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Greatness
without goodness
(July 10th 2002)
He is a Rakshasa learned in the Vedas, handsome with the
handsomeness that strength and the consciousness of valour
give…
The
origins of the race
(July 11th 2002)
Brahma created asuras, for the protection of the universe. The
purpose of endowing them with enormous physical stature and
strength was to protect the Universe...
The
origins of the race II
(July 12th 2002)
Pulastya was the son of Brahma and was performing askesis in a
lovely garden. He was annoyed by young women who frequented the
garden…
The
birth of Ravana and others
(July 15th 2002)
I know you desire to bear my sons. But you have come to me in a
very inauspicious time. I cannot prevent it. The sons born to
you would be cruel-minded...
Kubera
and Ravana
(July 16th 2002)
Kaikasi believed her son would emulate the example of his elder
half-brother. But instead, she had unknowingly sowed the seeds
of jealousy in the heart of Dasagriva...
Getting
Lanka back
(July 17th 2002)
Dasagriva was blessed with all that he desired. He was prompted
by Sumali to get Lanka back from Kubera...
The
war with Kubera
(July 18th 2002)
The good piece of advice that Kubera sent to Ravana through the
messenger set him on fire. He decided to go on war against
Kubera...
Curse
of Nandi
(July 19th 2002)
That shakes us out of the belief that Dasagriva was a devotee of
Lord Shiva right from the beginning. He has not been so, so far.
Thus
he became Ravana
(July 22nd 2002)
He let out a wail so loud that it shook the directions. 'Collect
yourself Sire, calm down. Sing the praise of the Lord instead,'
advised his ministers...
Ravana
charmed
(July 23rd 2002)
I am quoting from Valmiki just to show how bland, lascivious and
low Ravana could sound in the presence of women who could charm
him...
The
curse of Vedavati
(July 24th 2002)
But Ravana was made of a different material. He did not listen
to her. It was not the heart of the woman that he was after!
Curse
of Rama's Ancestor
(July 25th 2002)
Ravana poked fun at the Ikshvaku dynasty. 'You should have
surrendered to me! What did you gain now, by resisting me!
Escapes
death for the first time
(July 26th 2002)
'Why should you waste all your time and energy on mortals?
Better fight with Yama Time. Fight with those who are your
equals. Leave these poor mortals...'
Curse
of celestial maidens
(July 29th 2002)
Many believe that Ravana was a virtuous person, having delved
deep in scriptures. But what the Uttara Kanda depicts is a
totally opposite picture...
Curse
of Kubera's son
(July 30th 2002)
Ravana violated Rambha, who was his own daughter-in-law in all
fairness, and the curse of Nalakubara shook him to the core for
the first time...
Twenty
shoulders Vs. Thousand shoulders
(July 31st 2002)
'Yes, there were two in the past who outmatched Ravana,'
continued the sage. 'One was Karthaviryarjuna, the thousand
shouldered king...
Vali
and Ravana
(August 1st 2002)
Vali sensed Ravana's presence and his jungle instincts must have
warned him of the impending danger, though he was meditating.
Ravana
and Vali II
(August 2nd 2002)
From this point onwards Ravana was quite another soul, at least
as far as his desire for women was concerned…
Off
the beaten track
(August 5th 2002)
There are not many alternatives available. Valmiki developed the
story in a particular way. He struck the flint stone and
generated sparks of temptation and developed these sparks…
The
early seed
(August 6th 2002)
It was Akampana who seeded the idea into the mind of Ravana to
take Sita away as a matter of punishment, if not for adding the
most precious of gems to his gynaecium…
A
strange quality displayed
(August 7th 2002)
This is something very strange for a person like Ravana to
listen to words of wisdom and go back in silence. We cannot see
Ravana in such a mood anywhere else…
A
flaw in the drama?
(August 8th 2002)
The doubts expressed by Sri VVS Aiyar are acknowledged by Right
Hon'ble Srinivasa Sastriyar too, though in passing.
A
grand plan takes shape
(August 9th 2002)
And it is for this reason that Kamban redrafts the conversation
that took place between Surpanakha and Ravana. This Surpanakha
does not chide her brother in his Court…
A
callous brother
(August 12th 2002)
That shows Ravana very hard-hearted, callous, uncaring and
indifferent, even by asura standards indeed...
The
drama intensifies
(August 13th 2002)
Compare this with the entry of Surpanakha as portrayed in the
original. The description of Kamban takes a 180 degree turn.
The
venom has its way
(August 14th 2002)
I tried to take her from there in order to offer her to you, for
you are the only person in all the three worlds to own her. I
wanted to gift her to you.
The
venom has its way II
(August 15th 2002)
She builds up the sequence so well that Ravana asks for the
information on Khara, Dusana and others and she stokes the fire
up at the right time…
Where
lies the difference
(August 16th 2002)
This has not been the main element that impels Ravana in the
original. He is depicted as an indifferent and nonchalant
brother who was blind…
A
tender feeling?
(August 19th 2002)
"This passion of Ravana for Sita is however the tender and
delicate desire of a heart that desires reciprocal
affection" notes Sri VVS Aiyar…
Auspicious
journey!
(August 20th 2002)
Marica is not at all impressed. He knew that it was the regular
strategy of Ravana to whip up passions and prick personal
pride...
Out
of love...
(August 21st 2002)
'Let my hands not be smeared with the blood of puny creatures.
It is out of my love for Janaki that I am adopting this
course...'
Ravana
sanyasi
(August 22nd 2002)
The Poets prepare us for the most dreadful event in the epic.
This IS the middle most point of the epic, towards which the
entire drama rolled thus far...
Guest
at the gate
(August 23rd 2002)
Hospitality is in the core of our womanhood. When a guest
arrives, they very readily put their personal pains and
difficulties away...
Cow
in tiger's skin
(August 26th 2002)
If a cow wears the tiger's skin and grazes, the farmer who
beholds the scene from a distance would not attempt to shoo it
away...
Cow
in tiger's skin II
(August 27th 2002)
'Lady, you know something? The most beautiful damsels of all the
worlds, pine away their lives with the yearning to get the 'favour'
of love from him...'
Dog
desiring the divine
(August 28th 2002)
The wonderful thing about Sita is, she is not at all afraid of
this horrific, terror-striking and absolutely frightening form
that appeared before her in a trice...
Special
distinction!
(August 29th 2002)
Favour me with your love and have the special distinction of
being the only woman whom Ravana begged for love...
The
abduction
(August 30th 2002)
But when Kamban undertook the job of retelling the epic,
thousands of years have marched past and Rama was more an avatar
than a king in his time...
The
first day in Lanka
(September 2nd 2002)
Even a cursory glance at the difficulties and impossibilities
that stood in the way of Rama finding out Sita would weary the
most stubborn of hearts.
Nothing
succeeds like success
(September 4th 2002)
He was a great person, of which there is no doubt. In prowess he
was the equivalent of Sri Rama himself.
Pure
milk in impure container
(September 5th 2002)
Ravana excelled in everything. He wielded immense power, even
over the elements. But he lacked conviction. He was not at ease
with himself...
The
chink in the armour
(September 6th 2002)
A person whose personal qualities are impeccable would in the
first instance not even attempt to impress...
The
exhibitionist
(September 9th 2002)
What an extraordinary and extravagant exhibition! And for whose
eyes! Is the message not straight and clear?
Predictably
Unpredictable I
(September 10th 2002)
And Ravana makes his moves changing his position from one to the
other quickly. He pleads, boasts, begs, admires, chuckles, frets
and fumes...
Predictably
Unpredictable II
(September 11th 2002)
Ravana is never ashamed of telling white lies. We will see more
of them...
Predictably
Unpredictable III
(September 12th 2002)
What happens to that reputation now! He is at the feet of
someone who really hates him. Only a perverted hysteric can be
this unpredictable...
Mountain
Slighted by a Flower
(September 13th 2002)
When she retaliates, she does so very beautifully.
"Interposing a blade of grass between herself and Ravana
when spoken to as aforesaid...
Pride
or prejudice?
(September 16th 2002)
Was his love for Sita so very intense? Or was his desire for her
grew like forest fire that consumed him in the end, just because
he was not able to accept the fact...
Interview
with Hanuman - a prelude
(September 17th 2002)
What started as a scuffle by his destruction of a major portion
of the Asoka Vana, soon turned into a skirmish, which led to a
combat...
Interview
with Hanuman
(September 18th 2002)
He knew what change the name 'Vali' would bring about in Ravana.
But he spoke as if he did not know anything...
Pearls
before swine
(September 19th 2002)
These words should have been uttered by the ministers
surrounding Ravana. By a strange development of events, here is
an emissary who is tendering the words of caution.
Vibishana
is moved
(September 20th 2002)
Vibishana wanted to set Hanuman free. But he had no more valid
reasons to speak for. Ravana had finally put the question to
Hanuman...
Setting
Hanuman free - I
(September 23rd 2002)
'He is a messenger and he should not be killed,' is the argument
of Vibishana. But this argument has been answered even before it
was advanced.
Setting
Hanuman free II
(September 24th 2002)
It can be seen that this is a skilful interpretation. When
Lakshmana severed Surpanakha's limbs, his first intention was to
stop her from carrying Sita away.
The
good, bad and the ugly
(September 25th 2002)
Ravana speaks on values and on the three kinds of persons and
how they are judged...
Words,
words, words…I know not what they mean!
(September 26th 2002)
What kind of a sagacious mind should have spelt such an idea
out! Ravana must have been a very good king. His words are
suffused with wisdom!
Advice
made to order
(September 27th 2002)
That one is remarkable, Ravana! All along you have been
maintaining that these two were 'puny' creatures that have
joined hands with 'monkeys'...
Who
is the real enemy?
(October 01st 2002)
And if a leader is surrounded by advisors who prefer to play it
according to his or her likes and dislikes, he does not need
enemies to destroy him...
A
brother protests
(October 02nd 2002)
The entire tone of argument takes a diagonally opposite
direction! This was not the Vibishana that we saw in that
earlier instance! He speaks very firmly now!
Accolades
of sin
(October 03rd 2002)
'You asked us to give you the right advice. You wanted us to you
what is right in the circumstances. What I am doing is precisely
that.'
Voices
of protest
(October 04th 2002)
There were only four of them who could speak fearlessly in the
presence of Ravana...
Your
weakness and his strength...
(October 07th 2002)
'Do you think, brother, a single monkey could have caused all
this? If you think so, you are not looking at things as they
should be seen.'
Knowledge
and wisdom
(October 08th 2002)
Knowledge can be likened to a rich and well-organised database.
Nothing more than that. A database, however well it is
structured and organised...
I
am the strongest
(October 09th 2002)
One can just feel the fire of his emotions, his anger and his
impulsiveness through these words, though what I have quoted is
a very minor portion...
Not
the first fool, after all!
(October 11th 2002)
The whole purpose of the narration is to present a demon who was
far, far stronger… and was much more careful than Ravana...
Why
Ravana
(October 14th 2002)
Our purpose has from the very beginning been to study the
intricacies of each character and at the same time to bring out
the beauty...
When
the vision is coloured...
(October 16th 2002)
There was a son in our race named Prahlada, who rejoiced at the
death of his own father. And there is a scum in our race, you,
who seek my destruction...
A
streak of goodness
(October 17th 2002)
Despite all that, it has to be admitted that though Ravana's
heart was boiling with rage and hatred against Vibishana, he
still had not lost his head completely.
Love
of honour and honour of love
(October 18th 2002)
Another favourite argument in favour of Ravana is that of his
valour, his chivalry. A closer study of his methodology of war,
his ways of devising his strategies do reveal.
Strange
kind of valour
(October 21st 2002)
But even Idi Amin did not hope to win the love of the children
by his act of cruelty. Now take a look at what our great man
did...
Strange
kind of valour II
(October 22nd 2002)
Barefaced lie. Though it is a blatant and downright lie, it
gives a clue to read into the mind of Ravana.
The
werewolf within
(October 23rd 2002)
Killing a person while he was asleep and shamelessly proclaiming
it too! That was something, which even Duryodhana did not
relish.
Blunted
by lust
(October 24th 2002)
What first goes out of a lust-laden mind - to give room to that
baser instinct - is the ability to glean wisdom from
knowledge...
It
goes like a cloud
(October 25th 2002)
It has to be remembered that they were playing their roles. The
condition that Ravana could be vanquished only by human, made it
highly necessary for Rama…
Unless
his heads roll on ground
(October 28th 2002)
He will not leave you Sita, says, Sarama, unless he is killed.
"Ravana is not prepared to leave you unless he gives up his
ghost in combat…"
Positions
change
(October 29th 2002)
Unless we see this, how are we to see the reason for Rama
smilingly sending him back gracefully from the day of the first
war...
Ravana’s
first day of war
(October 30th 2002)
The first war between Rama and Ravana thus starts with the
promise of a fierce fight to the last. It was a fierce fight no
doubt…
Out
of anger
(October 31st 2002)
Sri Rama is not easily angered, even when he is in the
battlefield. Even when he aims his arrows and shoots, he does so
with such self-confidence that...
Indru
pOi naaLai vaa
(November 1st 2002)
Victory is very close at hand now. Another arrow and this fellow
would have fell on the ground. It could have been an easy win
for Sri Rama. But he decides otherwise...
The
prison of heart
(November 4th 2002)
From the point of view of strategy, this might not be the right
thing to do, if his mission were limited to the retrieval of
Sita alone.
Logically
speaking
(November 5th 2002)
He once again reconciled to the fact that Vali was superior to
his strength and quickly made friends with him. Going by the
same logic, he should have...
Burdened
by his own soul
(November 6th 2002)
There were too many whose heads he had trod and whose turn it is
now to laugh at him. But Ravana was unmindful of all that, says
Kamban...
Without
a trace of anger
(November 7th 2002)
Even as his hands were busy in directing his weapons against the
massive army of mine, and even when he branded my back with this
pain, insult and disrepute...
An
enemy worth the name
(November 8th 2002)
But in the very next breath he declares. 'It is my good fortune
that I ended up finding an enemy worth the name!
Conviction
wins a war
(November 11th 2002)
It is not just muscle power that wins a war. It is not mere arms
and armaments either. You should understand that a war is fought
by living individuals…
Vain
is your valour
(November 13th 2002)
We know the truth. Ravana did not mean what he uttered so very
boldly. He was just trying to push him into action by slighting
his pride...
Maya
Janaka I
(November 14th 2002)
Kamban is not able to accept Rama's susceptibility to the
missile of Indrajit, however divine it is. He removes Sri Rama
from the field, and excludes him...
Maya
Janaka II
(November 15th 2002)
Ravana finds the right time to play his card now. This is the
moment to hit her hard. Hammer her feelings. Break her. And
reshape her, as he desires...
Maya
Janaka III
(November 18th 2002)
Ravana puts his finger on the good nature of womanhood. She
might be ready to walk on fire, deny herself all enjoyments. But
she would go all out...
Maya
Janaka IV
(November 19th 2002)
The ease with which Sita utters these words, the absolute lack
of dilemma in her ... are noteworthy
Victories
are mine
(November 20th 2002)
You enjoyed all luxuries in life just because of my victories.
That is, all the victories are mine. I own them...
The
first sign
(November 22nd 2002)
With the death of Atikaya grief overtakes him. But we see a very
important change taking place in him for the first time.
And
another sign
(November 25th 2002)
People would think of Ravana, till the day they think of Rama!
Ravana would live forever and ever in the minds of people! What
more do I desire!
Adieu
my father, adieu
(November 26th 2002)
Though he is pushing Indrajit into the bottomless pit from over
the precipice, Ravana sounds a little more genuine now.
The
rites you should have performed...
(November 28th 2002)
'These are rites that you should have performed to my dead body
my child! Look at what has befallen me!' lamented Ravana…
Poison
made of nectar
(November 29th 2002)
Sita reads his intentions from his very gait, from his very
visage, from the manner in which he is holding his sword. We see
her in a different mood now.
A
catastrophe averted
(December 02nd 2002)
‘This sword of yours was used against mighty celestials;
Yaksas and others invincible might. Do you propose to use it
against a helpless woman? Is this what Ravana is famed for?’
Summoning
the Core Army
(December 03rd 2002)
You go and kill him, just that one person. If you are not able
to kill him, I will do so. I will kill him, after you maim him
with your arrows!
Too
late to…
(December 04th 2002)
But it is not that the Chiefs of the Core Army were dull-headed
dummies. 'You should have sent Sita back,' says Vanni, the Chief
of all of them...
Delighted
a minute too soon
(December 05th 2002)
Ravana threw a grand party on his return, with the firm belief
that he has succeeded at last. But it was his last day of
happiness. He did not have much time afterwards.
There
is no hurry
(December 06th 2002)
It is a complete change of attitude that we see in Ravana when
he starts for the war, now. It is no more a struggle for Sita.
Here is a challenge to his honour.
The
Trident of Shiva
(December 09th 2002)
Rama did nothing to resist the trident that was advancing
menacingly. It flew to him with the only intention to kill, with
the large bells attached to it sounding loudly...
Supreme
of the Three
(December 10th 2002)
This realisation was too late for him to retrace his steps. Had
he done so at this stage, he would have gone down as the last
and lowliest of all cowards that existed on earth.
The
last phase
(December 11th 2002)
Like the proverbial lantern that burns high and bright before it
runs out of fuel, Ravana shone bright and burnt like 'kalaagni,'
the primordial fire...
Guilt
expiated
(December 12th 2002)
Ravana, when he gave up his life, did so for the sake of his
reputation and not for Sita. His mind was clean of the lust that
he had at the time of his death...
A
grand character, but...
(December 14th 2002)
You conquered your senses. You observed righteousness in the
beginning and that is how you were able to conquer all the
worlds. Now, they have conquered you!
In the following pages we present a study of various major and minor characters of the Ramayana as told by Valmiki and Kamban. This study attempts to go into the character sketch, analyse the different ways in which the two poets have constructed their drama with liberal direct quotations and interpretations. These pages are sure to delight the heart of the devotee as well as the litterateur. Click on a link below to access all the articles under each character. Happy reading!
Ramayana – a character study
By
Hari Krishnan
Epics Generalia
The epics and their
relevance - (Feb. 23rd 2001)
You must read the story as a human story, lived among human beings, by a human being, and, then, Oh, what rich treasures there are of wisdom in it!
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