Vali Vadham 39

[Guest guest]

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.