The Invincible Monkey King

"Why are you and your brother Bali enemies?" asked Ram. "Please explain clearly."

"My elder half-brother Bali rules Kishkindha, a kingdom inhabited by monkeys," replied Sugreev. "We have the same mother, Aruni. Bali's father is Indra, the king of the gods, and my father is the Sun god. At a young age, Bali received a boon that halved the strength of his enemies when he faced them in combat. After Bali defeated the Demon King Ravan in a fight and offered him a choice between death and friendship, Ravan chose to befriend Bali. 

"The demon Mayasur married an apsara named Hema. They had two sons, Mayavi and Dundubhi, and a daughter, Mandodari. Mandodari married the mighty Demon King Ravan. When Dundubhi heard that Bali had humiliated his brother-in-law, Ravan, he went to Bali’s courtroom and challenged the Monkey King. Bali attacked Dundubhi and chased him out of the court into Maharshi Matang's ashram, where he killed Dundubhi. Maharshi Matang then scolded Bali for making his ashram impure by committing murder there and cursed him in anger, saying, 'If you enter this ashram again, your head will break into pieces.'

"The demon Mayavi, seeking revenge for his brother Dundubhi's death, mistook me for Bali and started fighting with me. Bali eventually arrived and took over the fight. Mayavi escaped into a cave, which Bali followed, only for the cave to be sealed shut by a falling boulder. The battle between Bali and Mayavi continued inside the cave for forty-five days and nights, and at the end of it, blood started gushing out of the cave, accompanied by the menacing sound of a demon's laughter. That's when I feared that Mayavi had killed Bali.

"I returned to Kishkindha. I told the monkeys that Bali had been killed and was crowned the new Monkey King. A few days later, Bali, whom I had presumed dead, arrived at Kishkindha's courtroom. He said he managed to dislodge the boulder blocking the cave’s entrance. I explained to him that there had been a terrible misunderstanding and immediately surrendered the throne to him. However, he was furious and accused me of treachery and betrayal. After I fled Kishkindha, he imprisoned my wife, Ruma, in a dungeon."

After listening to Sugreev's tragic story, Ram said, "Oh Sugreev! I will kill Bali today with just one arrow. No one will be able to save his life."

Ram, Lakshman, and Sugreev set out for Kishkindha, Bali's capital city. Sugreev went to the door of Bali's palace and started roaring. He challenged Bali to a fight. Upon seeing him, Bali was furious and turned as red as the setting sun. A bloody battle ensued between Bali and Sugreev. The two brothers started inflicting lethal blows upon each other. Meanwhile, Ram stood by a tree, secretly watching the fight.