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

Book Review: Nan Umrigar's Sounds of Silence, A Bridge Across Two Worlds

The year 1978 was a glorious one for Karl Umrigar – a young man who won many prestigious horse races, including the Indian 2000 Guineas and the Indian Oakes. Finally, Karl Umrigar fulfilled his dream – every jockey’s dream – to win the Indian Derby. His name remains in the Indian Derby scroll of honour. [READ: Aarti Raheja: Where One is Not a Number and But just at exactly the moment Karl won, he fell from the horse. A fall that finally saw the country mourn for him when the headlines of the Indian Express read, “The King is Dead.” Karl Umrigar, the young champion and loved by many, was laid to rest on May 3, 1979. Karl Umrigar’s Death: Bridge between Two Worlds You can imagine what Karl’s death did to his family, particularly his mother – Nan Umrigar. She says, “ Nothing could have prepared us for the darkness that descended upon us – nothing! ” While her family tried to pull on with daily routine, Nan Umrigar found herself in such a state of agony and trauma th

What is the story of Shivaji? The great son of a great mother called Jijabai

Chhatrapati Shivaji, the great Maratha warrior whose guerrilla warfare tactics are fleetingly mentioned in Indian history textbooks, is increasingly relevant today. A Hindi movie 'Tanhaji' starring Ajay Devgn and Kajol got many of us curious to know more about this warrior. Sadly, we don't seem to have much information in our history textbooks! [ READ: Significance of Surya Argya and How do you Light Deepam? ] Source: Anjali Natarajan on Twitter Shivaji Maharaj: The Great Son of a Great Mother Jijabai The more I read about Shivaji Maharaj, the more fascinated I am. I wondered why we have learned so little about this great warrior and his great mother Jijabai, and why public memory has been totally erased from most history books! As a mother, I have always been fascinated by how some of India's greatest and most revered men and women are individuals who were deeply influenced at an early age by their mothers. Bharat is a country that belongs to great mothers who

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

Movie Review: Fahad Fazil & Amala Paul Sizzle Together in Oru Indian Pranayakatha

It was a pleasure to watch Sathyan Anthikad's latest film "Oru Indian Pranayakadha" which marked the veteran director's clear departure from his signature style films. [ Confession: I never miss a Fahadh Fazil movie. I am a HUGE fan of his right from Chappa Kurishu. ] Of course, there are several other actors who play their part very well in this film but you should go watch the movie to enjoy it better. I don't want to spill the entire story here. Right from the first scene, brace yourself to be bowled over by Aimanam Siddharthan, a young upcoming politician who leaves no stone unturned in his path to become an MLA. He charts out his every move to win the hearts of the people, gain visibility with the 'High Command' and extract political mileage out of every public appearance he makes. You get the feeling that he likes to have every move charted out in advance and planned in a way that reaps political dividends for his growth as a politic

Petals!

Search This Blog