|
Jai Hanuman |

As soon as the demon saw Bali, he came to his senses. He fled in fear. But Bali had made up his mind to kill him. To save himself from Bali's wrath, the demon entered into an aperture he found in the grounds. Bali saw him doing so. He said to Sugriva, "I am going into this hole to chase the demon. Wait for me here. I shall be back after killing him. It may take some time. So, do not worry."
Saying this, Bali went inside the hole. As asked by his brother, Sugriva kept waiting for him for many days. When many weeks passed but Bali did not turn up, Sugriva was worried. He thought Bali had been killed by the demon. He put a rock at the mouth of the aperture so that the demon could not come out. He returned to Kishkindha dejected. When the ministers of Kishkindha saw Sugriva badly shaken and crest-fallen, they understood what had happened. They made Sugriva the King, because Bali's son Angad was too young to rule the state. After sometime, Bali reappeared at Kishkindha after slaying the demon. When he found Sugriva was the king, shocked and agitated he came to the conclusion that his brother had deliberately put the rock to close the way out of the tunnel under the ground to cause his death.
Bali was in great rage. He said, "Sugriva, you are not my brother, rather an enemy. You rascal! you wished me to be dead to become the king yourself. I shall punish you and not let you live anymore."
Sugriva tried his best to explain and request his brother to calm down as he had never had such an idea. Bali did not listen to him. Sugriva was pained at Bali's behaviour whom he loved and respected very much. Bali turned him out of his kingdom and detained his wife as a punishment to Sugriva. He even rushed towards him to kill him. Sugriva knew well how strong Bali was. He ran away. Hanuman accompanied him. After having run for long, Sugriva and Hanuman entered the hermitage of sage Matanga. Bali had to stop there as he could not enter that place. Bali had been cursed once by the sage for some disrespect, shown by Bali to him, that he would die the moment he touched the inside of his hermitage.
Sage Matanga lived at the Rishyamuk mountain. In this abode of that sage, Sugriva was safe. Though he was passing through very bad period, yet he had the good luck of Hanuman's friendship. Hanuman was great help to help to him in organising a small group of well-wishers.
Rama was in exile. Ravana, the demon king, had kidnapped Sita to Lanka. He, with his brother Lakshman, was roaming in the forests in her search. When they reached Rishyamuk, Sugriva spotted them. He saw them armed with bows and arrows but wearing clothes of ascetics. The glow on their faces was heavenly and they looked very handsome. Sugriva could not make out whether they were warriors or sages, friends or foes. He thought, "May be they are agents or soldiers of Bali. He must have sent his demons in disguise to kill me." He was alarmed.
|
| |
|