Bali Holds Ravana Under His Arm

Dadi: "Beta, you know the powerful demon-king Ravana from the Ramayana, right?"

Guddu: "Yes, Dadi! He had ten heads and kidnapped Sita!"

Dadi: "Very good! Ravana was so powerful that he had conquered the three worlds! But do you know the one time he was completely humiliated without even fighting?"

Guddu: "Humiliated? Ravana?"

Dadi: "By the monkey-king Bali - and in such a surprising way that even Ravana's enemies laughed at him!"

Guddu: "What happened?"

Dadi: "Bali was the king of Kishkindha, a kingdom of powerful monkey warriors. He had received a unique blessing from the gods - whenever anyone came to fight him face to face, half of their strength would automatically transfer to Bali!"

Guddu: "Half their strength just disappeared?"

Dadi: "And became Bali's strength! This made him virtually unbeatable. He conquered armies and kings everywhere. Word of his power spread across all the lands."

Guddu: "Did Ravana hear about him?"

Dadi: "Ravana heard, and his pride was injured. "I am the king of Lanka! I have conquered gods and demons! How dare a monkey be called powerful?" He decided to challenge Bali."

Guddu: "But if they fought face to face, Bali would get half of Ravana's strength!"

Dadi: "Ravana's ministers warned him about this. So the cunning demon king made a plan - he would attack Bali from behind! That way the blessing would not work."

Guddu: "That is sneaky!"

Dadi: "Very sneaky, beta. Ravana watched Bali's daily routine. Every morning, the monkey king would travel to different oceans to worship the sun god with prayers and meditation."

Guddu: "He worshipped facing the sun."

Dadi: "Exactly. Ravana followed Bali to the eastern shore one morning and quietly sat behind him while he prayed. "I will grab him by his tail," Ravana thought, "and beat him against the ground before he can turn around!""

Guddu: "What happened?"

Dadi: "But Bali already knew Ravana was there! Without moving from his sitting posture, without even opening his eyes from prayer, Bali simply reached back and grabbed Ravana with one hand!"

Guddu: "He caught him!"

Dadi: "The mighty king of Lanka - conqueror of the three worlds - found himself helpless in the grip of a meditating monkey! Bali tucked Ravana under his armpit like a bundle of cloth and continued his prayers!"

Guddu: "Under his armpit?"

Dadi: "And that is where Ravana stayed, beta. Bali was so absorbed in his worship that he forgot about the demon entirely. For six months, Ravana was trapped in Bali's armpit!"

Guddu: "Six months? Did he not try to escape?"

Dadi: "He tried everything! He pushed, pulled, struggled - but Bali's grip was like iron. All of Ravana's ten heads, all his twenty arms, all his boons from Lord Shiva - nothing helped against this simple monkey's strength."

Guddu: "That is so embarrassing!"

Dadi: "In some versions of the story, it is even funnier. Bali wrapped his long tail around Ravana's whole body, tied him up like a bundle, and jumped into the air! He visited all his usual worship places - east, west, north, south - dragging the bundled demon king wherever he went."

Guddu: "People must have seen Ravana tied up!"

Dadi: "Yes! Even the women and children of Kishkindha laughed at the sight of the great demon king hanging helplessly from Bali's tail. The conqueror of worlds had become a joke."

Guddu: "How did it end?"

Dadi: "After six months, Ravana was completely exhausted and humiliated. He no longer wanted to fight - he just wanted to be free. He praised Bali's strength and wisdom, requested a truce, and asked to be friends instead of enemies."

Guddu: "Bali agreed?"

Dadi: "He released Ravana, and they became allies! They lit a sacred fire as witness to their friendship, embraced each other, and Ravana left Kishkindha as a friend rather than a conqueror."

Guddu: "Bali did not even fight him properly!"

Dadi: "That is the lesson, beta! Bali's power was so great that he subdued Ravana without a battle. And notice - even though Ravana came to attack from behind, Bali did not kill him. He just held him, humbled him, and then accepted his friendship."

Guddu: "What does this teach us, Dadi?"

Dadi: "Many things! First, that pride goes before a fall. Ravana was too proud to accept that someone might be stronger than him. His pride led him into humiliation."

Guddu: "He should have respected Bali!"

Dadi: "Second, that sneaky tactics do not always work. Ravana tried to cheat Bali's blessing by attacking from behind, but true power cannot be outsmarted so easily."

Guddu: "And Bali was gracious!"

Dadi: "Yes! That is the third lesson. Even after Ravana attacked him while he was praying - a disgraceful act - Bali did not seek revenge. He accepted friendship when it was offered. Real strength includes the ability to forgive."

Guddu: "Bali was truly powerful in every way."

Dadi: "The most powerful beings do not need to prove it through fighting, beta. They can simply hold their ground - or in Bali's case, hold their enemy under their arm - until the other person understands."

Guddu: "I will remember this story when someone tries to pick a fight with me!"

Dadi: "Good, beta. Sometimes the best victory is the one that ends with a new friend instead of a defeated enemy."