Origin of the Vanara Army
Balakanda - Sarga 17
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Balakanda - Sarga 17
When Vishnu decided to be born as the son of the great king Dasharatha, Brahma (the self-born lord) addressed all the devas (gods). He instructed them to create powerful beings to support Vishnu in his earthly mission.
Brahma said, "Create strong and powerful beings to support Vishnu, who is truthful, heroic, and benevolent. These beings should possess the following qualities:
Knowledge of illusions and deceit
Bravery and swiftness equal to the wind
Skill in statecraft and great intellect
Prowess equal to Vishnu
Determination and expertise in various victory strategies
Supernatural bodies
Mastery of all weapons, both in use and defense
Abilities resembling those of immortals
Create these sons in the form of vanaras (monkeys), born to the chief apsaras (celestial nymphs) and gandharvas (celestial musicians)."
Brahma then mentioned, "I have already created Jambavan, the foremost of bears. He emerged from my face while I was yawning."
Following Brahma's instructions, the gods began creating vanara warriors:
Indra created Vali, a powerful vanara chief resembling Mount Mahendra.
Surya (the Sun god) created Sugriva.
Brihaspati created Tara, the most intelligent among all vanara chiefs.
Kubera created the glorious Gandhamadana.
Vishwakarma created the great vanara Nala.
Agni (the fire god) created Neela, who surpassed other vanaras in energy, fame, and prowess.
The Ashwini twins created Mainda and Dvivida, esteemed for their beauty.
Varuna created the vanara warrior Sushena.
Parjanya created the mighty Sarabha.
Vayu (the wind god) created Hanuman, endowed with wisdom and courage, with a body as hard as diamond and speed equal to Garuda's.
Thousands of warriors with immeasurable strength and courage were created to defeat Ravana. They could change their form at will and were as massive as the Meru and Mandara mountains. Bears, vanaras, and vanaras with cow-like tails quickly came into being, each sharing characteristics with their divine creators.
The newly created vanaras (monkey warriors) possessed remarkable qualities:
Their bodies were as massive as the Meru and Mandara mountains.
They had incredible strength and power.
Some were born to female monkeys with tails, while others came from female bears and kinnaras (half-human, half-horse celestial beings).
Various divine beings participated in creating these powerful vanaras:
Devas (gods)
Maharishis (great sages)
Gandharvas (celestial musicians)
Garudas (divine eagle-like beings)
Yakshas (nature spirits)
Nagas (serpent beings)
Kimpurushas (mythical beings)
Siddhas (accomplished beings)
Vidyadharas (celestial knowledge-bearers)
Uragas (serpent beings)
These divine creators produced thousands of gigantic vanaras capable of roaming forests freely. The vanaras were born from various celestial females, including apsaras (celestial nymphs), vidyadharis (female vidyadharas), naga kanyas (serpent princesses), and gandharvis (female gandharvas).
The vanaras possessed numerous superhuman abilities:
They could change their form at will.
Their pride and strength matched that of lions and tigers.
They used rocks and trees as weapons.
Their nails and teeth served as effective weapons.
They were skilled in using all types of weapons.
They could shake mountains and uproot deep-rooted trees.
Their speed could disturb the ocean.
They could split the earth with their feet.
They could leap across the mighty ocean.
They could enter the sky and grasp clouds.
They could capture wild elephants in the forest.
Their roars made birds fall from the sky.
The vanara forces were vast and well-organized:
Hundreds of thousands of eminent vanara commanders were created.
These commanders led the most important vanara clans.
They produced more heroic vanaras within their clans.
Some vanaras lived on plateaus of mountains inhabited by bears.
Others dwelled in various hills and forests.
All vanara leaders paid allegiance to the brothers Sugriva (son of Surya, the Sun god) and Vali (son of Indra, the king of gods).
Notable leaders included Nala, Neela, and Hanuman.
The vanaras demonstrated their might across the land:
They had strength equal to Garuda (the divine eagle).
They were experts in warfare.
In their pride, they tormented lions, tigers, and mighty serpents.
Vali, with his immense prowess, protected all the bears, cow-tailed monkeys, and vanaras with his strong arms.
These powerful beings of various forms and tribal characteristics filled the earth, including its mountains, forests, and seas.
They resembled masses of clouds and mountain peaks, with fearsome bodies and faces.
The earth was covered with these mighty vanara commanders, all created to assist Rama in his mission.
Thus ends the seventeenth sarga (chapter) of Balakanda (The Book of Youth) of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.