How Bali Became Sugreeva's Enemy?

Hanumanji was in Kishkindha. Kishkindha is the territory around the river Tungabhadra in Karnataka. Kishkindha was a vanara rajya surrounded by rakshasas. Kingdoms of rakshasa kings—Viradha, Khara, Dooshana, and Trishira—surrounded Kishkindha, and towards the southern side was Ravana’s Lanka.

Bali had a special power. Whenever he was in a fight, he would get half the power of his enemy transferred to himself. Thus, he had his own power plus half the power of his enemy, and the enemy’s power would become half as soon as they confronted Bali.

When Ravana came to know about this, he thought this was very dangerous. He decided that somehow Bali should be killed. Ravana realized he could not face him from the front and kill him. Once, when Bali was offering prayers at the river, Ravana came from behind, planning to attack him. Bali, when he realized this, tied Ravana up with his tail. Bali used to go to many places to do his prayers. Wherever he went, Ravana was dragged along. Finally, Bali reached back Kishkindha. Everyone laughed, seeing Ravana’s fate, tied and bundled up in Bali’s tail. Ravana admitted defeat and begged for Bali’s friendship. Bali had nothing to gain from this friendship, but he still accepted.

Hanumanji had an inborn hatred towards asuras, danavas, and rakshasas. He did not like this friendship between Bali and Ravana. So Hanumanji started getting more and more attached to Sugreeva, Bali’s brother, even though Bali was the one who gave him a place in Kishkindha.

Upon learning about Ravana’s defeat at Bali’s hand, Mandodari’s brother, Mayavi, wanted to take revenge. Mayavi, who had magical powers, did not have full knowledge about Bali’s strength. He had only heard that some vanara king had insulted his brother-in-law. Mayavi reached the gates of Kishkindha and started challenging Bali.

Bali rushed out, and when Mayavi saw Bali’s real size and form, he started running for his life. Bali started chasing him. Hanumanji and Sugreeva followed Bali. Mayavi ran up a mountain and went inside a cave. Bali also went inside the cave but, before that, told Sugreeva and Hanumanji, ‘Wait for me here for 15 days.’ They both obeyed and waited outside the cave.

They could hear fierce sounds of fighting from inside the cave. It went on for days. They didn’t know what was going on inside but could not enter the cave, fearing they would offend Bali by disobeying his order to wait outside. After a few days, streams of blood started flowing out of the cave. Bali had killed Mayavi, but the trickster that Mayavi was, before dying, cried out loudly in Bali’s voice.

Sugreeva and Hanumanji heard the cries of Bali and saw blood coming out of the cave. They thought that the rakshasa must have killed Bali. Sugreeva sealed the entrance of the cave with a huge rock, thinking that Mayavi should not come out or, at the very least, it would give him some time to return to Kishkindha and organize his army for a fight with the rakshasa.

Sugreeva and Hanumanji returned to Kishkindha, and everyone was saddened to hear what had happened. Fear started gripping them that Mayavi might come out of the cave and attack Kishkindha at any time. Kishkindha needed a king to lead and protect them. Everyone insisted that Sugreeva should take over as king, and thus Sugreeva seated himself on the throne of Kishkindha.

After killing Mayavi, Bali rested for some time. When he tried to come out of the cave, he found the entrance sealed. He became very angry and wondered if Sugreeva was responsible. Bali pushed aside the rock and came out. He started walking back to Kishkindha, which took some time. By this time, Sugreeva was settled as the king of Kishkindha.

When Bali reached back Kishkindha, he found his brother Sugreeva seated on his simhasana as the king. He was convinced that Sugreeva had intentionally locked him inside the cave to grab his kingdom. In a fit of rage, he attacked Sugreeva.

Sugreeva knew that he would not be able to stand in front of Bali and started running. Hanumanji also started running with Sugreeva. Even then, Hanumanji was under the effect of the rishis’ curse, because of which he had forgotten his real power. They both kept running with Bali behind them.

Suddenly, Hanumanji saw Matanga Parvata, on which used to be the ashrama of Matanga Maharshi. This is in Rishyamukachala. Hanumanji said, ‘Run there. Bali will never enter there.’

There was a curse on Bali, which Matanga Maharshi had given him. Once, a rakshasa called Dundubhi attacked Kishkindha in the form of a buffalo. Bali grabbed the buffalo by its horns, smashed it on the ground, and threw its dead body away. The body landed in Matanga Maharshi’s ashrama. As it landed, blood splashed all over and desecrated the ashrama.

The Maharshi said, ‘Whoever did this, his head will explode into a thousand pieces if he ever sets foot on this mountain.’ Matanga Maharshi went away after the incident, but the power of the curse remained.

Sugreeva and Hanumanji ran up Matanga Parvata. Bali returned. Sugreeva started living there in fear. Only Bali would not be able to come there, but he could send others to kill him. Bali was very vengeful toward his younger brother. Bali wanted to kill Sugreeva somehow.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi