Caution in choosing friends

When Rama goes looking for Sita, Sugriva sees Him, and comes to the conclusion that  Rama is a king, although the later is dressed in tree bark. Rama’s bearing and the way He holds Himself and walks — all suggest His royal background. Curious  about a King in tree bark, Sugriva  sends Hanuman to find out who the man is. Sugriva has to make sure that the two men,wearing tree bark, namely, Rama and Lakshmana, are not men sent out by Vali to hunt him (Sugriva) down. Hanuman takes the form of an ascetic and goes to meet Rama. This shows the caution Hanuman exercised in meeting a person he did not know. Rama is equally cautious in His approach to Hanuman, for He too does not know who  the ascetic is. How can He be sure that Hanuman, in the guise of an ascetic, is not a demon? So He too has to exercise caution.

Rama asks Lakshmana to talk to Hanuman. As Hanuman speaks, Rama observes to Lakshmana that one who speaks with such precision and logic and with such musicality in his words  must be well read in the Rig Veda, Yajur Veda and Sama Veda. But the bond between Hanuman  and Rama that begins on a note  of caution, becomes a legendary  bond, one which is spoken of  with reverence even today, said  Goda Venkateswara Sastrigal. Sugriva too wants to know of  the prowess of Rama, and so he tells Him about Vali’s valour. He  tells Rama of how Vali overcame the threat from the demon Dundubhi, who had the strength of  1,000 elephants. Dundubhi challenged  Vali, says Sugriva, but Vali was not frightened and he  killed the demon and flung him  afar. Sugriva wants to make sure  that Rama is valorous, and asks  about His ability to pierce trees  with an arrow. Sugriva’s reason  for recounting to Rama, all the  incidents that showed the  strength of Vali, is to find out if  Rama is as strong as Vali. Rama  demonstrates His power by  shooting an arrow that pierces  through seven trees, enters the  netherworld, and returns to His  quiver. Sugriva is convinced that
Rama will be more than a match  for Vali. Thus the wise weigh the  evidence before their eyes, and  contemplate on that evidence, before they make friends with  anyone

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