Vaali and Sugreeva were brothers, deeply attached to each other. Vaali’s anger and Sugreeva’s haste had caused a great rift in the affection of the two brothers. Vaali was a very strong, powerful king, but he was extremely impulsive. He had once been challenged by a demon, Mayavi. During the combat, Mayavi fled into a cave. Vaali followed him. Vaali asked Sugreeva to wait outside. Sugreeva waited for twenty-eight months, listening to the sounds of the battle. Then he saw blood gushing out of the cave. Sugreeva wanted to go in and look for his brother, but the counsellors told him he should not do so. He had to rule the kingdom now, they told him. So following the advice of the elders and frightened that the demon had killed Vaali and would now come and attack him, Sugreeva closed the mouth of the cave with a huge rock and ran back.
Sugreeva’s Story
