Vāli and Sugrīva Janma

The Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa has its own account of how Vāli and Sugrīva were born. The ṛshi Agastya tells it to Śrī Rāma after the great war. Both brothers come from one father, a great vānara (forest ape) called Ṛksha-viraja, who was born from the tears of Brahmā. Indra and Sūrya became the fathers of Vāli and Sugrīva by a strange change that took place at a lake on Mount Meru.

Ṛksha-viraja, the first vānara

Brahmā sat in deep thought in a gathering of the devas on Mount Meru. His joy was so great that tears came to his eyes. These were ānanda-aśru (tears of bliss). They fell from his eyes down to the earth.

From these tears a great vānara named Ṛksha-viraja was born. Brahmā saw what this being was and that it came from his own tears of bliss. He gave Ṛksha-viraja the kingship of Kishkindhā and told him to stay there always.

The lake that changed his form

One day Ṛksha-viraja walked on the slopes of Mount Meru, gathering fruit and food. He came to a wonderful lake. Its shores and its floor were made wholly of shining maṇi (precious stones). Its water was bright and deep.

Ṛksha-viraja looked into the clear water and saw a great ape looking up at him from below. He took it to be another ape and dived in to seize his rival.

When he came out of the water he was no longer a male ape. He had become a very beautiful woman. This was the strange power of the lake. In this female form Ṛksha-viraja sat on the bank, bewildered.

The birth of Vāli, through Indra

Indra came to the lake. He saw the beautiful woman and was filled with desire. His śukra (seed) fell by itself on the tail of the woman, who was Ṛksha-viraja in changed form.

From this Vāli was born. He had Indra’s strength and courage and was equal in might to Indra, the king of the devas. The account gives this as the reason why Vāli could hold Rāvaṇa himself under his arm as if Rāvaṇa were a harmless creature.

The birth of Sugrīva, through Sūrya

Sūrya, the Sun deva (also called Bhānu), also came to the lake. He saw the woman and was filled with desire too. His śukra fell on her neck.

From this Sugrīva was born. He had the speed and the brightness of the Sun. The account gives this as the reason for Sugrīva’s great swiftness and his solar nature.

The return to male form

The woman slept through the night with the two babies beside her. In the morning she took back her own male form and was Ṛksha-viraja again.

Brahmā saw all this with his divine sight. He arranged that the two boys, Vāli and Sugrīva, would grow up in Kishkindhā in Ṛksha-viraja’s care. When Ṛksha-viraja died, Vāli became king of the vānaras in Kishkindhā.

Sources

• Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Sāra Khaṇḍa, Sarga 13