MORALITY OF KILLING VALI

MORALITY OF KILLING VALI

Vali is a paradoxical character. In virtue, valour and strength he is equivalent to Rama. In misdeeds he is equivalent to Ravana. Vali banished his brother Sugriv because he thought that Sugriv had betrayed him but he did not allow his wife to go with him and kept her with him an act of Ravana who abducted Sita.  Vali get message from his spies that Rama was on a mission to kill him but he did not believe it because there was no enemy between Rama and Vali, he was sure that Rama will not interfere in the enemy between him and Sugriv.

The most intriguing ethical point in the epic is the killing of Vali by Rama. Vali has done no sin against him. Rama does not kill him in direct combat either. The questions that naturally arise are – why does Rama kill Vali? Why does Rama hide himself while killing Vali?  The justification of Rama killing Vali reveals many the then socially accepted practices by men and lower species viz. monkeys. Rama justifies before Vali why he kills him while Vali is on the verge of death.

He contends that he is a representative of Bharata and therefore he is authorized to punish the offenders as per law. Vali tells Rama that he would have rescued Sita alone after defeating Ravana as he alone had the strength to defeat Ravan. Though, it is said that Ravana was a better characterthan Vali because Ravana never tried to misbehave with Sita as Vali did to Sugriv’s wife.

What were the sins committed by Vali? Dharma is very subtle and Vali should have known that a younger brother is to be treated like one’s own son. But he is blind to dharma. He is an offender in so far that he treats his brother’s wife as his own. This act of adultery needs to be punished by killing the adulterer. But strangely a younger brother may marry an elders’ wife after his demise. If Vali has relations with Sugriva’s wife, it is adultery punishable by death. Referring to the primitive practices of the monkey race, Tilaka argues that ‘the dharma of marryin the brother’s wife when the elder brother is dead cannot be treated an adharma for those lower beings when such an arrangement is not prevented among the first three classes.’ There appears therefore an approval of the actions of Rama against Vali. Being a father like figure Vali has erred in banishing Sugriva from his country although Sugriva was innocent. Why does Rama kin Vali by hiding himself behind a tree? For Rama, Vali is a monkey, an animal for hunt. When kings hunt animals they conceal themselves and kill the prey.he has therefore the justification for killing Vali by hiding himself.