Reading Notes: Ramayana section C

Fun fact: Rama is 96 inches tall (source)

Howdy folks, NitroDubbz here. 

Previously, on Ramayana:

Ravana has abducted Sita by luring Rama and Lakshmana away. He refuses to fight Rama mano y mano claiming that fighting a human is below an Ashura. Jatayu sees, and, acting on his pledge to serve Dasharatha and now Rama, attempts to stop Ravana. Jatayu is killed, but not before he tells Rama and Lakshmana what transpired. 

Rama and Lakshmana go to the Monkey Kingdom, where they meet a bunch of Monkey People, the most important of whom are Vali and Sugriva. Essentially, through a misunderstanding, Vali wanted to kill Sugriva, his brother. Sugriva ran away to a mountain where Vali's powers (given to him by the gods for churning milk or something) didn't work anymore. I wont plot summarize more than I have to, but I just want to set the stage for something I want to talk about.

Sugriva tells his plight to Rama, who agrees to help him by shooting the unarmed Vali from a hiding place. This doesn't sound very heroic, but I think it still fits into the context of Rama's character for several reasons, most of which are arguments made within the text itself.

1. Vali was dominated by emotions. He coveted Sugriva's wife, and in his rage prevented him from even explaining the misunderstanding.

2. Rama is supposed to keep balance because he's Vishnu, at least I think that's how it works. Vali isn't upholding Dharma, cosmic order. He's almost intentionally being ignorant and abusing the strength given to him by the Gods. When Rama calls him out on his power abuses and immorality, Vali says he can't be held accountable because he's just a monkey. But that's total B.S. because he's been acknowledged by the Gods. I think that Rama was justified in his actions, although he shouldn't have shot from hiding, I'm sure he could have talked to him under threat of violence, or he would have gotten an audience with Vali regardless, since prior to the fight, Vali sings praise of Rama and chastises his wife for speaking ill of him. 

Anywho, that's all for today. Until next time, I'm NitroDubbz.
R. K. Narayan: The Ramayana
http://dt.pepperdine.edu/courses/greatbooks_v/gbv-15/66697602-The-Ramayana-R-K-Narayan.pdf

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