Vali

Vali is Sugríva’s elder brother, portrayed through the account of their conflict as a powerful rival whose desire for sovereignty drove Sugríva from his home and into the forest. The surviving evidence presents Vali chiefly through Sugríva’s accusation and plea for help, rather than through Vali’s own words or actions in a directly narrated scene.

Identity and Position

The account identifies Vali as the elder brother of Sugríva. It casts the struggle between them as a contest over rule: Vali is described as acting from a desire for power, while Sugríva frames his own claim as an ancient right. The language establishes a sharp contrast between the brother who holds or seeks dominion and the prince forced into the wilderness.

Sugríva’s Account of the Conflict

A brief narrative statement says that Vali, driven by a lust for power, drove the prince into the woods. Sugríva’s own appeal gives that expulsion the weight of a long-running grievance: he says he has suffered his brother’s harm for a long time and describes himself as wronged. His fear that Vali may have prepared a trap shows that the conflict has left him wary even when he is among followers who look toward him as their leader.

Appeal to Ráma and the Stakes

Sugríva asks Ráma to test or overcome Vali’s strength so that his elder brother can no longer deprive him of his ancient right. The surrounding verses connect that request with the prospect of recovering Sugríva’s realm and beloved wife. Vali therefore functions in this episode as both a personal antagonist and the obstacle to Sugríva’s restoration. The evidence ends with the appeal and its stakes; it does not establish Vali’s response or the outcome of the challenge.