I have come to the conclusion that the Ramayana is not just an epic relating the ultimate fight between good and evil. There is more to the Ramayana than just,
(
(In a chicago accent...) Ladies and gentlemen, in the blue corner
the good, virtuous, handsome, powerful, merciful, strangely blue and
husband of the most beautiful woman in the world....RRRRRRRRRRRama
In the red corner the bad, big, strong, evil, despicable, dastardly,
diabolical, husband to many good-looking women and ten headed
Raaaaaaaaaaaaavanaa.
Then the two slug it out and Rama wins...the world is all fine...
I believe there is more to it...
I believe there were a lot of social messages in the Ramayana...atleast from what I have read.Ravana cannot be thought as being born evil....all the powers vested in Ravana was gifted to him by the various gods...he became evil...he was corrupted.
Why?
he meditated and prayed to Shiva, Indira, Bhrama, Vishnu and scores of others...He led a very austere life dedicated to these gods...(He cannot be evil...he was a "god-man" he chanted and recited shlokas and how did they reward him for his chanting and reciting ..with unlimited power...
and what happened...tyranny followed.. this clearly shows just being a person of god does not make you any better than someone else. it shows God is not infallible, ubiquitous or omnipotent...Ravanas power surpassed even Indira's or Shiva's...the corruption for Power...the feeling of invincibility or invulnerability....Even the most austere man will succumb to power.
I believe, the ancients were warning us of the Bhramin supremacy, because they were the same...
On the contray, Vishwamitra and others who were equally austere etc..did not turn out the same...
so we cannot go by just the fact that a man is pious...the actions dictate this...
An orphan , overcomes his sorrow to open home for kids like him
A village student from a village who has made it to college against all opression (caste class etc)
A accident victim fights off a coma and opens a school for road safety
A doctor who charges no fees
In these people I see Rama....which means I see in them a capability that escapes us all who are stuck in a rut of ego inflated lives. they can go beyond what any of us are capable of...because they have to...because they do not want it to happen to others...they live not only for themselves...greed is absent.
A politician who regularly takes bribes and fakes elections, but has built 22 temples
A police officer who works for the above
An NGO worker who collects money to help others but buys a mercedes S class instead
These are people with power...In them I see Ravana...they have in them the power to help many but only help themselves in the process...they go beyond what we are capable of .. because they want money...they want power...they need hoisted egos to survive...they have become victims of theor own inanities...Greed has taken over.
I probably seem like a preacher, far from it...these are just some candid observations..
3 comments:
for the time being only this : I love you
but on second thoughts you really begin very well... the thought and interpretation is all good, but somewhere the the power is gone and your orignality is lost... it becomes a general 'truism' as reising said without your added flavour, that might make the latter half a little boring... I am being objectively criticall after telling you my orignal reaction and BTW you make me happy.
for one, why screaming? that makes for desperation. not yet time for that. you sound too optimistic and life full. so perhaps one could make it tongue in cheek?
two, vengeance against what whom where.
third religious hindus be screwed. like they know what they are at. or where. you dont sound like a preacher but work on the idea further, it has promise.
and look at rama a little closely. sometimes he acts like an asshole.
something like our dear sardarji who thinks nothing of foisting the texan idiot on us. contemporary relevance perhaps good intentions arent adequate unless accompanied by fearless clear intent uninfluenced by vox populi? the moron sent his wife into the forest because his subjects thought she was unchaste!!!!!!! and finally BEST.
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