BĀLI A mighty monkey-king.
1)
Birth. Bāli is the son of Indra. There is a story about the birth of Bāli as follows:-- Śīlavatī who was devoted to her husband once carried her husband Ugratapas who was a leper, on her shoulder to the house of a harlot one night. On the way they saw the hermit Aṇimāṇḍavya, who had been placed on a trident by the order of the King, beating his limbs with agony. Lying on the trident he saw Ugratapas. Seeing the amorous nature of Ugratapas Aṇimāṇḍavya cursed him that before sunrise he would die. Śīlavatī who was a woman of great purity and loyalty hearing the curse said, “Let the Sun not rise tomorrow.” Next day, though it was time the sun did not rise. The night prolonged. Aruṇa the charioteer was ready at the usual time but saw the Sun sitting motionless. Wasting time was intolerable to the charioteer. So he decided to make the best use of the time at his disposal by witnessing a little of the dance of the celestial beauties in the realm of the devas. But males had no admittance there. So Aruṇa took the shape of a beautiful woman and got in. Seeing a new person, very beautiful to look at, sitting in the midst of the celestial maids Indra grew amorous. He secretly took her to a dark place and a son was born out of that coition. That son is Bāli. When Aruṇa returned the Sun was standing full of anger. Being afraid of him Aruṇa confessed everything to the Sun. When he heard the whole story the Sun expressed his desire to see that figure which Aruṇa had adopted. Accordingly Aruṇa again became a woman. The Sun also had coition with her and Sugrīva was the son born out of this coition. Bāli and Sugrīva were brought up by Ahalyādevī in the hermitage of Gautama. At that time a monkey-king named Ṛkṣarāja had been ruling over the forest with Kiṣkindha as his capital. He had no sons and so he approached Indra and placed before him his grievances. Indra brought Bāli and Sugrīva from the hermitage of Gautama and handed them over to Ṛkṣarajas.
[M.B., Ādi Parva, Chapter 107] ;
[Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa, Chapter 42] ;
[Uttara Rāmāyaṇa] ;
[Kamba Rāmāyaṇa, Pūrvakāṇḍa] .
2)
Marriage and Kingship. Owing to difference of opinion, Bāli defeated the asuras who came for the churning of the Sea of Milk. The devas who were pleased at this, gave Bāli, a woman named Tārā, derived from the Sea of Milk. Thus Tārā became his wife and he got a son by her, named Aṅgada who became famous as a mighty warrior-prince. Sugrīva married Rumā. At that time Ṛkṣarāja died and Bāli became King.
[Kampa Rāmāyaṇa, Pūrvakāṇḍa] .
3)
Enmity with Hanūmān. It was during this period that Hanumān was born. While Śiva and Pārvatī were living in the forest as monkeys Pārvatī got with child. The child was given to Bhagavān Vāyu (Wind-God) with the womb. Vāyu placed the womb with the child in Añjanā Devī's stomach. Nārada informed Bāli all these things. Bāli thought that his position would be lost, if a being born of Śiva, grew up in the form of a monkey. In accordance with the advice of Nārada, Bāli melted Pañcaloha (Five metals) and passed it into the womb of Añjanā. Still the child in the womb was not killed as it was the sperm of Śiva. The molten metals became earrings of the child in the womb.
[Kampa Rāmāyaṇa, Pūrvakāṇḍa] .
4)
Sugrīva separated. Once, the son of Maya, the carpenter of the asuras, wanted to defeat Bāli by a combat or cunning sleights as he was an expert wrestler and magician. He came to Kiṣkindhā in the midnight and standing before the palace, challenged Bāli, who getting angry came out followed by Sugrīva. Seeing the two of them the magician began to run. Bāli and Sugrīva chased him to a cave. Placing Sugrīva at the mouth of the cave Bāli followed the magician. Before going, Bāli said to Sugrīva: “Brother, I will go in and kill the Magician and return. Be brave and stay here. If the asura dies milk will appear at the mouth of the cave and if he kills me blood will be seen. If the latter happens close the mouth of the cave firmly and return to Kiṣkindhā and live happily there.” Bāli did not return even after a year. Finally the asura was killed. But by the cunning sleights of the magician it was blood that appeared at the mouth of the cave. Thinking that his brother was slain by the magician Sugrīva felt sorry. Then he closed the mouth of the cave firmly with stone and returned to Kiṣkīndhā. Hearing about the death of Bāli the monkeys anointed Sugrīva as King. After a time Bāli returned stronger than before and saw the mouth of the cave closed. He thought that Sugrīva had closed the mouth of the cave deliberately to kill him and to usurp his throne. Bāli reached Kiṣkindhā and drove Sugrīva away. Śugrīva fled to Mount Ṛśyamūkācala which was prohibited area for Bāli due to a curse. Mātaṅga had cursed him that if he entered that mountain his head would be broken. So Sugrīva was safe in that mountain. The desire of Bāli to take revenge on Sugrīva increased everyday. Everyday he used to go to the four seashores and conduct bath, prayer, meditation etc. and return to Kiṣkindhā within a short time. With one jump he will reach one place from another, and in each jump he would put one step on the head of Sugrīva in the Ṛśyamūkācala. Hanumān was the minister of Sugrīva. He was much annoyed at this habitual torture of Sugrīva. One day as usual Bāli was stepping on the head of Sugrīva to jump to another place, when Hanumān caught hold of Bāli by his waist. Hanumān thought that if Bāli was dragged down on the mountain somehow or other, his head would break and there would be an end of his wicked deeds. Bāli thought that if he could jump into Kiṣkindhā with Hanumān it would be easy for him to destroy Sugrīva. But both were of equal strength. So Bālī did not jump with Hanumān to Kiṣkindhā and Hanumān did not drag Bāli to the ground. Both did not know how to stop the fight. At last they made a treaty. Bāli agreed to stop torturing Sugrīva and Hanumān agreed not to cause any trouble to Bāli. Both returned to their own places. After that Sugrīva lived in Ṛśyamūkācala with his ministers and Bāli in Kiṣkindhā.
[Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa, Sarga 10] ;
[Kampa Rāmāyaṇa, Pūrvakāṇḍa] . 5) Bāli was cursed by Mātaṅga the great hermit. See the word Dundubhi para 4.
6)
Defeating Rāvaṇa. Bāli had got a boon from the Gods that he would get half the strength of his opponent who stood face to face with him in fight. This power enabled Bāli to defeat all his foes and bring the countries in all directions under his sway. Rāvaṇa heard about this and decided to overpower Bāli somehow or other and approached Kiṣkindhā. Bāli knew this. His minister, Tāran, went to Rāvaṇa and told him about the power of Bāli and of the boon by which Bāli got half the strength of his opponent. When Rāvaṇa heard of this peculiar boon he decided to kill Bāli. His idea was to kill Bāli by going behind him when he went to the sea-shore to take bath in the morning. Next morning Bāli went to the eastern sea-shore and began his prayer and meditation. Rāvaṇa approached Bāli from behind and sat close to him. Perhaps the idea of Rāvaṇa might have been to take Bāli by his tail and beat him on the ground. Bāli knew that Rāvaṇa was sitting behind him. But pretending that he knew nothing put his long tail on the body of Rāvaṇa, and passed it lengthwise and breadthwise through every part of his body and tied him like a bundle of faggots, and made a jump into the air. Within a short time he visited all the usual places and reached Kiṣkindhā. Seeing Rāvaṇa hanging by the tail of Bāli, even the women folk laughed. Thus Rāvaṇa admitted defeat. Bāli let him go unhurt.
[Uttara Rāmāyaṇa] .
7)
Death. After Sītā had been stolen away Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa wandered about in the forest. Then they met with Hanumān, who took them to his King Sugrīva. Śrī Rāma and Sugrīva entered into a treaty, by which Śrī Rāma was to kill Bāli and to restore to Sugrīva his wife who was under the custody of Bāli, and to make him the King of Kiṣkindhā, in return for which Sugrīva and his men had to help Śrī Rāma to find out and recover Sītā. In accordance with the conditions of the treaty, Śrī Rāma and Sugrīva reached Kiṣkindhā, to confront with Bāli. Śrī Rāma and Sugrīva had hit up on a plan, by which Śrī Rāma was to shoot Bāli down, when Sugrīva was engaged in boxing with Bāli. Sugrīva challenged Bāli to a single combat. Bāli came out and a horrible boxing began between the two. But Srī Rāma could not distinguish one from the other. Thier faces were so alike. Sugrīva, being defeated, receded from fight. Śrī Rāma and Sugrīva returned to Ṛśyamūkācala. Surgīva spoke ill of Śrī Rāma. But Śrī Rāma revealed the truth, and Sugrīva believed it. Next day morning both of them started for Kiṣkindhā to kill Bāli. Śrī Rāma had put a flower garland around the neck of Sugrīva to distinguish him from Bāli. This time Tārā tried to the utmost to dissuade Bāli from fighting. But without paying any heed to her words Bāli engaged Sugrīva in fighting. Śrī Rāma, sitting in ambush, instantly sent an arrow to the breast of Bāli who looked to the side from which the arrow came. Before falling down, looking at Śrī Rāma Bāli said “It is not right on the part of the King of Ayodhyā to have shot an arrow from ambush”. Hearing that Śrī Rāma said, “If you see me face to face you will become devoted to me. It is not right to kill one's devotee. You are a friend of Rāvaṇa, who as you know, is my foe. If I let you alone Rāvaṇa is likely to get your help. Besides, you have a boon that you will get half the strength of the foe who faces you, and as such you cannot be killed by anybody in direct fight. It is unavoidable for the safety of Sugrīva, for my interest, for the protection of the world at large, and for the preservation of law and order that you should be killed. Was it not a violation of duty on your part to steal the wife of Sugrīva?” Bāli fell down. Immediately Tārādevī and Aṅgada arrived there. Tārā spoke very harsh words to Śrī Rāma. At last Bāli entrusted Tārā and Aṅgada with Śrī Rāma and then he died.
[Kampa Rāmāyaṇa, Kiṣkindhākāṇḍa] .