Sugriva and Vali: The Vanara Brothers of the Ramayana

Quick answer: Vali and Sugriva are vanara brothers, kings of Kishkindha in Valmiki's Ramayana. After a misunderstanding over a fight in a cave, Vali drove Sugriva out and took his wife Ruma. Sugriva made an alliance with Rama: Rama would kill Vali, and Sugriva would help find Sita. In the brothers' second fight, Rama shot Vali from behind a tree. Dying, Vali accused Rama of an unfair act; Rama answered him, and Vali entrusted his son Angada to Rama and Sugriva. Sugriva became king and led the vanara army to Lanka.

The story fills the first half of the Kishkindha Kanda, and the killing of Vali is one of the most debated episodes in the epic. This page follows Valmiki, with kanda and sarga numbers from the edition on IIT Kanpur's site.

The quarrel

According to Sugriva, the asura Mayavi challenged Vali at night. Vali chased him into a cave and told Sugriva to wait at the entrance. Sugriva waited a year; then blood and the sound of asuras came from the cave, and, thinking his brother dead, he blocked the entrance with a rock and went home, where the ministers made him king. Vali came back, believed Sugriva had tried to shut him in, drove him out and took his wife Ruma (Kishkindha Kanda, sargas 9 and 10). Sugriva took refuge on Mount Rishyamuka, where Vali could not come because of a sage's curse.

The alliance with Rama

Searching for Sita, Rama and Lakshmana came to the Pampa lake. Sugriva sent Hanuman to find out who they were (sarga 2), and Hanuman brought them to him. Rama and Sugriva swore friendship before a fire and promised to help each other (sarga 5). Sugriva showed Rama the upper garment and ornaments Sita had dropped as Ravana carried her away (sarga 6).

Sugriva doubted that anyone could defeat Vali, who had killed the buffalo-shaped asura Dundubhi. To reassure him, Rama kicked Dundubhi's skeleton a great distance and sent a single arrow through seven sala trees (sargas 11 and 12).

The two fights

In the first fight the brothers looked so alike that Rama could not tell them apart and did not shoot. Sugriva, beaten, fled. Rama had him wear a flowering creeper so that he could be recognised (sarga 12). Sugriva challenged Vali again. Tara, Vali's wife, begged him not to go out, warning him that Sugriva must have a powerful ally in Rama (sarga 15). Vali went anyway, and while the brothers fought, Rama shot Vali from behind a tree (sarga 16).

Vali's charge and Rama's answer

As he lay dying, Vali reproached Rama for striking him while he was fighting someone else and from hiding, calling it unworthy of a prince of Rama's fame (sarga 17). Rama answered at length (sarga 18). The land belonged to the Ikshvaku kings, whose authority Bharata held, and Rama acted in their name. Vali had taken his younger brother's wife while his brother lived, a grave wrong that deserved death. And, Rama said, kings hunt animals by trapping them and from cover, without blame. Vali accepted the answer, asked Rama's pardon and entrusted Angada to him.

Readers and commentators have argued over this episode for centuries, and the Ramayana itself makes room for the argument by giving Vali's charge in full before Rama's reply.

Grief and coronation

Tara lamented over Vali's body (sarga 20), and Vali, before dying, asked Sugriva to look after Angada and Tara (sarga 22). Sugriva too was overcome with remorse (sarga 24). After the funeral rites (sarga 25), Sugriva was crowned king of Kishkindha and Angada made heir.

Sugriva's delay and Lakshmana's anger

The monsoon came, and Rama waited on Mount Prasravana. When autumn arrived and Sugriva, enjoying his restored kingdom, had still not started the search, Rama sent Lakshmana to remind him (sarga 30). Lakshmana came to the city in anger; Tara calmed him, and Sugriva, ashamed, called the vanara armies together and sent search parties in every direction (sargas 31 to 40). Rama gave his ring to Hanuman for the southern party (sarga 44).

Sugriva in the war

Sugriva commanded the vanara army at Lanka. At one point he leapt onto the roof of Ravana's palace and wrestled with Ravana himself (Yuddha Kanda, sarga 40). He killed the rakshasa general Mahodara (sarga 98), and he returned to Ayodhya for Rama's coronation.

Later additions

• The idea that Vali drew away half the strength of anyone who faced him is a later tradition; it is not in Valmiki.
• The story of Vali defeating Ravana and carrying him around the four oceans comes from the Uttara Kanda, which many scholars regard as a later addition.

Frequently asked questions

Why did Rama kill Vali from hiding?

Valmiki gives Rama's own answer in Kishkindha Kanda sarga 18: Vali had wronged his brother by taking his wife, Rama acted for the Ikshvaku kings, and kings may hunt from cover.

Who was Vali's son?

Angada, who later carried Rama's message to Ravana.

Who were Vali's and Sugriva's fathers?

Valmiki says Vali was born of Indra and Sugriva of Surya, the sun (Bala Kanda, sarga 17).

How did Rama show his strength to Sugriva?

He kicked Dundubhi's skeleton far away and pierced seven sala trees with one arrow (sargas 11 and 12).

Where is Kishkindha?

Tradition places it around Hampi in Karnataka, on the Tungabhadra.

Related reading

• Ramayana: The Complete Guide
• Kishkindha Kanda summary
• Jatayu and Sampati
• Sundara Kanda summary

Sources

1. Valmiki Ramayana, Sanskrit text with English translation (Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, Tirupati), IIT Kanpur: heritage.iitk.ac.in/VRAM. References are kanda and sarga in this edition.

Last reviewed: 12 November 2026.