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The False Sugriva
Yogashastra, Second Canto, Verse 99 | The truthful Rama reached the underworld and installed the said Viradha on his father's throne. Meanwhile, the leader of the Vidyadharas, named Sahasgati, was roaming in the sky near the city of Kishkindha. At that time, the king of Kishkindha, Sugriva, was going out of the city for a stroll with his family. Indeed, such is the state of mind of kings. Just then, Sahasgati reached Sugriva's inner chambers. Seeing Sugriva's wife Tara, he became overwhelmed with desire. Like an elephant suffering from the heat, Sahasgati, tormented by the heat of passion, abandoned the idea of going elsewhere and decided to indulge in amorous play with Tara, as if not to violate the command of Kamadeva. But he thought, "This lady will not readily engage in intimacy with an unfamiliar person." Worried by this concern, he thought, "I am skilled in changing my form like an actor, so why not assume Sugriva's guise?" Thinking thus, Sahasgati took on Sugriva's appearance and entered the palace. The palace guards, mistaking the lustful imposter Sugriva for the real Sugriva, did not prevent him from entering. But before he could reach the palace, the real Sugriva returned and tried to enter, only to be stopped by the guards, who said, "The king has just entered. It seems you are someone else." This led to a heated argument, and the guards summoned the false Sugriva. As soon as he arrived, a tumultuous verbal battle like the roar of the ocean erupted between the two. Seeing the commotion caused by the other Sugriva, Bali's son quickly came to the palace gate to calm the disturbance. Just as a mountain blocks the flow of a river, Bali's son prevented the false Sugriva from entering the inner chambers. The fourteen finest Akshauhini armies of the world gathered there and took their positions. Unable to comprehend the mystery, half the soldiers sided with the false Sugriva, and the other half with the real Sugriva. Thus, the divided army engaged in mutual combat. Spears clashed, and the sparks emanating from the colliding weapons made the sky appear as if it were a meteor shower. Cavalry fought cavalry, elephants fought elephants, infantry fought infantry, and charioteers fought charioteers. Just as a delicate lady trembles from the touch of her beloved, the earth trembled from the clash of the two armies. Seeing no resolution, the true Sugriva challenged the false Sugriva, "You wicked, lustful dog who has intruded into my home! Come, fight with me, and I'll remind you of the sixth day." The artificial Sugriva, maddened by this insult like an intoxicated elephant, came roaring to fight the real Sugriva. Their red eyes blazing with anger, like the siblings of Yama, the two great warriors were tormenting the minds of the impartial spectators. Cutting down the armies on both sides like grass with their sharp weapons, they fought like two buffaloes, causing the celestial beings to flee. Grappling like moving mountains, their weapons were eventually shattered and destroyed. Enraged beyond endurance, they seemed to be flying in the sky one moment and crashing to the ground the next, like two champion roosters. Unable to defeat each other, the two mighty warriors, exhausted, stepped back and stood apart. The artificial Sugriva, now distressed in mind, remained outside Kishkindha, as Bali's son did not allow him to enter the inner chambers at any cost.
The true Sugriva, sitting with his head bowed, began to ponder, "Alas! My lustful enemy is so deceitful that he has subjugated my own people through his machinations. It is regrettable that he has trampled upon his own knees with his deception."