Everything about Sugriva totally explained
In
Hindu mythology,
Sugriva (
Sanskrit: सुग्रीव,
sugrīva), also spelled
Sugreeva, was the younger brother of
Vali, whom he succeeded as ruler of the
vanara or monkey kingdom
Kishkindha. He was the son of
Surya, the Hindu deity of the
sun. As king of the monkeys, Sugriva aided
Rama in his quest to liberate his wife
Sita from captivity at the hands of the
Rakshasa king
Ravana.
The Story of Sugriva in the Great Epics
The story of Sugriva is part of the
Ramayana and, in an abbreviated version, can also be found in the
Mahabharata.
Sugriva and Vali have a disagreement
Vali ruled the kingdom of
Kishkindha; his subjects were the
vanaras or monkeys.
Tara was his wife, and Sugriva his brother. One day, a raging demon came to the gates of the capital and challenged Vali to a fight. Vali accepted the challenge, but when he sallied forth, the demon fled in terror into a deep cave. Vali entered the cave in pursuit of the demon, telling Sugriva to wait outside. When Vali didn't return, and upon hearing demonic shouts in the cave and seeing blood oozing from its mouth, Sugriva concluded that his brother had been killed. With a heavy heart, Sugriva rolled a boulder to seal the cave's opening, returned to Kishkindha, and assumed kingship over the vanaras. Vali, however, ultimately prevailed in his combat with the demon and returned home. Seeing Sugriva acting as king, he concluded that his brother had betrayed him. Though Sugriva humbly attempted to explain himself, Vali wouldn't listen. As a result, Sugriva was ostracized from the kingdom, and the brothers became bitter enemies.
Sugriva makes an alliance with Rama
In exile, Sugriva made the acquaintance of
Rama, the
avatar of
Vishnu, who was on a quest to rescue his wife
Sita from the demon
Ravana, king of the
Rakshasas. Rama promised Sugriva that he'd kill Vali and would reinstate Sugriva as the king of the monkeys. Sugriva, in turn, promised to help Rama with his quest.
Rama kills Vali; Sugriva takes over the monkey kingdom
Together, Sugriva and Rama went to seek out Vali. While Rama stood back, Sugriva accused Vali of usurping his wife and kingdom, and challenged him to a fight. The brothers rushed at each other, fighting with trees and stones, with fists, nails and teeth. They were evenly matched and indistinguishable to the observer, until Sugriva's counsellor
Hanuman stepped forward and placed a garland of flowers around Sugriva's neck. It was then that Rama emerged with his bow and drove an arrow through Vali's heart. When Vali had expired, Sugriva claimed his widow
Tara and the monkey kingdom.
Sugriva helps Rama to conquer Lanka and to rescue Sita
Sugriva sent his trusted advisor
Hanuman to determine Sita's whereabouts. Hanuman's finding was that Ravana was holding Sita captive in his island fortress of
Lanka. When Rama decided to move against Lanka, Sugriva placed his army of monkeys at the hero's disposal. The army crossed into Lanka by means of a specially erected bridge and laid siege to Rama's citadel. After some hard fighting, the monkeys prevailed over the demons, Rama slew Ravana, and Sita was liberated.
During the battle, Sugriva almost came to a violent death when he decided to take on the Rakshasa
Kumbhakarna, a brother of Ravana. Seeing the demon in the middle of the fray, Sugriva attacked him with the trunk of a sala tree. The tree, however, merely broke over the demon's head. Kumhhakarna then seized Sugriva and dragged him off, and no doubt would have killed him but for the timely intervention of Rama's brother
Lakshmana.
Artistic and Folkloric Depictions of Sugriva
- The combat of Sugriva with his brother Vali was a favorite motif of the Khmer sculpters contributing to the Angkorian temples and monuments near Siem Reap in Cambodia.
- A detailed and moving tympanum at the 10th century Hindu temple of Banteay Srei depicts the combat of the brothers, as well as Rama's intervention and Vali's death in the arms of another monkey.
- A bas-relief at the 12th century temple of Angkor Wat shows the fight between the brothers, the arrival of Rama, and Vali lying on his death-bed, mourned by many other monkeys. Another scene shows Sugriva and Rama entering into their alliance. A large bas-relief depicts the Battle of Lanka between Rama and Sugriva's army of monkeys and Ravana's army of Rakshasas.
- The fight between Vali and Sugriva is also represented at the lesser-known 13th century Angkorian temple of Preah Pithu.
Further Information
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