The Ramayana: 6. Vali Summary & Analysis

The narrator makes it very clear that Rama doesn't always behave like the perfect hero he's supposed to be. This lapse is possibly a later addition to Valmiki's text, which continues to develop the idea that the Ramayana has gone through a number of changes over the course of various centuries and cultures.

Our introduction to Hanuman (one of the most popular characters of the epic, and Hindu mythology in general) sets him up as being an extremely observant character: he recognizes outright that Rama is divine, and Rama similarly recognizes Hanuman's power. Lakshmana also acts ideally in this meeting by taking charge of the introductions and generally behaving as Rama's right hand man.

Hanuman already shows devotion to Rama. Taking a human form to greet Rama and Lakshmana is one way that Hanuman shows his goodness: he cares for his companions' comfort and doesn't want to scare them.

Vali emerges as one of the most physically powerful characters of the Ramayana, though it's still unknown whether he has emotional intelligence, goodness, or loyalty to match his physical strength. Sugreeva is already demonstrating that he is exceptionally loyal: he did exactly what his brother asked him to do, and consulted his advisors before taking action to fill Vali's role as king.

Vali allowed his emotions to overpower his thinking. At least in Hanuman's presentation, there's no indication that Sugreeva was indeed trying to bury Vali alive or usurp the crown. This encourages a reader or listener to identify with Sugreeva, as he possesses loyalty and goodness, but not the physical strength of his brother.

Rama proves his heroic nature by using his bow and arrow. This mirrors his stringing of Shiva's bow; both events are indicative of the fact that Rama is the ideal hero in part because of his skill with the bow. Rama decides to give his loyalty to Sugreeva outright rather than attempt to talk to Vali first. While Rama's newfound loyalty is entirely within the bounds of his character, not even attempting to discover the other side of the story is not.

The stories of Vali's exceptional strength create some tension as to how exactly Rama plans to kill this magnificent being. The story of Dundubi also continues to develop the idea that the gods play a very direct role in life on earth, though their interference doesn't always yield positive results: the sage was likely praying to one of the gods that caused this to happen.

Rama spreads good in the world by ridding the mountain of the cursed bones. He also shows how dedicated he is to Sita with his breakdown; this is the first mention of Rama fully losing composure over the loss of his wife. His rational nature wins out, however, as Hanuman and Sugreeva turn his attention to planning.

Though Vali shows that he's driven by anger and a desire to fight, he also functions under the assumption that all parties involved in a fight are going to behave honorably. What he knows of Rama is that Rama is honorable to a fault. Though under normal circumstances Vali isn't wrong, it's suggested that Vali will be punished for this extreme self-assuredness.

Lakshmana again demonstrates that he's just as capable of thinking rationally and logically as Rama is. In this case, he certainly has a point. However, Rama believes that he's behaving loyally to Sugreeva and upholding the promise he made to help him, which allows him to shoot Vali with a clear conscience. This lapse, however, does help create the sense that Rama is very much human and prone to human mistakes despite his divine origins. Alternately, it could show a discrepancy in the source material for the poem, as Rama’s apparent break in character could be the result of another poet’s influence.

Vali's strength doesn't diminish as he's close to death, as evidenced by the god of death himself allowing Vali to live a little longer. The narration presents Vali's impending death as punishment for not listening to his wife or advisors: teaching the lesson that good listening skills are absolutely necessary to rule well.

Because the narrator already suggested that Rama's actions are very out of character, the reader is supposed to see that Vali makes very good points in his address to Rama. However, Vali's address also allows Rama something to refute and use logic to escape from, rather than damning him.

Even if Rama is at fault here, he doesn't acknowledge it at all. Instead, he uses the qualities that make him an ideal hero, namely the willingness to teach, to show Vali why he needed to be killed.

Rama essentially insists that if one is capable of thinking and behaving like a human, one must be held to human standards. This shows that he believes that humans are more capable of good than animals, and that being considered human should be a compliment to a monkey like Vali.

Though the narrator's preface to this chapter suggests that Rama certainly should've spoken to Vali before killing him, Lakshmana insists that Rama was in actuality following through with his promises and acting honorably. Regardless, Vali becomes more human, in a sense, as he understands Rama's explanation (however problematic modern readers might find it). This shows that Rama can use his ability to teach to help others elevate themselves.

Because of Rama's teachings on Vali's deathbed, Vali does attain salvation in death. This is indicative of Rama's power and leadership qualities. By tasking Hanuman and Sugreeva with serving Rama, Vali creates a promise that Hanuman and Sugreeva can't break, which insures that Rama will have support going forward.