Sugriva felt free and fearless. He knew Rama's arrows could incinerate the three worlds if ever his anger was aroused. He wanted Rama to know all about Vali so he said, "Rama listen to me of Vali's might before you meet him.Rising long before the Sun, he traverses the four oceans offering them his worship. With his endless energy and matchless strength, he can uproot massive trees and break mountain peaks. At that time there lived an Asura named Dundubhi who had the strength of a thousand elephants, the body of a giant and a mind deluded into believing that his might had no match! That arrogance one day led him to the ocean whose white crested waves rose and fell and whose depths hid priceless gems. Entering the billowing sea he challenged it to war! Looking at the demon whose form was not human and whose life was soon to cease, the sea lord said, "I am not the one to fight with you Dundubhi! In the land of the ascetics lives the father-in-law of Lord Siva whose name is Himavanth. He is the Lord of mountains and a fit opponent. Taking the sea Lord's refusal to combat for fear, Dundubhi turned around and shot away like an arrow released towards the Himalayan groves. Reaching his destination he hurled himself on the mountains dislodging boulders the size of elephants. Himavanth appeared in human form on his own summit, like a soft white cloud and said, "Do not trouble me Dundubhi, I am not fit to fight. I am the abode of many holy men and I cannot disturb them". Dundubhi's eyes turned red as he bellowed out his rage, "Is this denial because of fear or is it lack of skill? I need to fight, and fight now! Tell me of an equal who can face me!" Annoyed at Dundubhi's haughty insistence Himavanth said, "In the city of Kishkinda lives the majestic Vanara Vali whose skills of combat are without equal. He is unconquerable and invulnerable". Excited at the prospect of meeting his match, Dhundubhi arrived at the portals of Kishkinda booming like a kettledrum! The earth shook as the Rakshasa tore at trees cleaved the ground with his hooves and battered the gates with his horns. Disturbed and angered by the uproar, Vali came out followed by the women of the palace. His voice thundered above the clamor as he said, "I know who you are Dhundubhi, why are you breakings the gates? Go away, save your life!" But the foolish intruder stood his ground saying, "You are a bragger Vali! Fight me and prove your strength. If you so desire I will give you time till the morrow to revel with your women. I will wait, for he who kills the intoxicated, the unwary, the sleeping, the unarmed and the likes of you who are stupefied by passion, is deemed a murderer. He is held as guilty as having killed an unborn infant!" Vali dismissed the ladies. He looked at Dhundubhi and smiled mockingly, "If you are not afraid of fighting me, do not consider my stupor. This passion of which you accuse me will now manifest as the arrow of victory. Putting on the golden chain that his father Indra had gifted him Vali fell on Dhundubhi and each wanting to emerge triumphant, they both fought furiously.Vali finally held his enemy by his horns, hurled him around and threw him on the ground. Dhundubhi roared with pain as blood gushed out of his ears and life imperceptibly drifted out of his body. Picking up the lifeless form, Vali flung it a league away! And as it went hurting, drops of blood fell on the hermitage of sage Matanga. The power of his penances enabled the great sage to visualize the culprit behind the atrocity and he pronounced his curse, "May he who bears the blame of this act die if he ever ventures within a league of this place. I demand that every Vanara leave this place now! Or turn in to a stone to remain here for a thousand years!" The Vanara hoards fled and reaching Kishkinda told their king of the curse. Vali hurried to the sage to seek forgiveness, but Matanga would not even meet Vali, who went back full of fear and remorse. It was that curse which rendered Rishyamuka out of bounds for Vali and a safe haven for Sugriva! Rama was then shown the mountainous skeletal remains of Dhundubhi and the seven Sala trees, any one of which Vali could pierce with a single arrow. It was Sugriva's way of inferring that Vali's might was such that he may even vanquish Rama! Rama quietly picked up Dhundubhi's skeleton with his toe and tossed it, to land ten leagues away from where it had rested! But Sugriva was not impressed! He said that Vali's strength could still be superior to Rama's, as Dhundubhi's body must have surely weighed more than his skeleton! " If you too can cleave a Sala tree with your arrow, you could be his equal perhaps", suggested Sugriva.
Summary
Sugriva felt free and fearless. He knew Rama's arrows could incinerate the three worlds if ever his anger was aroused. He wanted Rama to know all about Vali so he said, "Rama listen to me of Vali's might before you meet him.Rising long before the Sun, he traverses the four oceans offering them his worship. With his endless energy and matchless strength, he can uproot massive trees and break mountain peaks. At that time there lived an Asura named Dundubhi who had the strength of a thousand elephants, the body of a giant and a mind deluded into believing that his might had no match! That arrogance one day led him to the ocean whose white crested waves rose and fell and whose depths hid priceless gems. Entering the billowing sea he challenged it to war! Looking at the demon whose form was not human and whose life was soon to cease, the sea lord said, "I am not the one to fight with you Dundubhi! In the land of the ascetics lives the father-in-law of Lord Siva whose name is Himavanth. He is the Lord of mountains and a fit opponent. Taking the sea Lord's refusal to combat for fear, Dundubhi turned around and shot away like an arrow released towards the Himalayan groves. Reaching his destination he hurled himself on the mountains dislodging boulders the size of elephants. Himavanth appeared in human form on his own summit, like a soft white cloud and said, "Do not trouble me Dundubhi, I am not fit to fight. I am the abode of many holy men and I cannot disturb them". Dundubhi's eyes turned red as he bellowed out his rage, "Is this denial because of fear or is it lack of skill? I need to fight, and fight now! Tell me of an equal who can face me!" Annoyed at Dundubhi's haughty insistence Himavanth said, "In the city of Kishkinda lives the majestic Vanara Vali whose skills of combat are without equal. He is unconquerable and invulnerable". Excited at the prospect of meeting his match, Dhundubhi arrived at the portals of Kishkinda booming like a kettledrum! The earth shook as the Rakshasa tore at trees cleaved the ground with his hooves and battered the gates with his horns. Disturbed and angered by the uproar, Vali came out followed by the women of the palace. His voice thundered above the clamor as he said, "I know who you are Dhundubhi, why are you breakings the gates? Go away, save your life!" But the foolish intruder stood his ground saying, "You are a bragger Vali! Fight me and prove your strength. If you so desire I will give you time till the morrow to revel with your women. I will wait, for he who kills the intoxicated, the unwary, the sleeping, the unarmed and the likes of you who are stupefied by passion, is deemed a murderer. He is held as guilty as having killed an unborn infant!" Vali dismissed the ladies. He looked at Dhundubhi and smiled mockingly, "If you are not afraid of fighting me, do not consider my stupor. This passion of which you accuse me will now manifest as the arrow of victory. Putting on the golden chain that his father Indra had gifted him Vali fell on Dhundubhi and each wanting to emerge triumphant, they both fought furiously.Vali finally held his enemy by his horns, hurled him around and threw him on the ground. Dhundubhi roared with pain as blood gushed out of his ears and life imperceptibly drifted out of his body. Picking up the lifeless form, Vali flung it a league away! And as it went hurting, drops of blood fell on the hermitage of sage Matanga. The power of his penances enabled the great sage to visualize the culprit behind the atrocity and he pronounced his curse, "May he who bears the blame of this act die if he ever ventures within a league of this place. I demand that every Vanara leave this place now! Or turn in to a stone to remain here for a thousand years!" The Vanara hoards fled and reaching Kishkinda told their king of the curse. Vali hurried to the sage to seek forgiveness, but Matanga would not even meet Vali, who went back full of fear and remorse. It was that curse which rendered Rishyamuka out of bounds for Vali and a safe haven for Sugriva! Rama was then shown the mountainous skeletal remains of Dhundubhi and the seven Sala trees, any one of which Vali could pierce with a single arrow. It was Sugriva's way of inferring that Vali's might was such that he may even vanquish Rama! Rama quietly picked up Dhundubhi's skeleton with his toe and tossed it, to land ten leagues away from where it had rested! But Sugriva was not impressed! He said that Vali's strength could still be superior to Rama's, as Dhundubhi's body must have surely weighed more than his skeleton! " If you too can cleave a Sala tree with your arrow, you could be his equal perhaps", suggested Sugriva.