VIEWPOINT
AMITABH SHUKLA
This column primarily focuses on
political issues and this is what I have been doing for the last three years
when this began in The Pioneer. This time too with Assembly elections in
Haryana and Maharashtra barely a few days away, the
temptation of writing on politics was natural.
But I curbed my natural instinct
to analyse political issues as my attention was diverted by the festive spirit
gripping the nation, particularly north, the part of India
I live in. We have already celebrated Dussehra, Durga Puja and Vijaya Dashami
in the way we want. Now, we are preparing to celebrate Diwali. The basic
premise of celebrating of all these festivals is the victory of good over evil.
The demons die every year reminding us continuously how to guard ourselves
against the demonic qualities which are ever ready to influence and affect us.
As I sat with the keyboard to
write this column after visiting the Durga Puja pandal where goddess Durga
kills the demon Mahisasur and after watching Ravan go down in flames amid bursting
of crackers like every year, I was forced to introspect and think afresh. Three
decades ago, when I was a kid, I had asked a learned person, my grandfather,
“Why do we burn Ravan every year?” His reply was simple, which still remains
the standard answer to the query. “Ravan symbolises evil”. Since time
immemorial, every year, the day is celebrated as the triumph of good over evil.
Evil… he indeed was. Ravan
kidnapped Lord Rama’s wife Sita by deceit and forcibly took her to Lanka. But
there are different interpretations why he did so. A section of the scholars
say that Sita was kidnapped to take revenge from Rama’s brother Laxman who
sliced his sister Surpanakha’s nose. Ravan kept the kidnapped Sita in forceful
confinement in Ashok Vatika but never ever touched her.
There is another interpretation
that the king of Lanka wanted to win Sita over and had kidnapped her. Whatever,
the interpretation and reasons, obviously no kidnapping is acceptable in any
society. But the point is whether the offence is so despicable and unheard of
in Indian society to be termed as an evil. There are people roaming around with
much more serious crime. Why don’t we burn their effigies as well along with
Ravan? As compared to these modern days “Ravans”, the actual Ravan of Ramayana
looks like a saint. Kidnapping of course is a serious offence. But what about
the incidents of gang-rapes and murders taking place with alarming regularity?
Isn’t it time we burnt the effigies of the rapists to take the message across
that this is more heinous act that what Ravan did?
The demon king of Lanka whose
effigy is burnt with much fanfare was also accused of being arrogant. Well, if
that is the criteria of terming someone evil, then I am afraid there is an evil
lurking in most of the human beings and we need to cleanse ourselves from
arrogance and anger. Then, Ravan was extremely egoist. Again, don’t we all
suffer from this? Most of us are unable to let go of ego even if it remains a
stumbling block for personal development. Ravan usurped the kingdom of his
brother Kuber. But don’t we see politicians out of power plotting to dethrone
those in power all the time by all means under their command — fair or foul?
Isn’t it common to find brothers plotting against each other to get a larger
slice of the family property?
Watching a popular television
serial recently, I learnt a lesson — a lesson which is now deeply ingrained in
me. The protagonist in the serial donates a hefty amount as donation for the
local Ramleela management committee and gets the honour of shooting the arrows
which would eventually burn the demon king of Lanka. The protagonist is in a
joyful mood and waiting for the D-day as he had emerged as the hero of his
colony, given the opportunity to shoot arrows at the effigy of Ravan. But he
had a sleepless night a day before Dussehra. Ravan appears in his dream and
asks him bluntly, why was he so excited to shoot arrows on the effigy the next
day? “Because you have evil qualities,” replies the protagonist. “But do you
have qualities like Lord Rama to shoot arrows at me?” asks Ravan in the dream
of the protagonist. The poor fellow has no answers and awakens in sweat as he
himself is trying to overcome anger, aggression, ego, possessiveness, etc.
As I watched so called VIPs and
politicians firing symbolic arrows at the effigy of Ravan on television, the
protagonist of the serial comes in mind. In Delhi ,
one finds politicians of all hues trying to be the chief guest at the final day
of Ramleela when the effigy of the demon king is burnt.
This is not limited to Delhi
alone but even in Chandigarh ,
Dehradun, Shimla and smaller districts. In the bigger events, you find the big
politicians and at the colony level, you find local and aspiring politicians.
People should now ask them bluntly, “You are welcome to shoot the arrows, but
first answer one question honestly. Can you tell us if you do not have the evil
qualities which Ravan had — anger, aggression, ego, possessiveness, lust for
power and authority?” A majority of them would go away if they are honest to
themselves.
The story of the protagonist on
TV serial was taken from the life of Jesus Christ. A woman, caught committing
adultery, was brought before Christ. Those who brought her to the Christ said
the punishment was stoning till death. “Whichever one of you has committed no
sin may throw the first stone at her,” was the reply of Jesus. When the crowd
heard this, they all left, one by one, the older ones first.
Lord Rama had more qualities than
Ravan and that entitled him to slay the demonic qualities of the Lankan king.
Obviously the slaying is of demonic qualities of a person and not the person
himself.
As a person, Ravan had a great
lineage, performed intense tapasya to please Brahma and Lord Shiva, was an
exemplary scholar, a very good ruler, an accomplished Veena player said to have
composed the hymn known as Shiva Tandava Stotra. Above all, he was one of the
greatest devotees of Lord Shiva.
Some scholars even say that his
description as a ten-headed person is a reference to him possessing a very
thorough knowledge over the four Vedas and six Upanishads, which made him as
powerful as 10 scholars. But his evil qualities did him in. Though his skills
far outweighed his negative qualities, still the message is that if you possess
even a single quality which is evil in nature, this would lead to your
downfall. If this could happen to a person of tremendous qualities like Ravan,
it could happen to anyone else. According to my understanding, this is perhaps
the greatest lesson from the Lanka Kand of Ramayana.
The lesson indeed is one of
introspection. Forget the epic Ramayana for a moment. Just look within and tell
yourself that you have none of the evil qualities which Ravan had. If you tell
yourself honestly and convincingly that you do not have any nor do you intend
to acquire those, you would have learnt the true lessons which Ramayana intends
to impart. (October 6, 2014 )
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