Mayil Ravanan - part I

Kid: Amma, what is that God's name?
Mother: That is Lord RAMA. And beside him is his brother Lakshmana and wife Sita.
Kid: Mamma.. who is Rama?
Mother: Rama was a great King. He is incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He came on this earth as son of Dasharatha and married Goddess Lakshmi who is Sita. When Sita was abducted by this Evil 10-headed Demon called Ravana, Lord Rama took his army of Monkeys with aid of his loyal servant Hanuman and set Lanka on fire and got Sita back.

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This is what the Valmiki Ramayan is all about. Our elders and teachers in school have taught us Ramayan as this epic where again according to Hindu Ideology Good wins over Evil. Oh.. and the Evil here is Ravana. Now, instead of focusing entirely on the Hero and Heroine (as is usually the case) I want you all to zoom into this really interesting character called RAVANAN. Who is He? What is his role in Ramayan? Why is he so evil when he has a flourishing Kingdom? Why did he make many dumb moves such as abducting Sita even after knowing she was married? Please read on and all your questions will be answered one by one.

Ravana is a prosperous King of a kingdom called Sri Lanka. He is a very strong SHIVA BHAKTA. Ravana has done many tapasyas and won Boons from Lord Shiva which has made him as one Invincible King. Ravana is a very well-talented musician. Ravana has a WIFE..Yes.. a Wife who is a very nice and loving Queen. Ravana had brothers and sister including VIBHEESHAN (who is a good guy essentialy as he helped Rama in the end) and KUMBHAKARNA (the very famous Sleeping Giant who gets slayed by Rama) And last but not least the ugly sinful woman called SHOORPANAKA who got her nose cut off when she tried to come near Rama. So.. what's missing in this picture? Where is the 10 headed Demon who created problems in Ramayan? Does he have ten-heads??? really??? Dont you think the subjects of Sri Lanka would have banished him for being a weird king?

Haha, This whole scenario is funny because the Truth is not what you see but it is the way you perceive it. Ravana is just another powerful King like many others. Ravana doesnt have 10 heads.. but he has ten 'goon' (qualities) that is portrayed as 10 heads in all comics. Ravana was a righteous King and ruled his subjects well. But, alas.. Karma is what destroyed him. Ravana did a mistake in his rein. He once playfully made lustful moves on a female-Rishi called VEDAVATI (who is rishi born out of Vedas). Vedavati was devoted to Vishnu and accepted him as the husband in her mind.. but Ravana tried to force her into marrying Him and he pulled her hair. Vedavati cut her hairr and looked at him with anguish and said... "You have touched a woman without her acceptance and therefore I Curse You that if you ever touch a woman without her will your head will blow to pieces. Because you have tested my purity today I am going to burn myself and I will return back to kill you. You will be destroyed because of ME!" So she said and burnt herself alive chanting "Om Nama shivaaya".

Long forgotten Ravana married and lived happily with his Queen who bore him a GIRL child. When Astrologerss came to look at the horoscope and tell the destiny of the child they said.."Ravana, this child of yours if you proclaim her as your daughter then she will destroy you. She is born here to vanquish you and your kingdom" Ravana was aghastt.. and didnt know what to do. His wife laid asleep after her child-birth and Ravana and his brothers and sister decided to hide this fact and cast-away the girl child in a river. They told Ravana's wife that her daughter died. In some Kingdom in India, Janak King found a small casket with a beautiful little girl child in a river. He takes the girl and calls her SITA and brings her up as his own daughter.

What have we established till now? Sita is Ravana's own daughter! Please read on the part II for the continuation.