Dundubhi

Dundubhi was a rākṣasa of great power. He was born in the form of a huge buffalo (mahiṣa). The devas gave him varas (boons), and he had the strength of a thousand war elephants. Proud of his strength, he went to the ocean, then to the Himālaya, and at last to the gates of Kiṣkindhā to ask for a fight. The vānara king Vāli killed him in a few moments.

Vāli threw the dead body a full yojana away. Its blood fell on the āśrama (hermitage) of Mataṅga Muni, and the muni cursed Vāli. Because of that śāpa (curse), Vāli could never enter Ṛṣyamūka mountain, and Ṛṣyamūka became the one safe place for Sugrīva in his exile.

Nature and power

Dundubhi was a rākṣasa of unusual form. He appeared as a great buffalo, very tall and fearsome. His strength is described as equal to that of a thousand war elephants. The devas had given him varas that added to his natural power. These varas fed his pride. He came to believe that no one in the three worlds could match him in battle.

The challenge to the ocean

Dundubhi looked for an opponent worth fighting. He went down to the shore of the great ocean and challenged it to a battle with a loud roar. The deva of the ocean rose up and spoke to him calmly. He said that the ocean keeps safe all the beings who live in it and is not fit for a fight. He told Dundubhi to look for Vāli of Kiṣkindhā, who alone could give him a real battle.

The challenge to Himavat

Dundubhi was not satisfied. He then went to Himavat, the lord of the Himālaya, and roared his challenge at the great peaks. Himavat also refused. He said that he protects the beings and rivers within him and is not a warrior. He too sent Dundubhi to Vāli.

Death at the hands of Vāli

Dundubhi came to Kiṣkindhā in the dead of night. He let out a roar that shook the earth and struck the palace gates with his horns. Vāli came out.

The fight was quick and complete. Dundubhi had shown great pride before the ocean and the Himālaya, but he was no match for Vāli, the son of Indra. Vāli caught him in his arms, overpowered him and killed him. Then he threw the huge body with all his strength. It flew through the air for a full yojana and fell in a forested region far away.

Mataṅga’s śāpa

Dundubhi’s blood was still flowing when the body landed. It spattered over the trees and grounds of the sacred āśrama of Mataṅga Muni. The great tapasvin (one who practises tapas, austerity) was angry at this defilement. He spoke a śāpa directly against Vāli: “If you set foot on this mountain, your head will split into a hundred pieces.”

This śāpa could not be undone. From that day Vāli could not go near Ṛṣyamūka without certain death. So Ṛṣyamūka became the one place where Sugrīva could stay safe in his exile.

The dry skeleton

On Ṛṣyamūka mountain, Sugrīva told Rāma the story of Dundubhi to show how strong Vāli was. He pointed to Dundubhi’s dry skeleton, still lying where the body had fallen. Sun and seasons had bleached it, and it was as light as dry wood.

Rāma showed his own strength by kicking the skeleton with his foot. It flew ten yojanas through the air. That is ten times the distance Vāli had thrown the fresh body.

Sources

• Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa, Chapter 11
• Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa, Chapters 11–12 (Mataṅga’s śāpa)
• Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa, Chapter 12 (the dry skeleton)