Tuesday, 18 November 2014

Were Sri Rama and Vali of same age?

As per 15-17 Sargas of Srimad Ramayana, after Lord Vishnu agreed to take birth as a son of King Dasaratha, Lord Brahma ordered as follows: (Sloka 2 of Sarga 17 of Bala Kanda).

सत्य संधस्य वीरस्य सर्वेषाम् नो हितैषिणः |
विष्णोः सहायान् बलिनः सृजध्वम् काम रूपिणः ||

"Let mighty and guise changing helpmates be procreated to that truth abiding and valorous Vishnu who is the well-wisher of all of us.”.

The gods become progenitors of Vanara heroes at the dictate of Brahma to come to the aid of Sri Rama in annihilating Ravana.

वानरेन्द्रम् महेन्द्र आभम् इन्द्रः वालिनम् आत्मजम् |
सुग्रीवम् जनयामास तपनः तपताम् वरः ||
(Bala Kanda 17th Sarga 10th Sloka)

Lord Indra procreated the lord of vanara-s, namely Vali, and the Sun procreated Sugreeva.

Immediately after 1 (one) year Sri Rama was born.  So Vali, Sugreeva, Sri Hanuma and Sri Rama should be more or less of the same age.  However, other descriptions in Srimad Ramayana are not corroborating the above narration.

No where in the Ramayana, the ages of Vali and Sugreeva were described.

Vali never assisted Sri Rama in the annihilation of Ravana, as per Srimad Ramayana.

Vali had a severe fight with a demon named Dhundhubi.  When Vali killed that demon and hurled the dead body of Dhundhubi, it fall in the Sage Matanga's hermitage.  Sage Matanga cursed him to the effect that if he or his friends enter the surroundings of his ashram they will fall dead. This incident indicates that Vali was a grown up person at that time, ie., around 20 years at the minimum and Sage Matanga was alive.

After the demise of Sage Matanga at old age, the disciples of Sage Matanga lived in that Ashram.  Sabari, a female attendant to those disciples, used to serve them with devotion.

By the time Sri Rama reached Chitrakoota, his age was around 25 years only.  And at the same time, the disciples of Matanga, who are very old, of Sage Matanga attained heaven.

चित्रकूटम् त्वयि प्राप्ते विमानैः अतुल प्रभैः |
इतः ते दिवम् आरूढा यान् अहम् पर्यचारिषम् ||
(Aranya Kanda 74 Sarga 14th sloka)

That means a considerable period of time, between Dhundhubi incident and the time when the disciples of Sage Matanga attained heaven, i.e, a minimum period of 40 to 50 years , must have elapsed and Vali might be of 60-70 years old when Sri Rama reached Chitrakoota.  By the time he reached Kishkinda he was 38 years old and Vali might be of 80-85 years old.

By the time Sri Rama reached Kishkinda, Vali had a son by name Angadha, who was a grown up person
    
Hence, in my view,  Lord Vishnu episode (his appearance, his assurance of taking birth as Sri Rama, Lord Brahma ordering the Devatas) was a PRAKSHIPTA, an insertion made at a later date.

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