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1. Baali's Victory Over Raakshas
2. Why Raam Killed Baali From Hiding?

Baali was the elder son of Riksh Raaj from Indra. He had a younger brother also, Sugreev, who was the son from Soorya. Baali's wife's name was Taaraa and his son's name was Angad. When he was born, Indra gave him a golden necklace for his victory. Brahmaa gave him Var that whoever will fight with him face to face, half of the opponent's strength will be depleted and ill come to him. That is why nobody could win him. Baali is another principal character of Raamaayan. He is capable of rendering oblations to gods in the wee hours of a single day in four oceans on four sides of the globe, by his swinging from one ocean to the other. He is mightier than Raavan, the chief villain of the epic, and Raavan is subdued by Baali's strength (see below "Baali and Raavan".

He was very brave and powerful. Both brothers loved each other very much, but somehow a misunderstanding developed between them and Baali  abducted Sugreev's wife and banished Sugreev from his kingdom. Sugreev started living on Rishyamook Parvat with his four Vaanar ministers - Hanumaan, Nal, Neel and Taar (see also Devtaa Produced Vaanar); as Baali could not come there (see "Baali and Dundubhee" below). Hanumaan was Sugreev's chief miniser, a very intelligent and brave minister.

Later Raam and Lakshman came searching Seetaa and met Sugreev. Both became friends and both told their stories (see "Baali, Maayaavee and Sugreev" below). Raam promised Sugreev to have his wife and kingdom back, which He fulfilled soon. After getting his wife and kingdom back Sugreev helped Raam throughout in searching Seetaa till getting Seetaa back from Raavan.

Birth of Baali and Sugreev
How these two brothers were born is an interesting story. On the peak of Sumeru Parvat, there is Brahmaa's court - in 100 Yojan wide area. Once Brahmaa Jee was doing Tapasyaa, that two drops of tears fell from his eyes. Brahmaa Jee took them in his hand wiped his hand with his body. Later when he shook his hand one drop fell on the ground. A Vaanar was born from that drop. He named him Riksh Raaj and said to him - "You stay on the peak of this mountain. After some time it will be good to you."

The Vaanar went away and started living there on fruits and flowers. He used to offer flowers to Brahmaa Jee daily. Thus a long time passed. One day Riksh Raaj got thirsty so he looked for a pond, and as he bent down to drink water, he saw his shadow in that water. He thought "Who is this my enemy here? I will kill him." And he jumped into the water to kill him. But when he came out of the water he found himself changed into a beautiful woman. 

By chance both Soorya and Indra were passing from there. Both saw that beautiful woman, and had a desire to have her. Indra's semen got ejaculated and fell on the head of the woman, so a Vaanar was born from that. Because he was born from her hair, he was called Baali (Baal means hair in Hindi); while Soorya's semen got ejaculated and fell on her neck, so another Vaanar was born from there and was called Sugreev (Su means good, and Greev means neck in Hindi).

Indra gave a qualitative gold necklace to Baali and Soorya appointed Hanumaan [Read "Hanuman and His Education"] in the service of Sugreev. After this that woman again became Riksh Raaj. Thus Riksh Raaj was both their mother as well as mortal father. After some time Riksh Raaj went to Brahmaa Jee. Brahmaa Jee asked him to live in Kishkindhaa Nagaree and sent a messenger with him to appoint his elder son Baali as the king of that Nagaree. Vaanar were already living there. So all started living there. Baali was appointed the King of Vaanar. After some time Riksh Raaj died.

Baali and Raavan
Baali was so powerful that he could have defeated Raavan too. When Raavan was freed from Sahastraarjun by his grandfather Pulastya Muni, he forgot that insult and again started wandering around with the desire of fighting. One day he came to Kishkindhaa Nagaree and expressed his desire to have a fight with Baali.

At that time Taar, Baali's brother-in-law (Taaraa's brother) was standing at the gate. He told Raavan that if he wanted to die earlier then he could go to Southern Sea coast because Baali had gone to do Sandhyaa on all the four coasts of sea. Or if he wanted to die a little later then he could wait there for him to return.

This shows that Baali did not go to any riverside or lakeshore to do his daily chores, but to Eastern ocean for his daily bath, then to Southern sea to do Aachman - sipping water for self-purification, then Western ocean to offer Arghya (water), and from there to other ocean for Jap and Sooryopaasanaa (meditation and Soorya worship).

Hearing Taar's words Raavan went to Southern Sea coast in his Pushpak Vimaan. He went near him very quietly to catch him unnoticed but Baali had already seen him, so he caught him before Raavan could catch him and put him in his armpit and carried him to other three seas to complete his daily worship. He released him only in Kishkindhaa and asked him as who he was. Raavan told him that he was Raavan. He came to defeat Baali but got defeated himself so he wanted to extend his friendship with him. Baali agreed to it as long as he did not ask any help from him in doing any unjust work.

Baali and Dundubhee
There was one Raakshas named Dundubhee (in the form of buffalo) - Maya Daanav's son and Mandodaree's brother. He was also very powerful. He had the strength of 1,000 elephants. So once proud with his boon, he went to Samudra (Sea) with the desire of fight, but Samudra directed him to Himvaan - the father-in-law of Shiv Jee. In turn Himvaan directed Dundubhee to Baali - the son of Indra and the King of Kishkindhaa, so he came to Baali to have a fight. Baali killed him and threw his body 100 Yojan far.

While he threw his body, a few drops of blood fell in Matang Muni's Aashram (his Aashram was on Rishyamook Parvat). Seeing those blood drops Matang Muni got very furious and asked - "Who is that wicked evil-minded who has done this to my Aashram?" He came out of the Aashram and saw a dead buffalo-like mountain dead fallen on the ground. He could know through his Tap power that this was done by Baali. So he said - "Who has done this, if he will ever enter this forest, will be destroyed. He has destroyed my trees also, so he will not be able to enter this forest up to one Yojan around. And his ministers who depend on my forest, they should also not live here. They can go back comfortably, but if they stayed back, I will give them Shaap too. Even Vaanar of Baali's side will become stone for thousand years to come, if they will stay here."

So all Vaanar went away from that Aashram and told Baali the whole story. Baali asked forgiveness from the Muni but he didn't even look at him and went away. Since that day Baali or his any minister or Vaanar could not come here [and thus Sugreev was living there safely with his four ministers].

Baali, Maayaavee and Sugreev
Baali and Sugreev were the sons of Indra and Soorya respectively from Risksh Raaj. Both loved each other very much. Being elder Baali was the king of Kishkindhaa Nagaree, and Sugreev was working under him.

There was a Raakshas named Maayaavee (Maya Daanav's son and Mandodaree and Dundubhee's brother). He was very proud of his strength, so he was challenging here and there for fights. One day he came to Baali also. Baali accepted his challenge and came out for fight.

Sugreev was also very powerful and loved his brother, so he also came out to fight. Seeing coming both brothers Maayaavee ran away. Baali and Sugreev followed him up to some distance, then Maayaavee saw a cave and he entered in that deep and dark cave.

Baali wanted to follow him and kill him once for all, so he said to Sugreev - "You wait for me here. I am going to kill this Raakshas once for all. You wait for me for one year, if I don't come out by then, you may go back and rule the country." And Baali went off in the cave. Sugreev waited at the mouth of the cave as Baali instructed him.

Now the cave was very deep and complex. Baali took one year to find Maayaavee in that cave, and when he found him, a great fierce fight took place. After some time Baali killed him and a great stream of blood gushed out of the cave.

As one year was already passed and above that Sugreev saw the blood gushing out of the cave, he got frightened and thought that it was the blood of Baali, so he put a big heavy stone at the mouth of the cave to close it and came back to Kishkindhaa Nagaree. Seeing the throne empty, the ministers appointed him as the king of Kishkindhaa.

Later Baali returned after killing Maayaavee, and found Sugreev ruling Kishkindhaa. Seeing Sugreev ruling Kishkindhaa Baali got very angry. But since Sugreev was clean at heart, seeing Baali returned, he said to him politely - "I am still your servant as before. Please be happy with me. I was appointed the King just to save the country from brave enemies." But Baali didn't agree for this and said - "You wanted to be the king, so you were seeking an opportunity to get the throne. Today you got that opportunity, so you thought to kill me by closing the door of the cave." And he abducted his wife and banished him from Kishkindhaa.

Sugreev than wandered here and there for some time but Baali's Vaanar were troubling him all the time. One day he came to know about Rishyamook Parvat that it was unapproachable for Baali and his people, so he started living there along with his four ministers. Here only he met Raam and Lakshman. Raam helped him to get his wife and kingdom back, and Sugreev, in turn, helped them to get Seetaa back from Raavan.

Baali and Raam
Sugreev knew Baali's strength, but he didn't know Raam's, so he was doubtful that Raam could kill Baali. But Raam convinced Sugreev that He could kill Baali and when Sugreev got convinced then Ram asked him to go to Sugreev and invite him for the fight. Sugreev did so. Baali got surprised to see Sugreev challenging him for fight. Still he came out and pushed away Sugreev. Raam could not kill Baali at this time, because He could not differentiate between them that who was Sugreev or who was Baali (both looked same). He did not want to commit sin of killing His friend. Sugreev came running and entered Rishyamook forest and then came to his place. He was very sad. He said some bad words to Raam, then Raam had to convince him as why did He not shoot Baali. Well, Raam sent Sugreev next day again but this time with Gajapushp garland in his neck. This time He could recognize Sugreev very easily and He killed Baali from behind a tree.

When Sugreev came to call Baali for the fight the next day, Taaraa got very troubled. She said to Baali - "Dear, You don't go to fight with Sugreev. He has come here the second time. He must have some back up. I have heard from Angad that two princes have come to him and they have become his friends. Those two princes are no other than Raam and Lakshman, princes of Ayodhyaa and Dasharath's sons. And they are not ordinary princes, they are the Swaamee of Tri-Lok. If you went to fight with Sugreev, you will not remain alive. You have not done good to behave like this with Sugreev. There is still time. You return his kingdom and wife to him and praise Raam. I beg you that you don't go to fight with Sugreev, rather resolve with him."

But Baali said - "You are a fool, Dear. If Raam is there to help him, I don't think He is so unjust that He will kill me without any reason; or if at all He will kill me like that then it is good for me because I will go to Swarg because of being killed by Him. And if I will win I will rule this country for thousands of years. You don't worry at all. Go inside the palace along with your friends." Thus Baali came out of his palace and fought with Sugreev. This time Raam could not make any mistake and He killed Baali with one arrow only.

My Note
Here the most common question is why Raam killed Baali from behind a tree? Its simple reply is that when Raam knew about the Var of Brahmaa Jee to Baali that Baali could take half power of his opponent fighter while fighting, He honored it and He did not go face to face to him ( Valmiki Ramayan, 4/16/27). The same thing happened when Hanumaan went to Lankaa in search of Seetaa, and Meghnaad tied Hanumaan with Brahm Astra, he also honored it and he got fainted just seeing it. He did not try to untie it.

It is said that the hunter who killed Krishn was the incarnation of Baali - what is the basis for it?
It is believed that Baali was reborn as the hunter Jaraa and since Raam killed him hiding behind a tree, that is why in this life, he, means Jaraa, also killed Krishn unknowingly. In Saar Kaand of Aanand Raamaayan, it has been said that Raam not only accorded salvation to Baali but also accorded a boon to him to become a tribal man and kill Him in Krishn’s incarnation in Dwaapar Yug, as retaliation to the present killing of Baali. But Bhaagavat Puraan or Padm Puraan do not quote this sort of sanction by Raam. It may seem only to extol Raam’s kind-heartedness.

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