It was this noble courage that Raavana lacked. When an evil is being perpetrated,
the friends of the evil-doer face a difficult problem. Some are constrained against their
better judgment to espouse the wrong cause through gratitude for past kindness, a sense of
loyalty, or affinities of blood.
Others think it their duty to try and
reform the sinner, regardless of his anger and hatred and consequent danger to themselves
and if their efforts fail they part company from the sinner, rather than abandon dharma
and give their support to the sinner who persists in crime. They bold that it can never be
one's duty to support or co-operate with adharma.
It would indeed be adharma to refrain from
doing one's best to reform the sinner or to co-operate in his sin. In the
Raamaayana, Kumbhakarna and Vibheeshana represent these two different types. If Raavana
had told Vibheeshana: "Come, let us go to the Dandaka forest and carry off
Seeta," it is inconceivable that Vibheeshana could have complied. That is why we
respect Vibheeshana. |
