The Invincible Monkey King

"Why are you and your brother Vali enemies?" asked Rama. "Please explain clearly."

"My elder half-brother Vali rules Kishkindha, a kingdom inhabited by monkeys," replied Sugriva. "We have the same mother, Aruni. Vali's father is Indra, the king of the gods, and my father is the sun god, Surya. At a young age, Vali received a boon that halved the strength of his enemies when he faced them in combat. After Vali defeated the Demon King Ravana in a fight and offered him a choice between death and friendship, Ravana chose to befriend Vali. 

"The demon Mayasura and his wife, Hema, had two sons named Mayavi and Dundubhi and a daughter named Mandodari. Mandodari later married Ravana. When Dundubhi heard that Vali had humiliated his brother-in-law, he went to Vali’s courtroom and challenged him. Vali attacked Dundubhi and chased him to Maharshi Matanga's ashram, where he killed him. Maharshi Matanga was furious at Vali for defiling his ashram and cursed him, 'If you enter this ashram again, your head will break into pieces.'

"The demon Mayavi, seeking revenge for his brother Dundubhi's death, mistook me for Vali and started fighting with me. Vali eventually arrived and took over the fight. Mayavi escaped into a cave, which Vali followed, only for the cave to be sealed shut by a falling boulder. The battle between Vali and Mayavi continued inside the cave for forty-five days and nights, and at the end of it, blood started gushing out of the cave, accompanied by the menacing sound of a demon's laughter. That's when I feared that Mayavi had killed Vali.

"I returned to Kishkindha. I told the monkeys that Vali had been killed and was crowned the new Monkey King. A few days later, Vali, whom I had presumed dead, arrived at Kishkindha's courtroom. He said he managed to dislodge the boulder blocking the cave’s entrance. I explained to him that there had been a terrible misunderstanding and immediately surrendered the throne to him. However, he was furious and accused me of treachery and betrayal. After I fled Kishkindha, he imprisoned my wife, Ruma, in a dungeon."

After listening to Sugriva's tragic story, Rama said, "O Sugriva! I will kill Vali today with just one arrow. No one will be able to save his life."

Rama, Lakshmana, and Sugriva set out for Kishkindha, Vali's capital city. Sugriva went to the door of Vali's palace and started roaring. He challenged Vali to a fight. Upon seeing him, Vali was furious and turned as red as the setting sun. A bloody battle ensued between Vali and Sugriva. The two brothers started inflicting lethal blows upon each other. Meanwhile, Rama stood by a tree, secretly watching the fight.