Lesson from Ravan

The triumph of good over evil also marks the triumph of our soul's goodness over that of the egoistic mind. As a spiritual seeker, I believe that Ravan is not evil the way we like to portray him to be. His qualities such as his knowledge, his intelligence, sharp thinking and his mastery over anything he chose to undertake have not been appreciated but his ‘misdeeds’ have been highlighted over and over again.

Every character in the Ramayana has a well defined role and message to give to the world. We tend to see them all as the background characters but in fact, if you read the Ramayana carefully, you will realize how beautifully etched out each character is. Needless to mention, Ravana's character deserves more analysis and a deeper study. All I am saying is that Ravan is not evil the way we like to believe he is, period.

To me, Ravan symbolizes all that is perfect in us till we allow one powerful desire to blind us to what is ethically right. Ravan was a great spiritual seeker who failed coz he was Master of everything except his Mind. It led him to undertake destructive actions. He became blinded by the position of power that he occupied. He assumed that his power was enough to conquer anything in this world including Sita. Let me make it clear that I am not defending Ravan here.

Lesson for us from Ravan: Master your mind before it becomes your master.

Hey, I’d like to know your thoughts on Ravan. Do share your thoughts on this.

Comments

Paresh Palicha said…

Wonderful Swapna :) Another thing I've heard about Ravana is that that his knowledge was self-attained. That made him egoistical. While Rama had a Guru to guide him at every juncture in his life. A Guru also teaches you to be humble.

October 24, 2012 at 4:24 PM

KParthasarathi said…

In Rama we have greatness and goodness.In Ravana we have only greatness without an iota of goodness.It is human trait to be fascinated by great characters, even criminals like Chambal dacoits or a Veerappan,or tyrants and dictators by their exploits but they never win our respect and love.They evoke fear and submission.Ravana no doubt brought prosperity and spllendour to Lanka but had a base character.He violated women killing their protectors and after ravishing Ramba got cursed that his head will explode if he dared to do it with any woman.That fear alone kept Sita safe.He was cruel,cunning and treacherous.When Brahma satisfied with his penance offered him a boon,Ravana asked for immortality.When Brahma declined ,he asked that he should not be killed by Devas,gandharvas ,kinnaras and the like except men and animals.He was so sure of his prowess and in his ego excluded men.Ravana despite all his attainments in various fields was basically a wicked man and the incarnation was to free the universe from this evil.The moral would be greatness alone is not adequate without goodness accompanying it.It is a vast subject and cannot be confined in a short paragraph.

October 24, 2012 at 10:13 PM

Swapna Raghu Sanand said…

Many thanks for reading this post and sharing your thoughts on it Paresh.

October 30, 2012 at 1:01 PM

Swapna Raghu Sanand said…

@KP Parthasarathy: There is no doubt that in Lord Rama, we explore greatness and goodness. As you mentioned, this is a vast subject that we cannot confine it in a short para. There is so much to learn from in the Ramayana.

October 30, 2012 at 1:03 PM

The Ugly Truth about Caste in Kerala

Many years ago, when I wrote this post on Kerala's caste system, I had not considered that people would start sending in abusive comments about one caste over the other. It baffles me that this is how Indians, all of us, continue to judge each other on account of caste differences. [ READ: Guru Kripa: Powerful Lessons at the Lotus Feet ] My question is - why do you ABUSE any caste or community? I suggest that you read about the lives of great Masters and their stories - none of them judged anyone on the basis of caste. You can read the life stories of Sri Adi Shankara Bhagawadpada, Tulsidas, Jnaneshwar, Namadev, Sri Aurobindo, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, Shirdi Sai Baba, and many more Gurus in Sanathana Dharma. NONE of them endorse these caste hierarchies in Bhakti Marga. Assuming that Guru Sampradaya does not appeal to your sensibilities, do read this new book 'Ants among Elephants' written by Sujatha Gidla, who writes about herself as being born

How do you light Deepam at home?

How do you light deepam at home? As a child, I loved watching the ritual of my grandmother lighting the deepam or the traditional lamp at home in the evenings. A sense of serenity accompanied her frail figure as she would carefully straighten every wick, dip it into the tiny puddle of oil and light the lamp. As my grandmother would read out the scriptures and chant the prayers, the fragrance of incense sticks and flowers added depth to the experience. In many Hindu homes nowadays, the lighting of the lamp (or the nilavilakku, as Malayalis refer to the traditional lamp in their homes) is not a regular practice. A lot of people have many questions around how to light deepam at home and which oil to use and so on. An important point to keep in mind - Maintain physical cleanliness and hygiene while lighting the lamp. Wear clean clothes while lighting the lamp. Frequently Asked Questions About Lighting Deepam at Home Collating most queries related to how to light the deepam at home, I'v

Tumhari Sulu movie review: Vidya Balan makes you laugh, cry, croon and fall in love with 'Sulu'

I have always looked forward to watching Vidya Balan's films, which is why I watched her latest one, Tumhari Sulu, and decided to share this movie review. I read many reviews which bring in the feminist aspect of the narrative. I want to look at the little details of an ordinary life that are portrayed by Vidya Balan's extraordinary acting. As ''Sulu'', Vidya Balan breathes life into the character of bubbly housewife, whose life revolves around her husband, son and of course, her favorite hobby of participating in all kinds of contests and winning them with a die-hard spirit. [ Image: Vidya Balan's Facebook page ] Vidya Balan's mastery over details comes through in every scene - shooing off birds so that they don't put ''potty'' on her clothes, posing in front of the mirror with the kind of bag that working women use and pretending to be one, and eve

7 Am Arivu (the Seventh Sense) - Why it is spiritually relevant

7 Am Arivu (the Seventh Sense) is a film that I was desperate to watch for two reasons. One, I am a Suriya fan and I had heard so much about his performance in this movie that I didn't want to settle for watching a CD of it and losing the actual cinematic experience. Second, I had read from various bloggers and their reviews that this film revolves around the story of Bodhidharman, a 16th century prince from Tamil Nadu who had mastered knowledge spanning multiple forms of art, and was sent to China to save the people from evil. Once he goes there, the transformation begins for himself and for the people there and he goes on to become Damo, the father of Shaolin and Kung Fu and hypnotism and such other mystical yet spiritually relevant forms of mind mastery. 7 Am Arivu Goes Over the Top with the Dravidian Rhetoric In 7 Am Arivu, there has been a lot of controversy created by the fact that nearly every character eulogizes about the importance of being Tamil and yes, the Dravidi

Gayatri Mantra as Panchamukhi: Get it right or let it go

Most people do not understand the importance of chanting the Gayatri mantra because they are not aware of its power. It is only when I began to read Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba's teachings that I learned how sacred and powerful the chanting of the Gayatri mantra is. The Vedas represent the breath of God. The Gayatri mantra is the very basis of the Vedas. Try not to undertake chanting the Gayatri mantra as a light endeavor or as a hobby. It has to be chanted with faith, discipline and purity of mind and body. Be steady with your sadhana if you want to reap the spiritual dividend associated with the Gayatri mantra and never once hesitate once you decide to do it. Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba said that the Gayatri Mantra is referred to as Pancha Mukhi, the Goddess with five faces that represent the five pranas or life forces. Here's more on it. . Also read: The Power of OM Chant the Gayatri Mantra correctly: Pause Five Times Here are some important thi

Petals!

Search This Blog