Rāvaṇa and Vālī

Rāvaṇa went to Kishkindhā to challenge Vālī, the great vānara king, who was known as the mightiest fighter among all living beings. The meeting did not go as Rāvaṇa planned. Vālī caught him with no effort and held him under his arm (kaksha), flying with him across all four oceans while he went on with his evening sandhyā-vandanam (twilight prayer). At the end, the two recognised each other’s great power and made a pact of friendship (maitri-saṃdhi). It lasted until Vālī died by Rāma’s arrow. It was the one meeting in Rāvaṇa’s campaign of conquest that he did not win.

Rāvaṇa comes to Kishkindhā

As Rāvaṇa’s campaigns swept through the world, his name for being unbeatable grew. He came to Kishkindhā, the mountain fortress-city of the vānara king Vālī, meaning as usual to demand submission.

Vālī was famous. He had a vara (a boon) that gave him half the strength of any opponent who faced him directly, so fighting him one against one was almost impossible. He was known as the greatest single fighter in the three worlds.

Rāvaṇa came to Kishkindhā fully intending to challenge him.

This is in the Uttara Kāṇḍa, Chapter 31.

The four oceans

Vālī was not there to receive him. He was at his daily evening sandhyā-vandanam, the required twilight prayer, which a righteous being of his stature would not stop for any reason. Following the discipline of the ṛshis, Vālī did not perform it in one place. He went in turn to the eastern, southern, western and northern oceans to complete the rite properly.

Rāvaṇa was set on his confrontation. He followed Vālī from ocean to ocean and tried to challenge him at each one. Vālī was absorbed in prayer and did not stop. He arrived at each ocean and finished the sandhyā-vandanam with full attention.

This is in the Uttara Kāṇḍa, Chapter 31.

Rāvaṇa seized and carried

Vālī was performing the sandhyā-vandanam at one of the great oceans when Rāvaṇa tried to seize him from behind. Without even turning, Vālī caught Rāvaṇa under his arm (kaksha) as easily as lifting a bundle. Rāvaṇa’s twenty arms, all his rākshasa strength and the power of Brahmā’s vara could not free him.

Vālī went on with his sandhyā-vandanam without breaking his rhythm. He flew over the four oceans with Rāvaṇa pinned under one arm and finished the rite at each of the four directions. Rāvaṇa struggled and tried every way to escape, but he could not move. The siddhas and ṛshis who watched marvelled and laughed.

Only when Vālī had finished the whole evening prayer at all four oceans did he let Rāvaṇa go, on the shore of the southern ocean.

This is in the Uttara Kāṇḍa, Chapter 32.

The pact of friendship

Rāvaṇa was free, but he was in a place he had never been before. He was completely outmatched. He had not been wounded or killed, and Vālī had not even paused his prayers to deal with him. The vānara king’s easy superiority was plain.

The two now stood face to face. Both saw that they had met a true match. A fight between them would be terrible, and could destroy both.

They made a formal maitri-saṃdhi (pact of friendship). Rāvaṇa and Vālī swore to be allies, not to harm each other, and to help each other as friends. They embraced in the vānara way on the shore of the ocean and sealed the friendship.

This is in the Uttara Kāṇḍa, Chapter 32.

What came after

The friendship lasted until Vālī died by Rāma’s arrow. After that Sugrīva, Vālī’s brother, became king of Kishkindhā and became Rāma’s ally.

Sources

• Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Uttara Kāṇḍa, Chapters 31–32