When the ministers saw the city without a master, they forced the government upon me. When Bali, who had slain the demon, came home and saw me (installed on the throne), he nursed a grudge against me.

He gave me a sound beating as he would an enemy and robbed me of all I possessed, my wife as well. For fear of him, O gracious hero of Raghu’s line, I wandered through all the worlds in a state of utter wretchedness.

- and though a curse prevents him from coming here, yet I am ill at ease in mind.’ When the compassionate Lord heard of his devotee’s distress, his two mighty arms throbbed fiercely.

Listen, Sugriva,’ he said; ‘I will slay Bali with a single shaft! Though he take refuge in Brahma and Shiva, he shall not escape alive!

It is a flagrant sin even to look on those who are not distressed at the sight of a sorrowing friend; one should regard one’s own troubles, though they be mountain-like, as of no more account than a mere particle of dust, but a friend’s troubles, though really no bigger than a particle of dust, should be regarded as Mount Sumeru.

Those fools who are not naturally endowed with such wisdom presume in vain to make friends with anybody. A friend should divert his companion from the path of evil and set his foot on the path of righteousness; he should proclaim his virtues and conceal his faults;

- he should give and take things without any distrust and serve his friend’s interest with all his power and, in time of misfortune, love him a hundred times more than ever. The Vedas declare these to be the properties of a true friend.