The Mystical Necklace

Kishkindha Kaand is my favorite canto or kaand in Ramayan. The geographical detailing of the whole world, to the very end of it and hence knowledge of Sugreeve will blow your mind. But it is not the highlight of this canto. The key point that actually proceeded the canto or rather gave prominence to this kaand was Bali-Waddh.

Shri Ram eliminated Bali and installed justice helping Sugreeve getting his wife back and with that the latter was able to help Shri Ram as only then he got authority over whole Vaanar community. Had it not happened, Sugreeve wouldn't be able to help Shri Ram with his full force.

Alas! the "intellects" cry foul alleging Shri Ram of cheating and tag the episode an act of coward. Let's clear the air today and to do that, first let us know Bali:

Bali was one of the prime legendary vaanars of Tretayug apart from Sugreeve and Hanuman. He was the direct descendant of Indra, king of the devas and fathered by Vaanar king Rikshraja. He also had a brother named Sugreeve, direct descendant of Surya dev.

Bali was one of the most powerful beings of those times. One can just imagine the level of his strength as when Raavarn came to challenge him for a duel, he caught the rakshas and suppressed him under his armpit for hours wandering to the four seas. Before Shri Ram, the rakshas was defeated, rather humiliated by two persons; the first being Kartivirya Arjun, a human king and second was Bali.

When Bali was born, he was blessed with a divine golden necklace. We must know about this necklace as it was important not only to this legend but the real reason behind Shri Ram eliminating him in hiding. It was no common necklace as it was blessed by Indra; it bought prosperity to the vaanar kingdom and also, during a combat, no matter how powerful enemy would Bali face, that beings' half strength would get transmitted to Bali enhancing his force manifolds. That was one of the reasons he was able to seize Raavarn under his armpit.

Now coming to the main point; in spite of being 'The God', why did Shri Ram had to kill the mighty Vaanar-King in hiding. First let me brief you the humane reasons given by Shri Ram:

• Bali always had kept lust on priority being ignorant towards dharm by abandoning it. Elder brother as well as a father and a teacher are always considered as a father figure and likewise younger brother, son and pupil are always considered as son figure. In spite of his younger brother being alive he slept with his wife, Ruma forcibly, who was like his daughter-in-law.  His such act was a big offense and therefore he was punished for so. Those who have lustful approach towards their daughter, sister, younger brother’s wife, for those death is the only penalty and Bali was on the same track.
• Humans catch animals by applying different traps, kshatriyas for their amusement hunt down animals whether they are alert or not and the hunters are allowed to do that. Bali was just another animal fleeing from one branch to another and therefore it didn’t matter whether he was combating with Shri Ram or not as the latter had all right to eliminate him or rather hunt him.

Sounds justified when we see what Bali did, yet, we must dig further. Lets see it with a different view, or rather the actual perspective-

If Shri Ram would have confronted Bali for combat then definitely he would have won. This would actually neutralize a deity's boon or blessing as the necklace could not be defied ever, which would finally ended up failing Gods’ and Devtas’ blessings. We know that the necklace was the blessing of Indra and the one who will wore it will be unassailable to his enemy. Therefore, being Maryada Purshottam, he protected the dignity of the boon that Indra gave in the form of the necklace and eliminated Bali in hiding.

"Truth can never be defied; no matter how one tries to suppress it, its radiance will continue to illuminate the world"

'सियाराम'

Grammar Gyan -

Kishkindha  -  kish-kin-dhaa
Kaand          -  kaa-aand
Sugreeve     -  sug-ree-eve
Bali             -  baa-lee
Waddh        -  wad-ddh
Vaanar        -  vaa-nar
Tretayug     -  treta-yug
Hanuman    -  hanoo-maan
Raavarn      -  raa-varn, here n will be silent
Rikshraja    -  rik-sha-raj-aa
Kshatriya    -  shat-riya, here a will be silent
Maryada     -  mar-yaa-daa
Purshottam -  pur-shot-tam

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