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Continued from yesterday's instalment
 There is a question in the minds of people - or at least a part of them. A reader even went to the extent of putting this question in his mail to me. 'If Ravana represented the evil, then how was it possible for him to reach such heights? How could he be termed evil if he had such great powers to rule over the celestials? Was it not due to his penance that he acquired such powers? If he had performed such great penance and became powerful, how come that he is termed evil-doer?'
Well, Vibishana has answered this query. He says
'aram thurandhu amararai vendra aaN thozil thiram therindhidin adhu thaanum sei thavam.'
How was it possible for you to conquer the Devas, even though you adopted illicit means to realise your goal? It was due to your penance. 'niram thirmbaa vagai iaytrum needhiyaal maram thurandhu avar tharum varathin vanmayaal.'
It was due to the boons that they themselves bestowed on you due to your efforts. For, by their very nature they cannot go against natural laws.
('niram thirmbaa vagai iaytrum needhiyaal.') 'theeyavar thirathinaal dhevar aayadhu maayamo, vanjamo, vanmaye kolo?' How come the evildoers became the equivalent of Devas? Was it due to magic? Was it due to their artful, clever, deceptive and sly scheming? Or was it due to their physical might? None of these. It was due to the penance that you undertook. (I am using the word 'penance' in the Indian context. It cannot be a complete equivalent of the word tapas in the real sense of the word that the English-speaking world uses it.)
True. It requires a great effort to reach such heights. But it is also true that retaining that position also needs continuous effort. One cannot go against Dharma, just because he performed great sacrificial penance for acquiring power. He cannot violate the natural laws - Dharma - after acquiring power. He has to continue his efforts to retain that position. It is a continuous and on going process. It cannot be given up after the desired end is obtained. If one starts to fritter away the good effects acquired due to great efforts, it would last as far as it can last. How far it can last and will it be for a short or long period of time is just relative and dependent on the extent of the efforts - tapas -that one undertook.
 The word 'tapas' need not be limited to the religious context alone. If a businessman works tirelessly to reach greater heights, he is performing tapas. In so far as he is able to perform it and use the resultant power to the good of the society at large, he has every reason to grow up. All our literature has been emphasising this fact repeatedly.
It applies to each and every walk of life. Reaching there is different from remaining there. If one has the eyes to see and ears to hear, one is bound to see the wisdom in what Vibishana says and act accordingly. The golden rule has not changed right from the beginning, though change is the order of the day! It won't change for ever and ever. Dharma is nothing but natural laws and it won't change. Eternal truths do not change.
More follows…
Hari Krishnan
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