THE SLAYING OF VAALI

Perhaps the answer is to be found in what Kabandha said to Raama in gratitude for being released from his curse. "Through Sugreeva's friendship you will recover Seeta"--Sugreeva's help not Vaali's. And so Raama went in search of Sugreeva, found him and pledged his friendship and consecrated it by fire. Sugreeva had committed no unforgivable offence against Vaali; yet Vaali, with his supernatural strength, persecuted his brother.

Hearing the latter's complaint, Raama had pledged his word to kill Vaali and restore to Sugreeva his wife and make him king as his part of the contract of alliance. Thereafter, Raama had no alternative. To kill Vaali from cover became an inevitable necessity.  Raama erred in running after the magic deer to please his wife.

Consequent on this, difficulties and sorrows and conflicts of duty pursued him. If we keep in mind that when God takes a lower and limited form by His own ordinance, limitations follow and we should not be confused thereby. This is my humble view as against other explanations propounded by the pious.

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