In Hindu mythology, the Ramayana, an ancient epic written by the sage Valmiki, narrates the tale of Lord Rama’s heroic journey to rescue his beloved wife, Sita, from the clutches of the demon king Ravana. Within this epic, there are numerous intriguing subplots, and one such gripping episode is the legendary encounter between two mighty Vanaras (monkey warriors) – Hanuman and Bali.
The Treta Yuga is the second of the four Yugas (ages or epochs) in Hindu cosmology, characterized by righteousness, sacrifice, and devotion. It is during this Yuga that Lord Rama incarnated as the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu to uphold Dharma (righteousness) and establish the path of virtue for humanity.
Who Was Bali in Ramayana?
When it comes to TretaYug Bali was one of the greatest warriors as he was granted a boon by Brahma that allowed him to absorb half the strength of his opponents, making him invulnerable to any enemy.
Bali is the king of Kishkindha, a kingdom located in the central part of India, and he rules over the Vanaras. He was the brother of Sugriva and Father of Angada.
When Ravana heard about Bali’s strength, he wanted to fight him. But when they faced each other, Ravana couldn’t confront Bali directly. Instead, Bali held Ravana under his armpits for six months. Eventually, Ravana gave up and became friends with Bali.
Story of the Fight Between Hanuman and Bali
Long ago, there was a forest called Hanuman forest where devotees of Lord Rama were meditating. One day, Bali, the Kishkindha king, arrived there and started disturbing Hanuman’s meditation with his pride. Hanuman tried to ignore him at first, but Bali wouldn’t stop boasting about his strength and challenging everyone.
Hanuman finally spoke up and said, “Kishkindha king, you are indeed powerful, and nobody can beat you. But why do you shout about it so loudly?” This made Bali angry, and he challenged Hanuman, saying that he could defeat anyone that Hanuman worships.
Hearing this, Hanuman got furious and accepted Bali’s challenge. They decided to fight the next day. But just before the battle, Lord Brahma appeared and tried to convince Hanuman not to fight. However, Hanuman was determined to answer Bali’s challenge, as Bali had challenged his lord, Shri Ram.
Lord Brahma told Hanuman that he could go and fight Bali but advised him to use only a tenth of his strength during the battle. He suggested that Hanuman should surrender the rest of his power to the divine altar of his worship. After the fight, Hanuman could reclaim his strength from the altar.
After listening to Lord Brahma’s advice, Hanuman agreed and decided to use only a tenth of his total strength in the battle with Bali. As soon as they faced each other on the fighting ground, half of Hanuman’s power transferred to Bali, as per the boon. Suddenly, Bali felt an overwhelming surge of strength coursing through his body. It was so intense that he thought his veins might burst.
At that critical moment, Lord Brahma appeared again and advised Bali to run away from Hanuman immediately to save himself. Following the advice, Bali started running as fast as he could to deplete the borrowed energy. After covering a considerable distance, he finally felt some relief. However, he soon encountered Lord Brahma standing in front of him.
Lord Brahma explained to Bali that even though he considered himself the most powerful in the world, his body couldn’t handle even a small fraction of Hanuman’s true power, despite Hanuman using only 10% of it during the battle. Lord Brahma urged Bali to imagine what would have happened if Hanuman had used his full strength.
Upon realizing his mistake and understanding the vast difference in power, Bali felt humbled and remorseful. He then approached Hanuman with respect and apologized for his arrogance.
Conclusion:
The epic battle between Hanuman and Bali is not merely a tale of physical strength but a profound lesson in loyalty, devotion, and righteousness. Hanuman’s unwavering faith in Lord Rama and his commitment to upholding Dharma earned him victory not only on the battlefield but also in the hearts of those who witnessed this extraordinary encounter. This legendary tale from the Treta Yuga continues to inspire countless generations, reminding us of the eternal virtues of selflessness and devotion.
