Malyavan, Ravana’s maternal uncle, wishing to avert the imminent destruction of Lanka, points out to Ravana that he will be doomed if he allows himself to be subject to his indriyas. Rama, Lakshmana and others are mere characters who are not going to be the cause of his downfall. It is his own indriyas which will destroy him. Then Ravana tells Malyavan that though aware of dharma and adharma, it is not possible for him to change his character and his inherent nature. He would rather break into two than bend.
In a way, Ravana reflects the losing battle every jivatma constantly wages against the indriyas and the prime enemies in the form of kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, matsarya and so on. So is it to be assumed that attaining purity of mind is only going to be a distant dream for the jivatma? No, says Tondaradipodi Azhwar in his hymn, when he raises this issue of the peculiar plight of the jivatma, pointed out Velukkudi Sri Krishnan in a discourse. Though Azhwar speaks in the first person to the Lord in his candid self appraisal, it is on behalf of all jivatmas. He confesses that he is the worst sinner with not an iota of purity in thought, word or deed. Yet he is confident that he can be rid of evil since the onus of cleansing his mind is on God.
On what grounds is he placing this responsibility on God? Why not, he asks, pointing out that God has pledged to save all the jivatmas, irrespective of their sinful nature, if only they acknowledge their faults and seek His help in this regard.
The message is clear, that unlike Ravana one should believe that one can change for the better and should have the will to change. With this bent of mind, one should appeal to God to rid him of evil tendencies.