66697602-The-Ramayana-R-K-Narayan

“Another thing. If your brothers, at any time, blame
Sugreeva as one who had engineered the death of his
brother, please explain to them that Sugreeva has only
engineered my salvation. One more favour. I have not been
blessed with a chance to pluck up that archfiend Ravana with
the tip of my tail and place him before you. But here is
Hanuman who will do it at your command, and also obey you
in all matters. Let him serve you. Sugreeva and he will be
your invaluable allies.”
Then he turned to Sugreeva. “Don’t sorrow for my death.
He who has struck me is none other than the great God
himself; and I realize I am a privileged being at this moment.
You will always have the glory of being at his side, and
please serve him well.” Then Vali formally handed Sugreeva
over to Rama as his choice for succession and advised him
as to how to rule.
This is the saddest part of our great epic. The lamentations
of Tara and Angada, Vali’s wife and son, as they came
down carrying the dead body of the mighty Vali, make one’s
heart grow heavy. But all stories must have a happy ending.
Though Tara clung to the inert lifeless Vali’s physical frame,
his essential spirit soared to the highest heavens and found
a place there, because the great God himself had released
his soul. On the command of Rama, arrangements were
begun for the coronation of Sugreeva, and Angada was