Sugrīva

Sugrīva was the king of the vānaras at Kiṣkindhā. He was born of Sūrya. His friendship with Bhagavān Rāma made possible the great campaign against Rāvaṇa. His brother Vāli drove him out of Kiṣkindhā, and he took refuge on the Ṛṣyamūka mountain. From there he sent Hanumān to find out who the two strangers, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, were. Rāma and Sugrīva became allies. Rāma killed Vāli and gave Sugrīva back his throne. Sugrīva then sent the vānara armies in all four directions to find Sītā. He gave the southern direction, the direction of Laṅkā, to Hanumān.

First mention in the Āraṇya Kāṇḍa

Sugrīva’s name first came to Rāma from two sources in the Āraṇya Kāṇḍa. After Sītā was carried away, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa searched the southern forests. There they met Kabandha, a dānava whom they freed from his curse (śāpa). Once free, Kabandha told them to go to the Pampā lake and the Ṛṣyamūka mountain. Sugrīva lived there in exile, because Vāli had driven him from his kingdom. Sugrīva had vānara forces in every direction, and he was willing and able to help search the world. Kabandha urged Rāma to make a solemn pact with Sugrīva. This is told in the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Āraṇya Kāṇḍa, Chapters 71–72.

Śabarī was a devoted disciple of Mataṅga Muni. Rāma visited her soon after, and she gave the same advice on her own. She described the way to Pampā from her āśrama (hermitage) and said again that Sugrīva was the ally Rāma needed to find Sītā. The Āraṇya Kāṇḍa ends with Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa on their way to Pampā, towards Sugrīva. This is told in Āraṇya Kāṇḍa, Chapters 74–75.

Divine origin in the Bāla Kāṇḍa

The Bāla Kāṇḍa of the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa tells of the creation of the vānaras. Brahmā commanded the devas to bring forth vānara warriors to serve Rāma’s work. Sugrīva was born from the aṃśa (portion) of Sūrya. His brother Vāli was born from Indra’s aṃśa, and Hanumān from Vāyu’s. Vāli and Sugrīva were both sons of the vānara king Ṛkṣarāja, and both were of divine birth. Sugrīva received Sūrya’s radiance, and Vāli received Indra’s strength. This is told in Bāla Kāṇḍa, Chapter 17.

Birth as a son of Sūrya

The Viṣṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa says in Chapter 252:

Vāli was born of Indra and a vānarī mother. Sugrīva was born of Sūrya and a vānarī mother.

Sūrya is the deva of the sun. Sugrīva’s birth from him gave him natural radiance and divine energy. The vānara royal line at Kiṣkindhā was of divine birth on both sides: Vāli from Indra, the king of the devas, and Sugrīva from the deva of light. This is told in the Viṣṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapter 252.

The cause of the quarrel: the cave of Māyāvī

The quarrel between the brothers that led to Sugrīva’s exile began with a misunderstanding. A great asura named Māyāvī came to Kiṣkindhā at midnight and challenged Vāli to a fight. Both brothers chased him as he fled into a cave in the earth. Vāli went in to destroy him and told Sugrīva, “Wait at the entrance.” Sugrīva waited faithfully for a full year. Then blood came flowing out of the cave, and terrible sounds of celebration were heard. In his grief, Sugrīva decided that the asura had killed Vāli. On the advice of the ministers, he sealed the mouth of the cave with a great boulder and went back to Kiṣkindhā. There the ministers consecrated him as king.

But Vāli had in fact killed Māyāvī. He broke through the boulder and came back to find his brother on the throne. He believed he had been betrayed on purpose. He drove Sugrīva out of the city and took his wife Rumā. Sugrīva fled to the Ṛṣyamūka mountain. Vāli could not enter it because of the śāpa of Mataṅga Muni, which came from the Dundubhi episode. This is told in the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa, Chapter 9.

Sugrīva’s fear and Hanumān’s advice

From the heights of Ṛṣyamūka, Sugrīva saw two tall armed men walking in the forest below. They were Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa. His heart filled with fear, and he thought they were spies sent by Vāli to kill him in his refuge. His ministers were just as alarmed. But Hanumān, his wisest minister, reasoned with him: “Vāli cannot enter this mountain. Mataṅga’s śāpa prevents it. These men show no hostility in their bearing. Let me go and learn who they really are.” Sugrīva agreed. He sent Hanumān down in disguise to find out who the strangers were. This is told in Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa, Chapters 1–2.

Sītā’s jewels

Before the meeting took place, Sugrīva already had something precious in his keeping. Rāvaṇa had flown south through the sky carrying Sītā in his puṣpaka vimāna (the Puṣpaka aerial chariot). Sītā was weeping and crying out “Rāma! Lakṣmaṇa!” As she passed over Ṛṣyamūka, she threw down a bundle of her ornaments wrapped in her upper garment. The vānaras found it and brought it to Sugrīva, who kept it with care.

When Rāma and Sugrīva met, Sugrīva brought out the bundle and set it before Rāma. Rāma took it with trembling hands, and his eyes filled with tears. He knew Sītā’s jewels and pressed them to his heart, weeping. Then he steadied himself and vowed, “Rāvaṇa and all his kin will fall by my arrows, even if he hides in Pātāla.” Sugrīva vowed in turn to find Sītā wherever she was hidden. This is told in Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa, Chapter 6.

The pact with Rāma before Agni

Hanumān brought Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa up to Ṛṣyamūka. Sugrīva came to Rāma with joined hands and said, “Great one, it is an honour beyond measure that you would seek friendship with a vānara like me.” Rāma embraced him. Then Hanumān took two dry branches and quickly made fire by rubbing them together. He placed the blazing fire between the two. Rāma and Sugrīva each took the other’s hand and walked around the fire. With Bhagavān Agni as divine witness, they became mitras (friends) in the oldest and most sacred way of the tradition. Rāma’s aim was to find Sītā and destroy Rāvaṇa. Sugrīva’s aim was to win back his throne and his wife Rumā from Vāli. Each promised to serve the other’s cause fully. This is told in Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa, Chapter 5.

The killing of Vāli and Sugrīva’s return

Rāma showed Sugrīva his power. With one arrow he pierced seven great śāl trees. The arrow went on through the mountain and through the earth to the lower worlds, and then came back to his quiver by itself. Sugrīva was now sure of him, and the alliance moved into action.

Sugrīva challenged Vāli twice outside Kiṣkindhā. The first time, Rāma held back his arrow. He could not tell Sugrīva from Vāli, because the brothers looked exactly alike. He gave Sugrīva a garland of freshly cut flowers as a mark. In the second fight, Sugrīva wore the garland. Rāma shot from behind the trees, and Vāli fell.

Sugrīva was overcome with grief at the sight of his dead brother and spoke of giving up the world. Hanumān brought him back to his duties. Rāma comforted him and reminded him of the work ahead. This is told in Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa, Chapters 12–24.

Consecration as king of Kiṣkindhā

When Vāli’s funeral rites were over, Hanumān asked Rāma to allow the coronation of Sugrīva at Kiṣkindhā. Rāma himself would not enter the city, because his father Daśaratha’s command for the fourteen-year forest exile kept him from entering any village or city. Lakṣmaṇa oversaw the arrangements.

The coronation was done with full Vedic rites. There was a sacred fire and there were Vedic mantras. Sixteen unmarried young women brought the sacred materials. Holy waters were gathered from all the rivers, tīrthas (holy places) and oceans of the world. Gaja, Gavākṣa, Gavaya, Śarabha, Gandhamādana, Mainda, Dvivida, Hanumān, Jāmbavān, Nala and other leading vānaras poured the purified waters over Sugrīva, just as the devas consecrate Indra. He sat on a golden throne facing east. On Rāma’s direct word, Sugrīva at once consecrated Aṅgada, Vāli’s son, as yuvarāja (crown prince).

After the ceremony Sugrīva came to Rāma outside the city and reported the coronation. He took back his wife Rumā and returned to rule as Indra rules in Amarāvatī. This is told in Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa, Chapter 26.

The rainy season

Rāma had told Sugrīva that the four rainy months were not the time to search for Sītā. He said the vānara armies should be made ready to set out when Kārtika (the end of Āśvayuja) came. Sugrīva settled into his regained kingdom. He was with Rumā again, back on his throne, and surrounded by wealth and pleasure, and the months went by. The rains deepened, and the autumn brought no movement from Kiṣkindhā. Rāma was strained by grief and urgency, and his patience began to give way to anger. This is told in Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa, Chapters 26–28.

Lakṣmaṇa’s warning visit

The rainy season ended, and Sugrīva had still not begun the search. Rāma sent Lakṣmaṇa to Kiṣkindhā with a stern message. Lakṣmaṇa came in barely held-back anger. He tore up trees as he came and shook the mountain ranges. The vānaras fled in every direction. Aṅgada came forward, greeted Lakṣmaṇa with proper respect, and led him in.

Sugrīva was found in his inner rooms, intoxicated, in the company of Tārā. The ministers Plakṣa and Prabhava quickly woke him. Tārā urged Sugrīva to go out and meet Lakṣmaṇa with courtesy and humility. She assured him that Rāma’s anger, though fearsome, could be calmed by devotion. Sugrīva collected himself, went out to meet Lakṣmaṇa, and promised that the armies would be called up at once. The crisis passed, and Sugrīva set the great search in motion. This is told in Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa, Chapters 30–31.

The search for Sītā

Sugrīva gathered a huge vānara army and sent four great search parties in the four directions, each under a major vānara commander:

• South (the direction of Laṅkā): Hanumān, with Aṅgada and a large group. This was the most important direction. Hanumān carried Rāma’s ring as a token for Sītā.
• North: another group to search the northern lands.
• East: another group to search the eastern lands.
• West: another group to search the western lands.

The southern party was guided by the eagle Sampāti, who had seen Rāvaṇa carrying Sītā. They learned where she was in Laṅkā. Hanumān crossed the ocean, found Sītā, and came back with the news that made the whole campaign against Laṅkā possible. This is told in the Agni Mahā Purāṇa, Chapter 8.

How Sugrīva learned the news: the Madhu Vana

The news of Sītā’s discovery reached Sugrīva in a remarkable way. The returning search party was full of joy at Hanumān’s success. They entered the Madhu Vana, Sugrīva’s ancestral grove, which had been strictly forbidden to all since the time of Ṛkṣarāja. They gave themselves up to a wild celebration, eating its fruits and honey and driving off the grove’s guards under Dadhimukha.

Dadhimukha flew to Kiṣkindhā and reported the damage to Sugrīva in great distress. Lakṣmaṇa saw the old vānara’s distress and asked Sugrīva what had caused it. Sugrīva did not show anger at the harm to his beloved grove. He smiled, with deep understanding. He told Lakṣmaṇa, “The Madhu Vana has never been touched, not in my father’s time, not in Vāli’s, not in mine. Only success, only the certainty that Sītā has been found, could make the vānaras bold enough to act like this. Aṅgada would not allow such behaviour unless he was bursting with joy. There is no doubt: Sītā has been found. And the one who found her is Hanumān. No one else had the courage, wisdom and strength for this task.”

Then he turned to Śrī Rāma, who had sat for months in grief, and said, “Compose yourself. Sītā has been found.” Even before the party arrived and gave its formal report, Rāma’s face changed. This is told in the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Sundara Kāṇḍa, Chapters 63–64.

Hanumān then formally gave Rāma the Cūḍāmaṇi (Sītā’s crest jewel) and told Sītā’s whole message. It included the story of the crow (the account of Jayanta) as a token of recognition, the deadline of one month, and Sītā’s insistence that Rāma come as a conqueror. Sugrīva was present as a witness. The Sundara Kāṇḍa closes with the alliance gathered and ready to march to war. This is told in Sundara Kāṇḍa, Chapters 66–68.

In the Laṅkā campaign

Sugrīva led the vast vānara army in the war against Rāvaṇa. He fought with great courage himself and met several rākṣasa commanders. At one moment he leaped upon Rāvaṇa himself, took the crown from Rāvaṇa’s head, threw it to the ground, and leaped free. He did this in full view of both armies. This is told in the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Yuddha Kāṇḍa, Chapter 67.

The whole vānara kingdom, hundreds of thousands of warriors, served as Rāma’s army. They crossed the ocean on the causeway built by Nala and fought through the streets and walls of Laṅkā. This is told in the Agni Mahā Purāṇa, Chapter 10.

After the war and Rāvaṇa’s death, Sugrīva was present at Rāma’s pattābhiṣeka (coronation) at Ayodhyā. Śrī Rāma honoured him with the highest regard. He then went back to Kiṣkindhā as its rightful king. This is told in the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Yuddha Kāṇḍa, Chapter 131.

Sugrīva in the Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa

The Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa of the Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa gives these further accounts of Sugrīva.

The origin of Ṛkṣarāja. Sugrīva tells Rāma of his own birth. Brahmā cleaned the wax from his ear and threw it to the earth. From it rose a mighty male vānara named Ṛkṣarāja. One day Ṛkṣarāja leaped into a lake and came out as a woman. Indra and Sūrya were both drawn to her beauty. From their unions Vāli, from Indra’s aṃśa, and Sugrīva, from Sūrya’s aṃśa, were born. After giving birth, she became the male Ṛkṣarāja again. The two sons went to Brahmaloka. There Brahmā foretold that Śrī Hari would come in the Rāmāvatāra (the avatāra as Rāma) to Kiṣkindhā and give them his grace.

The śāpa of Takṣaka on the palm trees. Sugrīva told Rāma that the seven palm trees carried a specific śāpa from Takṣaka. Whoever felled them with a single arrow would be the one by whose hand Vāli would fall. Rāma’s feat with the seven trees thus fulfilled that śāpa.

Sugrīva’s virakti (detachment). When Rāma showed his power by shooting the seven trees, Sugrīva fell at Rāma’s feet, overwhelmed by vairāgya (turning away from the world). He told Rāma that through Vāli’s hostility he had received the grace of seeing Rāma’s own form. His attachment to saṃsāra (worldly life) was now gone, and he wished only to serve Rāma. Rāma gently told him that this detachment would be set aside for a time. First he would enjoy his regained kingdom, and then he would reach Rāma’s abode.

Sugrīva’s lapse and his repentance. When Hanumān rebuked him for his lapse during the rains, Sugrīva was struck with deep remorse. He cried, “Ayyo! What blindness has seized me! Lost in pleasure, I have forgotten my duty!” He at once called up the vānara army. When he went to Rāma and bowed down, he said humbly that even ṛṣis and devas fall into the trap of sensual pleasure. He said that without Rāma’s kṛpā-dṛṣṭi (glance of grace) no one can be free from māyā (illusion).

Sources

• Viṣṇu Dharmottara Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapters 223, 252
• Agni Mahā Purāṇa, Chapters 8–10
• Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bāla Kāṇḍa, Chapter 17
• Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Āraṇya Kāṇḍa, Chapters 71–75
• Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa, Chapters 1–31
• Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Sundara Kāṇḍa, Chapters 63–68
• Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Yuddha Kāṇḍa, Chapters 37–131
• Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa