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If you are a part of Indian soil, Raam and Raavana are one of the first mythological characters you come across early in your life. And I am no exception. Ram has been taught to be the symbol of Good, while Ravana, the symbol of Evil. In fact we celebrate the festival of Dushahera by burning the idols off Raavana to symbolize victory of Good over Evil. But being a complete package of ‘if’s and ‘but’s, few questions about these two characters often cross through my thought process. I am a strong believer f the fact that anything or anyone that survives on earth is a two sided coin. No one is entirely good, and no one is totally bad. My question is simple though: Was Raavana all Bad?
Those who know even little bit of mythology, know the fact that ram was avatar of lord Vishnu, while Raavana a common resident of earth. If we compare them with the practical life, we can say that Ram was god gifted, with a good empire to look after; while Ravana, son of a saint had nothing than a parental ashram. But Ram perhaps had no further dreams whatsoever to fulfill, except to govern a state; as he had nothing much to achieve with a good wife, loving siblings, and a respecting state men. But Raavana had dreams; dream of achieving prosperity and power, which that time was just meant for kings and businessmen. I don’t think there was anything wrong in it. In order to fulfill his dreams he worked hard, acquired knowledge, power and became a supreme power. Such powerful that even few Gods feared of him (according to stories), and God himself has to come to earth so as to handle him.
Raavana can be viewed as a satisfied person because he used to rule Lanka and didn’t have much intensions of world victory (On contrary, Ram did a Aswamedh Yagya, and his men fought his sons, Lav and Kush). Every epic supports self respect and courage. Raavan showed the courage of standing against the God even, when it came to his self respect, He dared to kidnap Sita, Ram’s Wife just to teach him a lesson for the wrong done to his sister by Laxman, his brother. Okey, this step might an eye-raiser for many, but Laxman’s act too can’t be justified; but here I want to draw attention towards Raavana’s dare. During the course of fourteen years he never ever touched Sita that shows how much learned person he was.
Raavana at all is a symbol of hard work, dedication, power, desire, knowledge and courage. Even some greediness is justified with such qualities in him, because after all he was not a GOD, he was man. Even saints likes “Parashuram” were greedy of their power.
Here, I am not trying to condemn Ram, because he is after all he is said to be the part of supreme power that governs this world, and might me some of his wrong acts, be out of the understandings of a normal being like me, but I just support the respect, one should have for the Raavana. Raavana indeed becomes more practical n the real world today. To survive in the environment of cut-throat competition, one needs to possess all these positive qualities of Ravana. Today Raam kind of people are rare or a kind of endangered species, who had everything from birth, except greed. But there are people, huge in numbers, who have dreams but lack in dedication towards it and courage to handle the obstacles. So, I admire the necessity of learning from the Raavana-that is Good!!
