A tyrant in war, Vali struck by4.54.24 Rama's arrow, collapsed instantaneously like a tree felled down.

Adorned with shining gold ornaments,Vali fell down with all his limbs touching the ground like Indra's flag when its ropes are loosened.

When the lord of the monkey troops fell down, it was as though the earth lost its brightness like the sky loses its brightness devoid of the Moon.

Even though the highsouled Vali's body had fallen on the ground, its splendour, glow, life and valour had not left it.

As the most beautiful golden necklace, studded with diamonds, given by Indra was there on him, the life, brightness and splendour of Vali's body remained.

Vali, the chief hero of the monkeys, with his golden necklace appeared like the raincloud hallowed by the glowing twilight.

Even though he had fallen down, the effulgence of his necklace on his body, and the arrow pierced into his vital parts remained.

Rama's arrow released paved the way to heaven which was that hero's supreme destination.

Rama followed by Lakshmana slowly approached the longarmed, lionchested, brightfaced, tawnyeyed Vali, and admiringly observed this unchallengeable son of Indra, unassailable like Indra himself. Adorned with a golden necklace, he had fallen on the ground like fire without flame, like king Yayati descended on the earth from the celestial realm on the exhaustion of his merits, or like the Sun cast down on the earth at the end of the aeon.

Rama followed by Lakshmana slowly approached the longarmed, lionchested, brightfaced, tawnyeyed Vali, and admiringly observed this unchallengeable son of Indra, unassailable like Indra himself. Adorned with a golden necklace, he had fallen on the ground like fire without flame, like king Yayati descended on the earth from the celestial realm on the exhaustion of his merits, or like the Sun cast down on the earth at the end of the aeon.

Rama followed by Lakshmana slowly approached the longarmed, lionchested, brightfaced, tawnyeyed Vali, and admiringly observed this unchallengeable son of Indra, unassailable like Indra himself. Adorned with a golden necklace, he had fallen on the ground like fire without flame, like king Yayati descended on the earth from the celestial realm on the exhaustion of his merits, or like the Sun cast down on the earth at the end of the aeon.

Rama followed by Lakshmana slowly approached the longarmed, lionchested, brightfaced, tawnyeyed Vali, and admiringly observed this unchallengeable son of Indra, unassailable like Indra himself. Adorned with a golden necklace, he had fallen on the ground like fire without flame, like king Yayati descended on the earth from the celestial realm on the exhaustion of his merits, or like the Sun cast down on the earth at the end of the aeon.

On seeing powerful Rama and Lakshmana approaching,Vali spoke with pride and rigteousness to Rama, 'You are a prince, born of a noble family, son of a renowned king. You are famous, brilliant, handsome and follower of good practices.Having hit me when I was engaged otherwise in an encounter what merit have you gained?'

On seeing powerful Rama and Lakshmana approaching,Vali spoke with pride and rigteousness to Rama, 'You are a prince, born of a noble family, son of a renowned king. You are famous, brilliant, handsome and follower of good practices.Having hit me when I was engaged otherwise in an encounter what merit have you gained?'

On seeing powerful Rama and Lakshmana approaching,Vali spoke with pride and rigteousness to Rama, 'You are a prince, born of a noble family, son of a renowned king. You are famous, brilliant, handsome and follower of good practices.Having hit me when I was engaged otherwise in an encounter what merit have you gained?'

"You are a renowned prince with pleasing looks.. but, which kind of death I am getting now, that too when I was in the commotion of conflict with another, alas, that ignoble death is owing to you, and what merit is achieved by you in this undertaking of yours to kill someone who is facing away from you...

"Rama is high-born, they say, gifted with mightiness, resplendent, pursuer of vows, mindful of mercy, delighter in people's welfare, sympathetic, greatly enthusiastic and assertively committed in doing good deeds, knower of time-and-action, all these living-beings on earth are thus relating your renown, aren't they.

'O king selfcontrol (of organs of action and sense organs), righteousness, steadfastness, truthfulness, valiance and capacity to punish the offenders are virtues of a king.

'Believing that you are a repository of all these virtues are in you, and respecting your noble lineage I engaged in a duel with Sugriva even though I was forewarned (by Tara).

Translation not available.

'I did not know that you have killed your soul (by acting against your conscience), that you are sinful in conduct and unrighteous under the show of virtues like a well, its mouth covered with grass.

'You are a sinful man covered with the mask of piety thus resembling a hidden fire. I failed to recognise that righteousness is a mere pretext for you.

'I did no harm to your affairs or to your city. I did not insult you. Why did you choose to kill me, a monkey roaming in the forest and living on fruits and roots? I was not fighting you. Why did you come and strike a person like me?

'I did no harm to your affairs or to your city. I did not insult you. Why did you choose to kill me, a monkey roaming in the forest and living on fruits and roots? I was not fighting you. Why did you come and strike a person like me?

'O prince, you are son to a king, handsome and famous. Even signs of righteousness are discernible in you.

'Who, born in a kshatriya family, versed in the Vedas and free from doubt will commit such a cruel act under the guise of righteousness?

'You are born in a royal family. You are wellknown. You are proficient in dharma. Yet you are unworthy of your race and robe.

'Conciliation, generosity, forbearance, righteousness, truthfulness, steadfastness in valour and punishing offenders are the hallmarks of rulers.

'O Rama we are mere animals wandering in the forest and living on roots and fruits. This is our nature. (But) you are a lord of men.

'We fight for land or gold or silver. What did you fight me for, for what I have or for the fruits of the forest?

'Submissiveness and modesty are the attributes of good rulers and should not be mixed up with benevolence and selfrestraint. Kings ought not to act (as they like) impulsively.

'Fulfilling your own desire is important for you. You are wrathful and unstable with royal course of conduct. Your business is with your bow and arrows.

'O lord of men you have no faith in righteousness, no steadfastness in the acquisition of wealth. You have no control over the senses. You are overcome by delusion.

'O scion of the Kakutsthas Having killed me here with your arrow even though I have done you no harm, you have perpetrated an abominable act. How will you defend yourself in the midst of holy men after commiting such a sinful act?

'One who kills a king, a brahmin or a cow, a thief or one who delights in destruction of life an atheist or one who marries before his elder they all go to hell.

Translation not available.

'My skin is not fit to be worn by the virtuous, my hair and bones are also prohibited from any use. My flesh is also not at all fit to be eaten by righteous people like you

'O Rama brahmins and kshatriyas are permitted to eat only the five nailed animals the porcupine, the hedgehog, the alligator, the rabbit and the tortoise.

'O king the learned do not even touch my skin or bone. They do not eat my flesh. While it is so, you have unnecessarily killed me, a fivenailed animal.

'Tara knew everything. Her words were correct. They were meant for my wellbeing. However, due to my ignorance (or arrogance), I did not heed her words and fell under the sway of the lord of death

'O Kakutstha just as a wife endowed with good character cannot be protected by a wicked husband, you cannot be a protector of this earth.

'You are treacherous, dishonest, mean, guised with false humility and a sinner to the core. How were you born to that highsouled Dasaratha?

'Breaking through the chains of good character, trespassing the moral code of conduct of the sages, discharging the sharp arrow of righteousness, the elephantine (arrogant) Rama killed me.

'You have committed an inauspicious, improper act, despised by the virtuous. What will you speak when you are questioned by noble men for committing such an act?

'O king you have exhibited your valour against one who has done you no harm. Why have you not shown such valour on those who have offended you?

'O prince had you fought me face to face you would have seen Vaivasvata, the lord of death today (you would have been killed by me).

bitten to death by a snake while fast asleep.

'Had you sought my help earlier(before you met Sugriva), I would have restored Sita to you within a single day. I have been killed by you to oblige Sugriva. I would have handed over Ravana by the neck after killing him in the battle.

'Had you sought my help earlier(before you met Sugriva), I would have restored Sita to you within a single day. I have been killed by you to oblige Sugriva. I would have handed over Ravana by the neck after killing him in the battle.

'Even if she were hidden in the waters of the ocean or in the underworld, I would have brought her by your order like Sweta to Aswatari or Hayagriva. (Hayagriva, an incarnation of Visnu brought Vedas stolen by demons, Madhu and Kaitabha from Patala or the netherworld)

'Sugriva inheriting the kingdom after my departure to heaven is proper. But your killing me this way in the combat by unjustifiable means is not.

'Indeed, in the world people meet with death when the time comes. Hiding yourself (from me) you have achieved it. Is it proper for you? You may think over and give your reply.'

Vali, son of Indra, felt severe pain as his body was pierced and his mouth got parched (speaking for long) and gradually became silent, gazing at Rama intently who was glowing like the Sungod. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये किष्किन्धाकाण्डे सप्तदशस्सर्गः।। Thus ends the seventeenth sarga of Kishkindakanda of the first epic, the Holy Ramayana, composed by sage Valmiki.