Mainda and Dvivida, Twin Vānara Commanders

Mainda and Dvivida were twin vānara commanders in the army of Sugrīva. They were fierce fighters and inseparable companions, and the Rāmāyaṇa mentions them together all through the war at Laṅkā. They were sons of the Aśvins, the twin physicians of the devas.

Parentage

Mainda and Dvivida were the twin sons of the Aśvinī-devatās, the divine twin physicians of the devas, who are themselves twin sons of Sūrya. From this divine pair they received great strength and skill in battle. They served as senior commanders in Sugrīva’s vānara army and ranked among its leading warriors. (Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Yuddha Kāṇḍa, Chapter 44)

In the war at Laṅkā

Mainda and Dvivida are named again and again as part of the central group of vānara commanders who faced the most fearsome rākshasa warriors. When the giant Kumbhakarṇa came onto the field, they fought him together with Nīla and Aṅgada. They could not bring down the rākshasa, who was as large as a mountain. But they hurt him and held the line until Śrī Rāma himself came to face him. (Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Yuddha Kāṇḍa, Chapter 67)

They also fought in many other battles of the war. On the return journey in the Pushpaka Vimāna, Śrī Rāma named the vānaras to Sītā and pointed out where each battle had been fought and who had fought there. Mainda and Dvivida were among those he named. (Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Yuddha Kāṇḍa, Chapter 126)

After the war

At the coronation of Śrī Rāma in Ayodhyā, Śrī Rāma received both Mainda and Dvivida with honour. He gave them gifts “according to their wishes”. Bharata embraced them himself, together with the other vānara commanders. They then went back to Kishkindhā with Sugrīva’s army. (Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Yuddha Kāṇḍa, Chapters 130–131)

Sources

Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Yuddha Kāṇḍa, Chapters 44–131 (Chapter 44 for their parentage, Chapter 67 for Kumbhakarṇa, Chapter 126 for the Pushpaka journey, Chapters 130–131 for the coronation)