From cult to culture
In one retelling of the epic Ramayana, Ram was so righteous that even though he knew Ravana’s weak spot was his navel, he kept shooting arrows at Ravana’s head, in keeping with Kshatriya dharma. Exasperated, Hanuman got his father, the wind god, to send a fierce breeze to push Ram’s arrow and cause it to strike Ravana’s navel. This display of nobility feels right for one who is called the supreme upholder of rules, Maryada Purushottam. So it feels rather odd that the very same Ram would hide behind a tree and shoot an arrow to kill Vali who was busy fighting his brother, Sugriva. It is a question that still vexes many Indians. And all explanations feel like apologies.
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