LEFT EYELIDS THROB

While he was enjoying the sweets of power, like a bolt from the blue, Vaali burst on them, haggard with wrath and wounds, and accusing him of treason and unnatural conduct towards one who was at once his brother and his king, drove him out with scorn and contumely as a wretch too vile to live, but whom he forebore to slay only because he was unfortunately also his brother.

So by a cruel fate he had been deprived of his home, throne, and all, including even his wife, and had to seek asylum in the forest with a few faithful friends. Here at least he was safe, for Vaali had been forbidden by a rishi from entering the precincts on pain of instant death.

This incident between Vaali and Sugreeva is a good example of the moral leaching conveyed in the Puraanas. There was nothing terribly wrong in the conduct either of Vaali or of Sugreeva. Anger confuses the mind. One who yields to anger loses the capacity to see the truth. That way lies destruction. Vaali's anger led to his end. Sugreeva humbly confessed the truth, but Vaali would not listen.  

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