Ravana and the monkey king Vali form an alliance

Rávaṇ’s alliance with Báli, king of the Vánars, is a political pact in the midst of Rávaṇ’s sequence of conquests. At Kishkindhá, the two rulers make an unusually broad pledge of common interests, extending their agreement beyond military partnership to the sharing of possessions and enjoyments.

Setting and Background

The pact follows a reversal in Rávaṇ’s fortunes. He has attacked Karttavirya Arjuna, been defeated, captured, and imprisoned; Pulastya’s intercession then secures his release. Rávaṇ travels to Kishkindhá after regaining his freedom, where he encounters Báli, king of the Vánars.

Terms of the Alliance

Rávaṇ proposes that the two rulers have all things in common. The account presents the pledge as encompassing their households, cities and kingdoms, as well as food, clothing, and other enjoyments. Its expansive terms make the alliance more than a narrowly defined agreement for joint warfare: it joins the rulers’ political domains and shared life under a common undertaking.

Place in Rávaṇ’s Campaigns

The pact appears within a catalogue of Rávaṇ’s exploits, but it marks a different means of extending his power from the battles and subjugations around it. The narrative next turns to his invasion of the realm of the departed spirits. It records the alliance and its sweeping terms, then moves on to further campaigns without describing how the pact was put into practice.