With all his able sons and brethren dead, but for one ‘traitor’ who had sided with his enemy, the King of the golden city-island of Lanka entered the battlefield. He was going to finish off the lanky man who was responsible for ushering this calamity on his peaceful kingdom. Ravana led a demotivated army of rakshasas who had seen what had become of the more able warriors who had dared to challenge the divinity of Ram – the prince of Ayodhya. The sound of demure war drums reminded them of the clockwork-like deaths of Akshaya who was killed by Hanuman, Indrajit who was sliced by Lakshman and Kumbhakarna who was slaughtered by Ram himself on the very day he awoke from his long slumber.
Despite being begged by many including his own wife Mandodari to let go of Ram’s wife – Sita, Ravana was adamant to kill Ram. What had hurt him was not the mutilated body of his sister Shurpanakha, not the impending defeat but the blow that Ram had delivered to his ego through Sita. As he charged in his chariot to face Ram who was seated on the shoulders of the monkey Hanuman, he wondered what was so attractive about Ram that Sita loved him and not Ravana. After all, Ravana was much more learned, skilled in all arts and sciences, could control the celestial bodies in the sky, was feared by gods, humans and animals alike, had the intelligence of ten heads, and could satisfy many women at a time.
As for the serene Ram, he did not seem as skilled or knowledgeable as Ravana, and was bound by rules of the society even at the expense of his love ones. What was so special about him that even animals like monkeys, squirrels and bears were loyal to him and would die for him out of pure love? Why was Sita pining for him despite the fact that he was the reason she had to spend thirteen years in a forest and one year in captivity? Ravana had done everything in his might, from serenading her to using magic to manipulate her, but she always belonged to Ram in mind and body.
That is where the great Indian epic – the Ramayana, poses a question to us – who was greater – Ram or Ravana? The obvious answer is Ram, isn’t it? He was God on Earth; Ravana was a rakshasa. But is that it? Are all gods greater than all asuras and rakshasas? Indra, the king of gods is known for his insecurity and debauchery. Vibhishana, Ravana’s ‘traitor’ brother who sided with Ram, was a rakshasa. Pralhad, Vishnu’s ardent devotee was an asura. The English equivalent for these two beings – ‘demon’ is sadly generalized and liberally used to fit them in the Western thinking. Some folktales say that even Ravana was a sage until he saw Sita and was filled with lust, which ultimately led to his death.
There is a simple explanation for Ram’s greatness, and it does not come out of his divinity, but his ability to see the world from another’s perspective. We see this multiple times in the narrative, when he liberates Ahilya from her rock-form without judging her chastity and when he eats Shabari’s berries understanding that she was biting into them before giving him so that he would only eat the sweet ones. Ravana can only see things from his point of view. He felt intimidated by his elder brother Kubera so he drove him out of the former’s kingdom Lanka; he even asked for Shiva’s wife Parvati as a boon for building Shiva a grand palace, and even took the palace with him to Lanka because he himself was enticed by his own creation. He amassed knowledge and wealth, but always hoarded them both. A Brahmin is one who expands his mind by giving, not by amassing and hoarding. Ravana only wanted to receive, while Ram received by giving – first his kingdom, his royal status, his desires, and in due course of time, even his wife. But most importantly, the biggest difference between Ram and Ravana is that Ram is Ram by what he is, while Ravana is Ravana by what he has.
So what makes us great? What we are, or what we have? Why do people run after material possessions when in the long run, these possessions are not going to make them any different from what they are inherently? Why is a man's worth decided based on what he has than how he is? Why do we refuse to be a part of someone’s struggle but very readily bask in their success? After all, isn’t a person their true self during their struggle than during their good times? Why do we choose to love a person for what they have, instead of loving them for what they are? That said, it is not necessary that one who has it all is an inadequate person, or one who has nothing at all is an ideal one, but don’t we all need to see the difference in a world where seeing is believing?
“Aim your arrow at the pot of nectar that lies in Ravana’s navel – it gives him his eternal strength”, revealed Vibhishana to Ram, and with one shot of an arrow, Ravana was left vulnerable. Death was certain. With the weapon given to him by Lord Brahma himself, Ram released an arrow that sliced right through Ravana’s heart, and the great king of Lanka fell to the ground, this time for good. Ram finally spoke through the cheering of the monkey army, “Lakshman, Ravana has learned a lot in his life, go to him to seek his knowledge.”
Taken aback by the respect his elder brother displayed towards the man who had abducted his wife, Lakshman arrogantly demanded Ravana to reveal whatever he knew to him, for Ram was his victor and had claim over everything Ravana possessed. Ravana just turned his back, much to Lakshman’s dismay. Ram himself then stepped forward and requested Ravana, “Oh great king Ravana, you were punished for abducting my wife, the daughter-in-law of the Raghu clan, and I, scion of the Raghu clan have been punished for mutilating a woman whose only crime was uninhibited desire. We both have been punished; our accounts have been settled. I request you to enlighten me with your great knowledge.”
Ravana was humbled by this request. He had not known defeat until that day, and this was not the defeat he had suffered in war, but in the mind. He finally understood what it meant to be a Brahmin; it was his responsibility to expand his own mind not just by gaining knowledge for himself, but also by giving it to the worthy. He finally understood his purpose in life, he was destined to be slain by the seventh Vishnu on Earth. But most of all, he understood why Sita could never love him. His possessions could never have endeared him to her, for she had already given herself, mind, body and soul, to Ram who was everything Ravana could have been, if he 'had' what Ram 'was'.
Comments
Post a Comment