In reply to Rama's question Sugriva said "In the days gone by, Vali my older brother was held in great esteem by my father and me. After my father, the ministers crowned his first-born son Vali as king of the Kishkinda and I served him with utmost reverence, at all times. While Vali ruled Kishkinda, there lived a Rakshasa named Mayavi, the son of Dundubhi. One day a quarrel arose between him and Vali over a woman. Mayavi arrived at the gates of the Vanara kingdom and challenged Vali to battle. Resenting the arrogant intrusion Vali rushed out disregarding me and the women of the palace, who tried to stop him. For the love of a brother and not willing to let him go alone, I followed him. Sugriva went on to say that Mayavi spotting the brothers coming after him had grown fearful and had fled. They had raced on the hunters and the hunted, along a path well lit by the rising moon. All of a sudden the fleeing enemy had dived into a grass-covered hole in the ground. Asking Sugriva to wait Vali had gone after his prey. "I waited outside patiently as weeks and months went by without any sign of Vali. A whole year passed and not once did I desert my post. Fraught with anxiety I even feared for my brother's life. Just then out of that hole had gushed blood, red and foaming, followed by blood curdling yells. They seemed like Vali's cries of pain! Deeming him dead, stricken with sorrow and dread I left, blocking the hole with a huge boulder the size of a mountain, to prevent Mayavi from coming out! Offering tearful libations to my brother I returned to Kishkinda. Though I did my best to keep Vali's death a secret the ministers pried it out of me and installed me on the throne of the land of the vanaras. But soon on a fateful day my peace was shattered! Vali having destroyed Mayavi had come to Kishkinda to destroy me, his brother". Softly and with great pathos Sugriva continued, "seeing me on the throne Vali's eyes turned red with fury. When he abused my ministers and imprisoned them though I had the power to restrain him, my respect for him held me back. All I could think of even then was to welcome him! But Vali refused to relent in spite of my meekness and humility in touching his feet with my crown. Vali neither blessed me nor changed his provocative stance! He spewed venom as he tried to prove a crime that had never been committed!"
Summary
In reply to Rama's question Sugriva said "In the days gone by, Vali my older brother was held in great esteem by my father and me. After my father, the ministers crowned his first-born son Vali as king of the Kishkinda and I served him with utmost reverence, at all times. While Vali ruled Kishkinda, there lived a Rakshasa named Mayavi, the son of Dundubhi. One day a quarrel arose between him and Vali over a woman. Mayavi arrived at the gates of the Vanara kingdom and challenged Vali to battle. Resenting the arrogant intrusion Vali rushed out disregarding me and the women of the palace, who tried to stop him. For the love of a brother and not willing to let him go alone, I followed him. Sugriva went on to say that Mayavi spotting the brothers coming after him had grown fearful and had fled. They had raced on the hunters and the hunted, along a path well lit by the rising moon. All of a sudden the fleeing enemy had dived into a grass-covered hole in the ground. Asking Sugriva to wait Vali had gone after his prey. "I waited outside patiently as weeks and months went by without any sign of Vali. A whole year passed and not once did I desert my post. Fraught with anxiety I even feared for my brother's life. Just then out of that hole had gushed blood, red and foaming, followed by blood curdling yells. They seemed like Vali's cries of pain! Deeming him dead, stricken with sorrow and dread I left, blocking the hole with a huge boulder the size of a mountain, to prevent Mayavi from coming out! Offering tearful libations to my brother I returned to Kishkinda. Though I did my best to keep Vali's death a secret the ministers pried it out of me and installed me on the throne of the land of the vanaras. But soon on a fateful day my peace was shattered! Vali having destroyed Mayavi had come to Kishkinda to destroy me, his brother". Softly and with great pathos Sugriva continued, "seeing me on the throne Vali's eyes turned red with fury. When he abused my ministers and imprisoned them though I had the power to restrain him, my respect for him held me back. All I could think of even then was to welcome him! But Vali refused to relent in spite of my meekness and humility in touching his feet with my crown. Vali neither blessed me nor changed his provocative stance! He spewed venom as he tried to prove a crime that had never been committed!"