Sugriva

Is a character In the ancient Indian epic Ramayana. He is the younger brother of Vali, whom he succeeded as ruler of the vanara kingdom of Kishkindha. Ruma is his wife. he is son of Surya, the Hindu deity of the sun.

Sugriva, king of the monkeys , tells his general Hanuman to help Rama in his mission to rescue Sita. Hanuman, shown exiting from the mountain palace to lead the rescue party,will perform such prodigious feats as bridging the sea from India to Lanka in one leap and setting fire to Lanka with his tail. Seeing Sugriva acting as king, he concluded that his brother had betrayed him. Though Sugriva is exiled from the kingdom. To exact his vengeance, Vali forcibly took Sugriva’s wife Ruma for his own, and the brothers become bitter enemies. Vali ruled the kingdom of Kishkindha; his subjects were the vanaras. Tara is his wife. Angada is his son. his son left his house at a very young age and later became a follower of Vaishnavism. A raging demon by the name of mayavi came to the gates of the capital and challenged Vali to a fight. Vali accepted the challenge, but when he sallied forth, the demon fled in terror into a deep cave. Vali entered the cave in pursuit of the demon, telling Sugriva to wait outside. When Validid not return and upon hearing demonic shouts in the cave and seeing blood streaming from its mouth, Sugriva concluded that his brother had been slain. With a heavy heart, Sugriva rolled a boulder to seal the cave’s opening returned to Kishkindha, and assumed kingship over the vanaras, taking his brother’s wife tara as his queen. Vali , however, ultimately prevailed in his combat with the demon and returned home.Seeing Sugriva acting as king , he concluded that his brother had betrayed him. Though Sugriva humbly attempted to explain himself, Vali would not listen. As a result, Sugriva is exiled from the kingdom. To exact his vengeance, Vali forcibly took Sugriva’s wife Ruma for his own, and the brothers became bitter enemies. Sugriva went on to live upon the mountain Rishyamukh, the only place on earth that Valicould not treated on. The king had been previously cursed by Sage Mathanga to be unable to lay a foot on this mountain on pain of death. In exile, Sugriva made the acquaintance of Rama, the avatar of Vishnu, who is on a quest to rescue his wife Sita from the demon Ravana, king of the rakshasas. Rama promised Sugriva that he would kill Vali and would reinstate Sugriva as the king of the vanaras. Sugriva, in turn, promised to help Rama with his quest. Together, Sugriva and Rama went to seek out Vali . while Rama stood back, Sugriva shouted a challenge and dared him to battle. The brothers rushed at each other, fighting with trees and stones, with fists, nails, and teeth. They were evenly matched and indistinguishable to the observer, until Sugriva’s counselor Hanuman, stepped forward and placed a garland of flowers around Sugriva’s neck. It is then that Rama emerged with his bow and drove an arrow through Vali’s heart. After Vali’s death, Sugriva reclaimed the vanara kingdom, took back his first wife , Ruma, and also reclaimed Vali’s primary wife, Tara, who became his queen. Her son by Vali, Angada, became the crown prince. On Lakshmana’s request and after Guru Vasistha’s approval, Rama plans to do Ashvamedha yajna. At this auspicious occasion he calls sugriva along with Angada, Nala, Nila , Jambavantha and Hanuman to come to Ayodhya. Rama greets and hugs Sugriva, Jambavantha and others on their arrival to Ayodhya.

The yajna horse is captured by Lana and Kusha brothers. In the Rama’s army the news spread that two muni kumara’s has captured the Yagya’s horse. Shatrughana walks and fights with Lava and he is defeated by Lava. Then Lakshamanacomes andhe is also defeated by Lava due to the fact that he was holding back. Then Bharata asks Rama to give him the permission to go to set horse free from both muni Kumara. Sugriva and Hanuman also request Rama to permit them to go along with Bharata in the battle. Lava and Kusha defeat Bharata and Sugriva and took Hanuman as a prisoner. Hanuman is the only one who knew that Lava and Kusha were son of his master Rama & Sita and thus allowed himself to be imprisoned by his master’s sons. The combat of Sugriva with his brother Vali is a favorite motif of the Khmer sculptors contributing to the Angkorian temples and monuments near Siem Reap in Cambodia.

A detailed and moving tympanum at the 10th century Hindu temple of Banteay Sreidepicts the combat of the brothers, as well as Rama’s intervention and Vali’s death in the arms of another vanara.

A bas- relief at the 12th – century temple of Angkor Wat shows the fight between the brothers, arrival of Rama and Vali Lying on his death -bed , mourned by many other vanaras. Another scene shows Sugriva and Rama entering into their alliance. A large bas-relief depicts the battle of Lanka between Rama and Sugriva’s army of vanaras and Ravana’s army of Rakashasas.

The fight between Vali and Sugriva is also represented at the lesser – known 13th century Angkorian temple of Preah pithu. the commentaries of the Ramayana suggest that it would be right for Sugriva to marry the widowed Tara. The Amritakataka of Kataka Madhava Yogindra says that this was right as they were animals. The Tilaka by Nahesh Bhatt(Ramavarma) justifies Sugriva’s marriage to Tara since Sugriva was her dead husband’s brother.

Surya is the mythological father of many notable sons, includind Manu (progenitor of the human race), Yama (god of the dead), the Ashvins (twin physicians to the gods),Karna (a great warrior in the Mahabharata),and Sugriva ( king of the monkeys in the Ramayana).

Sculptures of Surya often show him in “northern” or Scythian dress-close -fitting coat and high boots -suggesting an influence from Iranian Sun cults. He is commonly represented in a chariot drawn by seven horses or by a single horse with seven heads, holding full-blown lotuses,his head surrounded by a nimbus or by rays. One of the most splendid temples dedicated to Surya is the 13th -century Surya deula(“Sun Temple”), once called the Black Pagoda, at Konark, in Odisha. There the whole structure is conceived as a chariot on wheels in which the Sun god rides across the heavens pulled by prancing horses. Saura sect, Hindu sect, widely dispersed throughout India in the Gupta and medieval periods, whose members worshipped Surya, the Sun , as the supreme deity . The Vedas (the sacred scriptures of Hinduism) contain a number of hymns to Surya as well as to a number of other solar deities and the Mahabharata mentions a sect of sun worshippers. The Sauras believed that the worshipper could attain spiritual emancipation(moksha; literally,”release”) by adoring the Sun (just-risen, on the meridian, and setting), by bearing its marks on the body (a cicular red tilak on the forehead),and by chanting Surya’s prayer. The influence of the ancient Iranian worship of Mithra is evident as early as the 1st century CE. thereafter, North Indian temple images of Surya shown him in typical northern dress, such as boots, and the girdle around the waist known as the avyanga(Avestan avyonhana).The Magas( Iranian Priests,or Magi) were the special priests of the sun gods and were assimilated into the Hindu class structure as Brahmans. The temple constructed at Multan on the banks of the Chandra Bhaga River (modern chenab River,now in pakistan) was an important centre of the movement in the 7 thcentury CE.

Though the Saura sect is no longer prominent in India, many Hindus chant the Gayatri mantra, aprayer to the Sun, at every dawn. Surya also figures as one of the five deities (together the Vishnu , Shiva , Shakti and Ganesha ) worshipped by the smarta sect,Sugriva means something in Buddhism , Pali , Hinduism , Sanskrit , Jainism , Prakrit , Marathi. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article Sugriva.- Bali and Sugriva were brothers. Their mother was Aruna who once put the guise of a woman. At that time he was called by the name Aruni. Bali was the son born to Indra by Aruni and Sugriva was the son born to the Sun by Aruni. Both of them were brought up in the hermitage of Gautama. when the King of Kiskindha Rksarajas died, Bali was anointed the king of Kiskindha. Sugriva lived with Bali, serving him. At this time Bali engaged in a battle with the asura Dundubhi. Bali chased Dundubhi into a cave. Placing Sugriva at the month of the cave, Bali went in. By the magic and sorcery of Dundubhi, it appeared to Sugriva that Bali was killed by Dundubhi. Sugriva returned to Kiskindha. bali chased Sugriva all over the world. It is mentioned in Valmiki Ramayana , Kiskindha Kanda, sarga 46, that the knowledge of the lay-out of the various countries in the world that Sugriva got in this running, helped him later, in the search for Sita.

At last Sugriva entered Rsyamukacala. Bali had been once cursed that if he entered this mountain his head would be broken into pieces. Hanuman became the minister of Sugriva. It was during this period that Sri rama and Laksmana came by that way in search of Sita. Sugriva and Sri Rama entered into a treaty. Bali should be killed and Kiskindha should be given to Sugriva in place of which Rama should be helped to find out Sita and get her back.( see full article at Story of Sugriva from the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani)