66697602-The-Ramayana-R-K-Narayan

duty laid on any intelligent being. But because you are
conscious of your limitless strength, you act dishonourably
and carry it off without any compunction as you feel no one
can question you. You are well versed in the laws of conduct
and morality and yet instead of affording protection to a
helpless woman, life partner of a brother at that, you have
molested her.
“Since Sugreeva sought my friendship and asked for help,
I felt it my duty to help him by destroying you.”
Vali replied, “You are judging us all wrongly, your basis is
mistaken. You make too much of my acquiring my brother’s
wife. It’s legitimate in our society. Although my brother was
an enemy, I wanted to protect and help his wife when he was
gone. I could not leave her to her fate.”
“It is my primary duty to help the weak and destroy evil
wherever I see it. Whether known or unknown, I help those
that seek my help.”
Vali replied, “Marriage and all its restraints on the
relationship of men and women are of your human society
and not known to us. Brahma has decreed for us absolute
freedom in our sexual pursuits, habits, and life. In our society
there is no such thing as wedlock. We are not a human
society, we are monkeys and your laws and ethical codes
are not applicable to us.”
“I am not misled either by your explanation or appearance
of being a monkey,” Rama said. “I am aware that you are