Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Vali Vadham 39

From the Bhakti List Archives

Hari Krishnan • December 17, 2002 


Thus you deserve to be punished


There is a difference between an act of crime perpetrated by a person of normal mental health and the mentally deranged.  The law even provides for exemptions in the case of criminal acts performed (accidentally or otherwise) by children below a specific age, just because they lack the much-needed maturity to see right from wrong.  That is exactly the reason why several of our criminals plead that they did such-and-such an act under the intoxication of liquor because the law excuses to an extent the misdeeds of a person who was more governed by emotions than by intellect.  

'thakka innana thagaadhana innana endru okka unnalar aayin,' They who are not able to differentiate between right and the wrong, they alone are 'uyarndhu uLa makkaLum vilangE' brutes and are to be considered as animals, even though they are born with the human frame.  'manuvin neri pukkavEl av vilangum puthELirE.'  If an animal is able to conduct itself according to what is laid down in the holy books, they are to be classified with the Devas and none else.

What are your attainments O Vali?  You are the devotee of Lord Shiva and you have received from Him the power and force of four (out of five) elements in you.  But penance or no penance, the ultimate test lies in your action; in your personal qualities and in your pursuit of rectitude.  'mEva arum dharumath thurai mEvinaar Evarum bavathaal izhindhorgaLum.'  Even those who were considered to be lowborn have become great saints because of their pursuit of Dharma.  'thaa arum thavarum pala thanmai saal dhevarum uLar theemai thiruthinaar.'  Many are there who have by their later sins fallen from their great heights that they earned by their good deeds once.

'inayadhu aadhalin,' Because things stand this way, 'ek kulathu yaavarkkum,' to one and all, irrespective of the nature of birth, 'vinayinaal varum mEnmayum keezhmayum' rise or fall comes to anyone by one's own deeds.  'anaya thanmai arindhum azhithanai manayin maatchi.'  You know this truth very well.  Not that you didn't know.  Despite knowing it, you vitiated the life of your brother; you ruined your brother's house.  

I therefore punished you because I have a duty to protect the poor, the lowliest and the lost.  Because I am committed to destroy all evil from the face of this earth.  And because your brother has my word for his protection, since he is my friend.

The reason why Kamban very carefully built the character of his Sugriva, not making him to give an assurance to Rama in his effort to trace Sita, not allowing him to negotiate with him and circumventing the difficult test of the sal tree by making Hanuman to suggest it, rather than himself asking for it (as that would amount to suspicion of the Lord in whom he had taken refuge) are now clear.  He (Kamban) intends to show this act of Rama as an act done to protect one who has taken refuge in him.  

Then one more question remains to be answered.  We will see that in our next instalment.



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



--------------------------------------------------------------
           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
To Post a message, send it to:   bhakti-list@yahoogroups.com
Group Home: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bhakti-list
Archives: http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/
 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/