Week 5 Story: Vali's Fall

Vali’s power was boundless. Even a brief interaction with the gods gave him incredible power. Churning the ocean to save the gods using nectar was no small feat and because of this the gods gave him his gift. No one dared challenge him now and this lead to his formidable control on man and even the gods.

But one day Vali was challenged. Not by a human or a god, but by a demon named Mayavi. This demon was just like all the others, strong but impulsive. His quick temper shined when he came out of his cave to take all that Vali had gained. Due to Vali’s power there was no threat that he would back down from or that would be too small for him. Especially a demon.

So Vali met the test of Mayavi, but Mayavi soon realized that what he had done was too quick. Vali wasn’t alone and was surrounded by all of his vassals, including Sugriva. Focusing too hard on Vali causes most to forget about his brother. Even though there was no way that Sugriva could match the power of Vali, he was still a force to be reckoned with.

With this, Mayavi retreated to his abode, deep in a cave. A part of him didn’t expect Vali to follow him, but that was wishful thinking. But before Vali left, he entrusted his kingdom with Sugriva. Informing him to keep the cave and to keep the kingdom.

Vali ventured throughout the labyrinth that was this cave until he found Mayavi. Although he was in the demon’s realm, the strength of the gods was enough to overpower Mayavi. Vali was clean but a single scratch from Mayavi’s claws.

“Oh foolish Vali.” Mayavi whispered with his dying breath. “You may defeat me here in this cave. But you have lost everything. Sugriva has probably already entombed you in this cave.”

“You speak nonsense demon. A dying plea. Sugriva needs me and he could never seperate himself from his brother.”

“You underestimate the pull of your old position. That much power is even strong enough to break the bonds of family. Soon you will see.”

With that Mayavi passed and Vali headed out of the cave, back to his kingdom. When Vali saw the boulders blocking the entrance he knew. All of his hatred manifested as the words of Mayavi rang true. Sugriva had become drunk with the power of the kingdom and was determined to keep Vali out. Vali couldn’t let this stand and became determined to destroy his brother, plagued by the thoughts of betrayal.

The Monkey King, Vali

Wikimedia Commons

Authors Note:
I made this story to go a little bit more in-depth with the story of Vali and Sugriva. Their relationship appeared to be similar to Rama and Lakshmana’s where one was stronger than the other. However, because their relationship evaporated so quickly after Vali returned, it made be want to go a little further. So I decided to highlight what may have happened in that cave before Vali made his way back. Showing how Mayavi infected Vali’s mind was the way that I attempted to explain how Vali lost faith in his brother so quickly.

Bibliography

The Story of Vali and Sugriva in The Ramayana by R. K. Narayan