of ocean. Bali
helped Devas in churning the ocean and he took Tara when she was produced and
married her.

Bali was famous for the boon that he had received, according to which anyone who came
before him lost half his strength to Bali, thereby making Bali invulnerable to any enemy.

Once Ravana called Bali for a fight when Bali was doing his regular Shiva Puja . He took
Ravana in his tail and took him around all the world. Humbled, Ravana called for a
truce. It is said in the Ramayana that Bali was very brave and courageous.

Before dawn he used to go from the Eastern coast of sea to the Western coast and from
the Northern coast of the sea to the Southern coast to pay his homage to Surya - the sun-
god. He was so brave and powerful that on his way to pay homage to Surya, he used to
toss the mountain peaks upward and catch them as if they were play balls. Also after
completing the tedious task of paying homage to the sun god in all the four directions,
when he used to return to Kishkindha he does not feel any tiredness.

One day, when Bali and Sugriva were in the garden along with some of his companions,
the soldiers of Kishkinda came hurriedly towards them and said,

“Oh King! We received some information that the demon, Dhundhubi is coming to
destroy our Kingdom.”

Hearing this, Sugriva got scared. But Bali bravely said that if Dhundhubi was planning to
come to Kishkinda, he was just inviting his death.

Dhudhubi, the demon want to prove that he was the strongest man in the world. He
heard that the sea king is the strongest one in the world. So he went to the sea king and
demanded to fight with him. The sea king told, “O Dhundhubi, I am not strong enough to
fight with you. You can go and fight with the Mountain king as he is the strongest man. ”

So Dhundhubi angrily went to the Mountain king and asked him to fight with him.
Mountain king refused to fight with him and told him that the king of Kishkinda was the
strongest man. So he was the right person for Dhundhubi to fight.

So Dhundhubi went to Kishkinda in the disguise of a bull. The bull angrily ran towards
Kishkinda. The courtier's informed Bali and Sugriva that an angry bull is coming towards
the kingdom.

Bali took his sword and ran towards the bull and attacked it. But bull threw him out.
Then he observed the bull keenly and he noticed that the bull is the disguise of
Dhundhubi.

Bali arouse and again attacked the bull with more strength. A very horrible fight took
place among them. Atlast, Bali took hold of Dhundhubi's tail and circled him in the air
and threw him forcibly.

The bull fell down in the forest near the ashram of a sage who was performing
meditation. By the sound of the Bull, the meditation of the sage was disturbed. He grew
anger and with his divine eye he saw exactly what had happened. Bali and Sugriva
noticed that the dead body of the bull fell down at the ashram of the sage. So they went to
apologize the sage. Seeing Bali, the angered sage gave Shaap to him saying that, “As you
disturbed the peace of the Ashram, you deserve the shaap. Whenever you enter my
Ashram, it will be the end of your life. ”

Hearing this, Bali and Sugriva returned kingdom sadly.

In the night, when Bali was sleeping, he heard the voice of Mayavi, son of Dhundhubi
saying that he had returned to take revenge for his father's death.

Hearing this, bali took his sword and went to kill Mayavi. Tara asked him not to go alone.
But he didn't listen to her and went out angrily with his sword.

Tara went to Sugriva and told him what had happened and asked him to save his
brother.

So Sugriva went along with Bali. Seeing Bali, Mayavi got scared and ran away. Bali and
Sugriva chased him. Mayavi went to the forest and entered a cave to escape from them.

Seeing this, bali told Sugriva to wait outside the cave and he entered the cave.
Sugriva heard the violent noices from the cave. He waited 15 days outside the cave for his
brother. On the fifteenth day, he heard the screaming of Bali - “Sugriva! Save me. This
demon is killing me.” After sometime, blood flowed out of the cave. On sight of blood,
Sugriva thought, “This demon had killed my brother. If he come out of the cave, he will
surely kill me and destroy the Kishkinda. So I should do something to prevent the
Mayavi from coming out of the cave.” So, he blocked the entrance of the cave with a big
rock.
He returned to the kingdom with grief filled heart.
In the cave, Bali killed the Mayavi. And the blood that was flowed out of the cave was
that of Mayavi's. When Bali tried to come out of the cave, he couldn't find the entrance.
So, he shouted for the help of Sugriva. But he didn't receive any reply from him. So, he
thought that Sugriva wanted to occupy his throne, so he might have closed the entrance
of the cave.

In Kishkinda, Sugriva spent days and nights grieving for his brother's death.

All the courtier's and the people of the kingdom wanted Sugriva to occupy his thorne and
rule the kingdom. But Sugriva declined. Hanuman and few other courtiers forced him to
occupy the throne. So, unwillingly Sugriva occupied the throne.

After some days, Bali, however came out of the cave and went to Kishkinda.

He became angry seeing Sugriva on his thorne. Sugriva felt very happy on seeing his
brother.
He welcomed his brother whole heartedly, but Bali angrily scolded him and ordered him
to leave the kingdom.
Everyone in the court including Sugriva, tried to convince him, but Bali didn't even listen
to them and ordered him to leave at once.

Hanuman, didn't want to leave Sugriva, so he went with him. Sugriva's wife too want to
leave the kingdom along with her husband. But Bali didn't allow her and made her a
servant in his kingdom.

Hanuman and Sugriva left the kingdom and went to forest.

Rama meets sugriva

Wandering in the forest with his brother Lakshmana in search of his wife Sita kidnapped
by the rakshasa king Ravana, Rama meets the rakshasa Kabandha and kills him, freeing
him from a curse. The freed Kabandha advises Rama to seek the help of Sugriva to find
Sita.

Continuing on his journey, Rama meets Hanuman and is impressed by his intelligence
and skills as an orator. This also boosts Rama's confidence in Sugriva. Sugriva tells him
the story of how Bali became his enemy. In Sugriva's version, he is entirely innocent and
Rama believes him.

Sugriva was very scared of Bali and he is full of doubts that Rama could kill him. He tells
him many unbelievable stories of Bali's power. As a proof, he shows Rama a hole in a saal
tree which Baali had made in one shot. When it is Rama's turn, he penetrates seven trees
of saal in a row with one arrow. After crossing the trees, the arrow even makes a strike on
a huge rock and splits it into pieces. sugriva is happy and says, "O Rama, you are great."

Rama asks Sugriva to challenge Bali and bring him outside kishkindha. As Rama
explains later, for 14 years he cannot enter a city. Moreover, Rama does not want any
unnecessary bloodbath of Bali's army with whom he wants to maintain friendly relations
and also Rama knew about the curse given to Bali by a sage when he killed the demon
Dhundhubhi.
Bali's Death

Sugriva along with Rama went to Kishkinda and challenged Bali to fight. Hearing this,
Bali was ready to go for a fight , but Tara tried to stop him and begged him to not to go to
fight Sugriva, by saying that it is a God (Rama) who is helping Sugriva and has come to
Sugriva’s rescue. Bali replied to Tara that even if he is fighting against a God he can’t
Bali?”

Rama replied, “Sugriva, I tried to shoot my arrow towards Bali, but when I am ready to
shoot I couldn't distinguish you from Bali. You both look similar in appearance. So, I
scared instead of bali, there is a chance that I might have shoot you. So next time when
you go to challenge Bali wear this garland, so that I can identify you and can easily shoot
Bali. This time you better take Bali to the forest, so that it will be easy for me to kill him.”
Saying so, Rama gave a garland to Sugriva.

Again, Sugriva went to Kishkindha to challenge Bali. Seeing Bali coming towards him,
Sugriva ran towaards the forest. Bali chasing Sugriva entered the forest.

Rama who was already hidden behind a tree shot an arrow towards Bali.

Now Rama faced the injured Bali. Rama could have killed him instantly with one arrow
or he may have even shot another arrow to avoid facing Bali. But he chooses to keep him
alive for some time so that he can ask questions which he is ready to answer. Bali told
Rama if you are searching your wife you should have come to me for help and friendship.
Whoever took Sita even if it is Ravana I have defeated them and would have taken them
at you feet and at your mercy.

So Bali asked the following questions:

• What was my crime?

• Even if I committed a crime (with my brother), what is your right to kill me?
• The third statement shows Bali's disapproval of the way Rama killed him. He
says, "I was fighting with some other person and was not careful enough when
you shot me."

Rama makes the following replies to Bali:

 • The younger brother should be treated like a son. Even if he made a mistake you
should forgive him, specially when he promised to respect you for your whole life.
• About his authority he said he had permission from King Bharat to spread
righteousness and punish evils.
• The third argument he quoted how great kings did hunting of deers in the past. In
fact, Baali in principle could also be kept in the category of deers and a hunting
king does not care whether the deer was careful or not.

Bali is satisfied with Rama's answers and even apologised for raising the questions.
After Bali's death

After death of Bali, Sugriva recaptures his kingdom and regains his wife Ruma. Angada,
The son of Bali and his first wife, Tara, is made yuvaraja, or second in command.

Rama's slaying of Bali had a special significance. At the beginning Bali argued with Lord
Rama, why he had to kill him in a cowardly way. Rama explained to him about the
various purusharthas and showed him his Vishvarupa, and granted him moksha. Bali
was then convinced and also asked his son Angada to stand by his uncle Sugriva and
assist in the divine work of lord Rama.

It is also said, Rama promised Bali to give him a chance to avenge his unjust murder.
Bali was reincarnated as the hunter and archer Jara in Mahabharata (Dwapar Yug). Jara
was the cause of the death of Shri Krishna (the reincarnation of Shri Rama) when he
struck His feet by an arrow taking them to be a deer. Bali's son, Angada, joined Sri Ram's
army and was given important responsibilities in Rama's war against Ravana