Shloka 4.16.22

वालिवधः — The Slaying of Vali

Devanagari script

ताडितस्तेन सङ्कृद्धस्समभिक्रम्य वेगितः।अभवच्छोणितोद्गारी सोत्पीड इव पर्वतः4.16.22।।

Transliteration

tāḍitas tena saṅkṛddhaḥ samabhikramya vegitaḥ |

abhavac choṇitodgārī sotpīḍa iva parvataḥ || 4.16.22 ||

Translation

Struck by him, Sugrīva—enraged—rushed back into the encounter with speed; streaming with blood, he looked like a mountain with red torrents bursting forth.

Context

Struck by Vali, enraged Sugriva encountered Vali more aggresively. His body drenched in blood seemed a mountain with rivulets of blood flowing.

Characters & Entities

• Sugrīva
• Vāli (implicit as the striker)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Violence has immediate bodily and moral consequences; Dharma cautions that anger-driven conflict quickly turns into suffering and degradation.

What is the narrative situation?

Sugrīva is struck and bleeds, yet he re-engages fiercely, showing the fight has turned brutal.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Endurance and fighting spirit—though the scene primarily emphasizes the tragic cost of fraternal combat.