Angad sat on a sea rock, looking unseeing into the vast horizon of the endless ocean. His mind was in turmoil. He was unsure of his feelings. What was right? What was wrong?
A burning issue had changed sibling love to sibling hatred between his father, the Vanara Vali, and his uncle, Sugreeva, resulting in the death of his father. Vali’s strength was unmatched. He had defeated the likes of Ravana, the mighty king of Lanka. He had killed the vicious demons, Dundubhi and Mayavi. Even the powerful warrior, Prince Rama of Ayodhya had to use deceit to kill Vali. Rama shot the powerful Vanara from behind a tree when he was engaged in a one-on-one duel with Sugreeva.
Angad was told that Vali’s pot of arrogance and vanity was overflowing and it needed to be stopped to keep Kishkindha and its subjects safe. Both his uncle and Prince Rama told him that treachery was the only way to kill the undefeatable Vali. His father too had repented for his mistakes before he died in peace.
Vali had handed over the care of his son, Angad, and his wife, Tara, to Sugreeva. “Respect your Uncle Sugreeva as you would do me and listen to his advice. He will be a great father to you,” were his dying words to Angad. And yet, Angad couldn't forget that his father was killed through dishonest means.
It's not that Angad didn't love or empathize with Uncle Sugreeva. He also accepted that arrogance and uncontrollable rage were his father’s weaknesses. He had even managed to put aside the pain of losing his father and wholeheartedly embraced Uncle Sugreeva as his guardian.
His uncle too had never given him a reason to doubt his unconditional love and affection. Angad unquestioningly followed the lead of Sugreeva and other Vanara nobles. He did whatever was asked of him. He was happy to remain in the shadows.
Today, however, was different. They were on the brink of war. Ravana was refusing to free Sita, Prince Rama’s wife whom he had kidnapped treacherously. The war between Rama’s Vanara army and Ravana’s army was imminent. Yet, Rama wanted to give the Lanka king one last opportunity to avoid bloodshed. He wanted to send a messenger with a final peace proposal before declaring war.
At the council meeting today, everyone thought that Hanuman, Rama’s faithful friend and the most powerful Vanara, would be the messenger. After all, he was the one who discovered Sita held prisoner in the gardens of Ravana’s palace. Hanuman had wreaked havoc on that trip to Lanka. Going a second time would be an easy feat for the valorous and powerful Vanara.
However, Rama surprised everyone by choosing Angad as his messenger. Angad stared open-mouthed when Rama announced his name. He felt a mixture of emotions. Although Angad felt proud that Prince Rama chose him for the challenging task, he also felt a sense of dreadful uncertainty.
Can he do what was expected of him? Would he be as loyal as a frontrunner in Rama’s army as he was when he worked in the shadows? Would he be able to stand his ground, especially if the subject of his father’s death was brought up during the peace negotiation?
So, here he was sitting on a sea rock in the dead of night feeling alone and uncertain, hoping the soft, soothing sea breeze and the relaxing sound of the waves would help to calm the confusion and turmoil in his mind.
He heard a sound from behind him and he sprung up, his sword unsheathed in an instant, ready to attack if needed. But, it was Prince Rama standing there. He put his sword back in its sheath and bowed reverently to the Prince of Ayodhya.
“Couldn't sleep, my boy?”
“No, Prince Rama.” Angad hesitated.
“Tell me what’s on your mind, Angad.”
“ I am not sure if I can carry out the task to your expectations. I am filled with dread and uncertainty. What if I fail?”
“What is your biggest fear?”
“That I will not find the strength to stand on my principles. What if Ravana entices me into a moral debate and I lose my bearings, considering I am still grappling with my own demons.”
They sat in silence, both staring unseeing into the vastness of the ocean waters shimmering like diamonds in the moonlight.
“Do you want to know why I did what I did with your father?”
Angad was stunned. He never expected Rama to talk to him directly about the nagging topic.
“Yes, I know you have been badgered by doubts,” continued Rama. “I am a son too, and I know the pain of losing a father to the treachery of politics and power play. And yet, your father’s killing was not wrong. He was a good Vanara, the son of Indra, the king of the devas. However, his immense strength and relentless victories got to his head. He became arrogant and vain. He believed no one was better than him. His arrogant vanity blinded him to his mistakes. He didn't think it was wrong to exile his faultless brother, to take his brother’s wife as his own. He even thought it was alright for him to kill his brother.”
Angad looked down in shame and embarrassment as he listened to his father’s weaknesses. Rama’s angry voice now turned gentle.
“No, Angad! It is not your guilt or embarrassment to carry. You are not your father. And don't forget, Vali was not always like this. He was known for his bravery, compassion, familial love, and all good things too. But when one’s time comes, then there is nothing that can stem the flow of negativity. ”
“But why did you not challenge him to a duel? Why did you have to hide? Isn't that wrong?”
“I merely followed the prevalent principles of Kshatriya dharma. I was duty-bound to protect Sugreeva who was being persecuted for no fault of his. And how I did it didn't matter. Moreover, if I had thrown a challenge to Vali, it would have been an approval of his arrogance. I chose the path used by hunters to hunt down maneaters, by enticing them to an easy prey and then killing them.”
Angad and Rama sat in companionable silence as the Vanara prince absorbed everything he heard. After a while, Rama said, “Do you know your father died in peace?”
“Yes, I saw him in his last moments. His eyes emanated gentle love as my mother and I rushed towards him.”
“I remember that. He was happy to have seen you and passed on your responsibility to his dear brother.” Angad had fresh tears as he recalled the scene in which Uncle Sugreeva hugged his father’s dead body and sobbed piteously, begging for forgiveness.
“I have to tell you one more thing, Angad. My actions are now attached to my soul, and I will have to bear the consequences at some point of time or the other.”
Angad smiled at Rama and said, “Thank you, Prince Rama. I am honoured and grateful that you took the time out to calm my frayed nerves. And thank you for choosing me as your messenger. I will not fail you.”
“Go Angad, stand your ground. Prove to the world you are the son of the mighty and undefeatable Vali!”
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Ravana’s court was far more spectacular than what Angad had imagined from Hanuman’s description. The marbled floors and walls glistened and sparkled under the spellbinding lights of intricately-designed chandeliers that seemed to be suspended magically in the air.
Angad couldn't see the roof. It looked like the sky itself was the roof. When he had walked in, it was twilight and the orange-hued rays from the setting sun poured into the massive court. As the night progressed, the orange rays faded away and the shining stars and moon could be seen. For a while, he just stood and took in the mesmerizing surroundings.
“Are you going to talk at all?” A booming voice from the inner side of the court broke Angad’s reverie. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw Ravana sitting on a golden throne embellished with thousands of precious stones that matched the luxurious splendour of his court.
Angad bowed humbly before the king and said, “I bring a message of peace and reconciliation from my commander, Prince Rama of Ayodhya. He says that if you free his beloved wife, Princess Sita, whom you kidnapped through treachery, then you and your kingdom will be spared.”
Ravana’s uproarious laughter rang sonorously through the court with many of his courtiers and council members joining in too.
“Your audacity astounds me. You are a puny, unarmed Vanara. And here you stand and threaten the most powerful king of this land! Do you even know my power, you little monkey? Do you know I have the boon that I cannot die at the hands of gods, divine beings, animals, demons, and ogres?”
“Taking the wife of another and holding her by force counters every good deed and blessing you may have earned, O Ravana. Still, Prince Rama is kind enough to give you a chance to repent. Return Princess Sita willingly and spare Lanka from certain destruction.”
Ravana was taken aback by the power and strength exuded by the Vanara's calm but strong voice. The unarmed Angad was standing fearlessly in the midst of numerous weapon-wielding rakshasa warriors. He was impressed. Before now, he had thought that Hanuman was the only powerful being in Rama’s army. Obviously, he was mistaken. There were others too.
Ravana tried to entice Angad to switch sides. “I know all about you and your father, Vali. In fact, I am humble enough to accept that he had defeated me once. Did not this same Prince Rama whose virtues you extol kill your father by treachery? And yet you fight on his side? Aren’t you ashamed of being disloyal to your father?”
“I am not my father even though I have inherited his power and might. I stand on my own ground and that freedom of choice to live my life the way I want to is the biggest lesson my father taught me. So, don't waste your breath trying to turn me against Prince Rama.”
Hoping to bring this brave Vanara over to his side, Ravana proclaimed, “Join me in my battle against your Prince Rama. I will make you richer and more powerful than you ever imagined.”
Angad was piqued by the offer. He decided to play along. “I will accept your proposal if any of your warriors can move my feet from this position.”
So saying, he put forward his right foot firmly on the ground, folded his arms across his chest, and looked at Ravana and all his warriors in turn, a challenge glittering in his eye. It was impossible for any self-respecting warrior not to rise up to this bait, and a large group of highly energized men rose to accept Angad’s challenge.
Each one came in turn and tried to move Angad’s foot that was so firmly planted on the ground that it felt like heaving a gigantic banyan tree from its roots. No one succeeded.
Finally, Ravana himself came down and tried. He failed too. Angad smiled at him and said, “If instead of touching my feet, you had held Prince Rama’s feet and asked for forgiveness, you and your kingdom would have been spared.”
Angad then turned on his heel and walked out of the court. He was happy that he was able to prove to himself that he was capable of standing firm on his decisions, regardless of the emotional conflicts in his mind. He was grateful for Prince Rama’s confidence in his capabilities and his understanding of his mental and emotional predicament. Angad knew he had chosen his side wisely.
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