RAVANA - A much more to be known...

Ravana, we all know about him but the question is do we really know him?

He isn’t just the character as he seems in Ramayan . A lot more is there which is untold.

Let’s begin with the story behind his birth.

According to the Bhagavata Purana, Jaya-Vijaya were the Lord Vishnu’s Gaurdians who were cursed by the 4 kumara sages (Bramhma’s sons) to incarnate on Earth either 3 times as enemies of Lord Vishnu or 10 times as devotees of Lord Vishnu.  They preferred to take birth as enemies. So, in the second birth (During Treata yug ), they both were born as Ravana and Khumbhakarana.

We only saw his negative sides but here we are going to see his positive sides too.

He is said to be the most powerful and most intelligent person, he has the complete knowledge of 4 vedas, astrology, Ayurveda. Moreover he was a great singer, musician, and devotee of lord Shiva and was great Bhramin , great Architect and he was so intelligent and sharp that he can think and act 10 times more and that’s why he is known as Dashanan (means Ten heads). Another meaning of his ten heads represents his ten qualities i.e., kama (lust), krodha (anger), Moha (delusion), Lobha (greed), Mada (pride), Maatsyasya (envy), Manas (mind), Buddhi (intellect), Chitta (will) and Ahamkara (the ego)

As like normal person he also dreamed of many things in which he never succeed due to procrastination (means delaying the work).

He wanted to control nature as per his requirement and wanted to be immortal.  He was far sighted so he knew that in future there will be lack of water so he wanted to make ocean water fit for drinking. Also he wanted to make the colour of blood as white so that when he kills his enemy there white blood can be easily separated from the water. Moreover to add fragnance in the gold was also one of his dream . One of the most important dream was to create a way to swarg.

Now let’s talk about his relation with sita.

According to ramayan in Thailand , Sita was his daughter. He denied to accept her as some brahman told him that she will be the destroyer of his whole family and lanka so he flew her in ocean. But when he abducted her he was unaware of that. Moreover it is also said that he brought her and kept her with all respect and he brought her (as a form of maa laxmi) who will bring prosperity in his region.

Now Let’s talk about how he was the creator of his own catastrophe

In order to defeat Ravan , Ram decided to pray to the Goddess Durga (who was rescuing Ravan) to seek her blessing he decided to initiate Akal Bodhon (Durga Puja) and for that he approached Ravan and ask him to do the ritual for him and Ravan being Brahmin can’t deny this so he did the rituals. In that puja also he showed his greatness. He told Ram that any Puja is incomplete without the wife’s presence. Ram told him to keep a doll as a alternative of Sita but he denied and brought Sita just for the ritual. And after puja was completed they both bow down and seeked his blessings and there he blessed Ram as “Vijayi Bhavaha” (May victory’s be yours) and Sita as “Sumangali Bhavaha” (May you receive all that is best and auspicious always!) and then after that he took Sita back to Lanka. He did all the rituals of nine days but deny to do the last day ritual because he believed that he can bring his Maa Durga with his prayers but can’t say bye to her . This act shows his love and devotion towards Maa Durga.

Now Let’s talk about teachings for a better life which he gave to Laxman:

1.       Value Time : complete an auspicious task as fast as you can, while delay performing a         bad act as much as you can. ( Shubhasya Shighram)

2.       Never underestimate the strength and wit of your enemy.

3.       Never Reveal Your Secrets to anyone in the world.

4.       Either love or hate God, but both should be immense and strong.

And gave some of the King’s lesson like don’t be arrogant, always trust the minister who criticises you avoid procrastination.

To conclude this blog , I would say that there is much more to know about him . His only enemy was his arrogance (ahankar) which his understood later but he was a great personality and a legend and deserves a much more respect. He gave us lessons through his mistakes and from his life.