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ignominious shame. Then the sage turned
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to his erring wife and prescribed a long
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penance for her. He said: 'Living on air,
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you shall stay here, unseen by anyone.
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After a long time, Dasaratha's son will
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pass this way. When he sets foot in this
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ashrama, you will be freed from the curse.
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Welcome him as a guest. You will then
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recover your lost virtue and get back your
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own beauty.' The sage then left his
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violated ashrama for Himalayas to engage
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himself in austerities there."
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Viswamitra said to Rama: "Let us enter
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the ashrama. You will bring redemption to
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Ahalya and rekindle the light in her as the
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sage promised."
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And they went into the ashrama. As
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Rama set foot in the ashrama, the curse
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was lifted and Ahalya stood before them
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in all her beauty. Having lain concealed
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behind leaves and creepers and kept her
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vow for many years, she now shone, says
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the poet, in Rama's presence, like the
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moon emerging from the clouds, like a
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flame issuing from smoke and like the
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sun's reflection in rippling water.
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Rama and Lakshmana touched the feet
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of the sage's wife made pure by penance.
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She welcomed the divine princes with all
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the customary rites of hospitality. A
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shower of flowers descended from the
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heavens as Ahalya, cleansed of sin, shone
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like a goddess. Simultaneously the sage
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Gautama returned to the ashrama and
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received his repentant and purified wife
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back to his affection.
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That is Ahalya's story as told by
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Valmiki. There are in other Puranas and
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popular stories slightly varying versions,
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but the differences need not trouble us.
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Now, a word to those of our times who
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read Ramayana and Bharata and other
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Puranas. In these works, there are frequent
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references to Devas and Rakshasas. The
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latter were wicked, had no regard for
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dharma, and reveled in evil deeds. Asuras
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were also like Rakshasas. But even among
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Rakshasas there were a few wise and
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virtuous people. There spring up bad men
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even in the best of races and vice versa.
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On the whole, Asuras and Rakshasas were
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those who rejoiced in doing wicked deeds.
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It is a pity that some people in their
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ignorance
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identify
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the
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Asuras
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and
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Rakshasas with ancient Indian tribes and
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races, a view not supported by any literary
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work or tradition or recorded history.
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The conjecture of foreigners that the
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Rakshasas were the Dravidian race, is not
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borne out by any authority in Tamil or
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other literature. The Tamil people are not
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descendants of the Asuras or Rakshasas.
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The Devas were generally upholders of
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dharma and took on themselves the task of
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putting down the Rakshasas. According to
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the Puranas, they had at times to deviate
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from
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dharma
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in
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dealing
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with
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the
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Rakshasas, some of whom had attained
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great power through tapas.
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The Devas were generally good; and
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those among them who swerved from the
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path of righteousness paid the price for it.
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There was no separate code of conduct for
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the Devas; the law of Karma admits of no
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distinction between the Devas and others.
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The law dealt with the Devas as with
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others.
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Wedded
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to
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virtue
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as
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the
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Devas
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generally were, lapses on their part appear
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big to us, like stains on white cloth. The
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Rakshasas' evil deeds are taken for
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granted and do not attract much attention,
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like stains on black cloth.
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The honest, when they happen to go
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astray, should evoke our sympathy. It is
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