“Ravana: Whom Rama Even Forgave, But Not His Ego”
1. Why Read This Article (The Ego of Ravana)?
“Ramayana” is not a new name. This name resides in the hearts of every person in India. At the same time, people living abroad are also not unfamiliar with this name. I think that if asked about the most important character of the Ramayana, everyone’s lips would utter the name “Lord Shri Ram” and their hearts would fill with devotion. If after Shri Ram, the second most important character of the same Ramayana is asked, the name that comes is “Ravana”.
Just hearing the name “Ravana” brings a feeling of hatred in everyone’s mind, but Ravana was a very great scholar, warrior, and ascetic. It was only his ego that led him to death. The real question is, “Who did Shri Rama actually kill?” Ravana’s body or the poisonous ego sitting inside him? “Ravana’s Ego” would not let him accept that he could be wrong. This is the point from where Ravana’s ego begins its story of his downfall.
I believe that Rama only killed Ravana’s body, but his real target was his (Ravana’s ego) ideology. Let us, through this article, try to understand who Ravana was, where he came from, how he became so great, and ultimately, what mistake made him lose everything. Let’s begin our discussion without any delay.
2. Who Was Ravana? (Complete Introduction)
(A) Ravana's Lineage
Before knowing about Ravana, we need to know about his entire family because how could Ravana, despite being a descendant of a Brahmin sage, become a demon? Ravana’s great-grandfather was one of the ten mind-born sons of Brahma, and his grandfather was one of the Saptarishis (seven great sages). His father was a great Brahmin sage known for his severe penance of Lord Shiva. He was Maharishi Vishrava.
All these were from his father’s side. Now, if we look at the lineage from his mother’s side, his maternal grandfather was the demon king Sumali, who ruled Lanka after receiving a boon from Lord Brahma. His grandmother’s name was Ketumati. Ravana’s mother was one of the four daughters of the demon king Sumali, and her name was Kaikasi.
(B) Ravana's Birth
The demon king Sumali wanted his daughter Kaikasi to marry the most powerful person in the world so that the children born from them would be very powerful and bring back the lost honor of the demons. King Sumali had already seen that no king in the world was more powerful than him. Then he decided to choose one among the sages for his daughter’s marriage, and his search ended with Sage Vishrava.
Demon king Sumali proposed marriage to Sage Vishrava, but Sage Vishrava did not accept it. Upon being compelled by Sumali, he agreed but gave a warning, saying that this marriage was at an inappropriate time and not as per the scriptures, so the children born from it would have demonic tendencies. When Ravana was born, he was named “Dashagriva” (one with ten necks).
(B) Ravana's Upbringing
While writing this article, I am reminded of something my grandfather used to say. He used to say, “Son, children’s values and culture are given by their parents. Small children are like the clay on a potter’s wheel, and the potter gradually gives it a very beautiful shape. Similarly, if parents give good values to a child, its effect is always positive, and if wrong values are given, they have to pay a very heavy price.”
Ravana’s ego did not start from his birth. Ravana received his education from his father, but the values of ego were given by his maternal grandfather Sumali. When Sumali conquered Lanka after receiving a boon from Brahma, Lord Vishnu defeated Sumali, and then Sumali had to hide by going to Rasatala (the netherworld). Sumali wanted his descendant to conquer Lanka again, so he got his daughter Kaikasi married to Sage Vishrava. That is, Sumali was the one who taught Ravana “demon policies” and fueled his ego.
Through this article, I also want to highlight that the demoness Kaikasi gave birth to 4 children from Sage Vishrava:
Ravana
Kumbhakarna
Vibhishana
Shurpanakha
If I talk about the three brothers, their temperaments were completely different from each other. Where Ravana was egotistical, there Kumbhakarna was completely inactive. But Vibhishana, unlike both of them, was of very religious nature. How could there be such a difference among the children of the same parents? I believe that lineage and values are two different things. Ravana did not choose his father’s Brahmin values but his maternal grandfather’s demon values.
3. Ravana's Early Successes and Penance
(A) Severe Penance of Lord Shiva
Ravana’s ego grew with his successes. When Ravana completed his education from his father, he felt that he should become even more powerful. Ravana decided that he would go to Mount Kailash and perform penance to Lord Shiva. Believe me, this penance was so severe that Ravana continued his penance for thousands of years, hungry and thirsty, standing on one leg, amidst fire and rain. Finally, Lord Shiva himself appeared and blessed him. This is where Ravana’s ego takes birth. He felt, “I made even Shiva bow down to me.” But one thing worth noting here is that Ravana asked Lord Shiva for the boon of immense power, not immortality.
Lord Shiva gave Ravana the power of his “Ardha Chandra” (half moon) and also blessed him that now you will be called “Dashanana” (one with ten heads). Meaning, Ravana had now gained control over the East, West, North, South, Zenith, Nadir, Fire, Wind, Sky, and Earth—meaning he was now able to control every direction and element of the universe.
Lord Shiva made Ravana powerful by giving him a boon but did not make him immortal because immortality would have become the biggest weapon of his ego. After this incident, Ravana considered it his victory and thought that now he could make anyone in the world bow down to him, even Lord Shiva. This is where his ego began.
(B) Boon from Lord Brahma
After receiving the boon from Lord Shiva, Ravana was only afraid of the beings of the higher realms. Then he thought, why not perform penance to Lord Brahma and receive a boon? And so, Ravana began his penance to Brahma. This penance was also extremely severe, in which Ravana almost destroyed his entire body. Then Lord Brahma himself appeared and asked him to ask for a boon. Ravana demanded, “Let no one among the gods, demons, Yakshas, Gandharvas, and Nagas be able to kill me.” Brahma granted the boon.
In the boon received from Brahma, Ravana did not include humans. Ravana’s ego had grown so much that he did not feel any threat from humans, and I believe this proved to be his biggest mistake because Ravana considered humans to be very insignificant, and in the end, Ravana met his death at the hands of a human.
(C) Conquest of Lanka
After receiving boons from Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma, Ravana had become very powerful, and his eyes were set on the golden Lanka, which was with his stepbrother and the god of wealth, Kubera. Kubera was the son of Sage Vishrava and his first wife, who was much more pious, older, and more capable than Ravana, but he was defeated by Ravana because after receiving the boon, it was not possible to defeat him.
Ravana conquered the golden Lanka and also took away Kubera’s Pushpaka Vimana. If Ravana had wanted, he could have easily gotten Lanka because Kubera was his brother, but Ravana’s ego was at its peak. He defeated and humiliated Kubera just so he could enjoy his victory.
I would only say that Ravana worked hard and got everything he deserved. If he had not used his power to humiliate his brother and cause suffering to people, no one in the entire world could have matched him. Slowly, this very power began to take the form of ego.
4. Ravana's Achievements (The Peak of Knowledge and Power)
(A) Knower of All Four Vedas (Not Just Read, But Understood)
As I mentioned at the beginning of the article, the complete responsibility for Ravana’s education was taken by Maharishi Vishrava. Therefore, Ravana not only knew the Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda but also understood the mathematics, physics, biology, and ethics of the universe very well. If he wanted, he could have written commentaries on the Vedas.
According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, if Ravana is compared to today’s modern era, he could easily have been a professor, a scientist, and a philosopher because he had deep knowledge of every element.
(B) Musician (Creator of the Rudra Veena)
Ravana considered Lord Shiva as his guru, and to please him, he created a musical instrument called “Rudra Veena”, which is still considered the most ancient and complex instrument of classical music. This is also described in the World Encyclopedia of Puppetry Arts.
According to mythological stories, Ravana used his own veins as strings and created the veena by watering it with blood, meaning he had dedicated his body and blood to music.
The “Shiva Tandava Stotra” that we recite today was also composed by Ravana, which is still considered the most powerful hymn of Shiva devotion. This is also mentioned in Google Arts & Culture. Therefore, I completely agree that Ravana was not just a warrior but also a very good artist.
(C) Great Scholar of Astrology, Politics, and Ethics
If we talk about astrology, Ravana was very good at calculating the movements of planets and constellations, auspicious and inauspicious conjunctions, and auspicious moments. You will be very surprised to know that Ravana had even calculated an auspicious moment for “when to abduct Sita”.
No one could match Ravana in politics and ethics. Ravana knew the ethics from before even Chanakya’s time—”When should a king speak?”; “When should he remain silent?”; “When should he fight?”; and “When should he make a treaty?” He had all of this at his fingertips.
Ravana also wrote a text named “Ravana Niti”, which is still lost today, in which there was a complete description of “how a king should live his life”.
(D) Contradiction: Why Did Such a Wise Person Make a Mistake Like "Sita's Abduction"?
I believe that there is a big difference between knowledge and action. Let us understand this through some points:
Ravana’s knowledge was theoretical, not practical. He knew that abducting a married woman like Sita is adharma (unrighteous), but he still did it because he believed that “whatever I do is right”.
His sister Shurpanakha’s nose was cut off by Lakshmana, which made Ravana vow revenge. He did not use his intellect but let his emotions overpower him.
Ravana considered humans to be insignificant, which proved to be his biggest mistake, and in the end, he died at the hands of a human (Rama).
Knowledge and wisdom (Viveka) are two different words. Knowledge means “learned things” and wisdom means “making a decision of right and wrong at the right time”. Therefore, it can be said that Ravana had knowledge but not wisdom.
5.When and Why Did Rama Forgive Ravana?
(A) Rama's Message - "Return Sita, I Will Forgive You"
When Hanuman returned from Lanka after meeting Sita and narrated the entire account of his journey to Rama, Rama asked Angada to go to Ravana’s court with his message. Angada went to Ravana’s court and said, “O King of Lanka! Lord Rama’s message is: Return Mother Sita with honor. He has decided to forgive you. There will be no war; no revenge will be taken. Your kingdom, your life, and your reputation will all remain safe. I will bow to you and return to Ayodhya.” But Ravana’s ego did not let him do so.
(B)Why Did Rama Respect Ravana's Knowledge, Penance, and Devotion?
Rama made every possible effort to avoid war because he knew that Ravana had abducted Sita out of ego, not intentionally. From Rama’s liberal perspective, where there was evil in Ravana, there was also some goodness. Let me clarify this with some points:
Lord Rama himself was a scholar. He knew that memorizing all four Vedas, extracting their meaning, and giving commentaries on them is a very difficult task. This could not be done by any ordinary person, meaning Ravana must have achieved all this through very difficult penance.
Rama himself was the one who installed the Shivalinga at Rameshwaram. He knew that the “Shiva Tandava Stotra” was written by Ravana and that he had also created the “Rudra Veena”. Ravana was a great devotee of Shiva, Rama’s beloved deity. Rama respected a devotee’s devotion, even if that devotee was his enemy.
Rama knew that Ravana had performed penance for thousands of years, hungry and thirsty, in sun and rain, standing on one leg. This is a symbol of “self-discipline”. Rama thought, “A person who has performed such severe penance cannot be evil; he must be misguided.”
Ravana was the king of Lanka, and his kingdom was a golden city, which shows his political acumen. Rama respected a king as a king.
Rama knew that “Dharma lies in protection, not in revenge.” If even an enemy reforms, forgiving him is a king’s duty. Rama addressed Ravana as “great scholar”, even though he had abducted Sita, but Rama considered it just a mistake.
6.Why Did Ravana Not Accept Forgiveness? (Entry of Ego)
(A) Intoxication of Past Victories ("I Am the Greatest")
Whatever Ravana had done so far, he had only achieved victory in it, so he started feeling that “I am the most superior”; all his achievements—like pleasing Lord Shiva through severe penance; pleasing Lord Brahma through severe penance; defeating Kubera to conquer Lanka; capturing the Pushpaka Vimana; and becoming the conqueror of the three worlds—I think all these achievements gave Ravana a deep illusion that “I am invincible; no one can match me.”
(B) Ravana's Delusion (He Mistook Forgiveness as Weakness)
There was blood of two lineages in Ravana. Brahmin and demon blood. Brahmin blood teaches knowledge, renunciation, penance, and forgiveness, while demon blood teaches power, revenge, ego, and dominance. Ravana chose the demon blood. Ravana misunderstood the meaning of being a king; he thought that a king is one who never bows to anyone, but a true king is one who knows how to bow when wrong.
Perhaps Ravana had forgotten that his father Maharishi Vishrava had taught him one more thing, “The greatest lesson of knowledge is that I know nothing”. But Ravana used knowledge for ego, not humility. Therefore, Ravana considered forgiveness a weakness, not a peace proposal.
7. The Three Forms of "Ravana's Ego"
(A) Ego of Knowledge ("No One Is Greater Than Me")
I believe that the ego of knowledge is the most dangerous because a person who considers himself the greatest scholar never learns from others, and whoever does not learn keeps repeating mistakes. Ravana had inherited the Brahmin lineage from birth. His father Vishrava was a Maharishi, his grandfather Pulastya was one of the Saptarishis, and his great-grandfather was Lord Brahma himself.
Ravana felt that he had memorized all the Vedas; who could be a greater scholar than him?; Rama is just a forest dweller; what would he know?; Vibhishana knows less than me; why should I listen to him? Ravana had forgotten that the greatest fruit of knowledge is “humility”, but he turned knowledge into power, not service.
(B) Ego of Power ("No One Can Defeat Me")
The ego of power is very fatal for anyone because it gives a person the illusion of “invincibility”, while every power has an end.
Ravana had defeated Indra in battle, so he thought Rama is just a human; I will defeat him too. I have the Chandrahas (Shiva’s blessing) and I have conquered all three worlds, so now no one can defeat me. Ravana had left out humans while asking for the boon, and Rama was in the form of a human (an incarnation of Lord Vishnu); who had all the power to defeat him. Ravana’s attention did not even go to a small incident, how a monkey (Hanuman) had set the entire Lanka on fire and his demon army could do nothing. If Shri Rama came with a full army, defeat was certain.
(C) Ego of Kingship ("I Will Never Bow to Anyone")
History is witness that the ego of a king is the most dangerous because it drowns not just the king but the entire population. Ravana felt that if he returned Sita, he would no longer be a king; he would look weak. This was his mistake because a true king is one who remains a king even after admitting his mistake, because his people remember his humility, not his ego.
Ravana had misunderstood the meaning of the word “king” as “dictator”, but its real meaning is “servant of the people”.
8. Why Did Rama Not Forgive the Ego?
(A) Ego Is Not a Person, It's a Disease (Disease Is Not Forgiven, It Is Destroyed)
If I talk about ego, there is no clear definition of ego. Ego is not a person, not a name, not a body. Ego is a mental infection. Like cancer and the coronavirus.
The symptoms of ego that were in Ravana were: “I am the greatest”; “I cannot make a mistake”; “Everyone should bow before me”; and “Whatever I do is right”. Rama did not hate Ravana but wanted to remove his ego. That is why Rama waged war to remove the disease of “ego”.
(B) Ravana Was Forgiven (The Soul), Not "Ravana's Ego"
Here I am talking about the soul and the ego. The “soul”, as we know, is eternal, pure, and a part of God, and the “ego” is a deformity that covers the soul. Deformity is not forgiven; it is destroyed. When Ravana died, a divine light (radiance) emerged from his body and went to Brahmaloka, meaning his soul attained salvation. Rama performed Ravana’s last rites with proper rituals, which is not done for an enemy. This is done for a respected person.
Rama gave full respect to Ravana’s family and made his younger brother Vibhishana the king of Lanka. “Rama did not kill Ravana; he killed ‘Ravana’s ego’. Ravana was saved, but in the form of the soul.”
(C) If "Ravana's Ego" Had Been Forgiven, It Would Have Sent the Wrong Message - Why?
Here Rama was thinking not for Ravana but for the entire society. If Rama had forgiven ‘Ravana’s ego’, people would have understood that ego causes no harm, and then everyone would become egotistical. This would lead to the death of dharma. Rama thought that he would forgive, but he also had to deliver justice, and in justice, destroying the ego is right.
If we think a step further, if Ravana had been forgiven, Vibhishana would also have become egotistical; Lanka’s people would have started thinking that our king survived despite being egotistical, so being egotistical is not a bad thing. The same message would have gone to Ayodhya that Rama forgave the ego, so we can also be egoistic about our mistakes.
Ultimately, keeping in mind the welfare of the entire society, Rama killed Ravana and gave a clear message to the entire society that the ultimate treatment for every egotistical person is death.
9. The Relevance of This Story (Ravana's Ego) in Today's Era
Ravana’s ego is still alive today. Ravana was not only in the Treta Yuga; he is present in all of us in some form or another today. Let us understand this through some points:
Today’s human is talented from birth and does something or the other to earn a living. After some time, he reaches a good position, and then slowly the feeling of ego starts to grow in him. After some time, such a time comes that he reaches the same place from where he started.
Today is the era of corporate culture. Where in every office there is definitely a boss who thinks that no one else in the entire company works except him.
For example, he always demotivates his junior, but one day that same junior becomes the director of another company and his boss remains stuck with the same thinking.
In today’s times, the most ego is seen in families. There is definitely some discord among parents, husband-wife, and siblings. That is why so many old age homes have opened today, divorce cases are increasing day by day, and children are falling into bad habits.
In relationships and friendships, ego has made its home. A small argument starts and reaches a big end. “I will not agree, no matter what”; “Let them agree first, then I will”; “I don’t make mistakes; if it happened, it’s because of you”. All these statements fill a lot of bitterness in the mind, and the result is that the relationship/friendship breaks.
I believe that if a boss says, “This idea is not mine, it’s the team’s,” the entire team will be ready to work with him with full dedication.
If any person in the family admits, “I made a mistake,” the family will be saved from breaking.
And if a friend says in a friendship, “I said it wrong, forgive me,” years of friendship will be saved from breaking.
10. Conclusion
Now I have reached the conclusion, and while concluding my article (Ravana’s Ego), I would like to say only one thing: power, knowledge, and success are not dangerous; what is dangerous is the ego that comes with them. Until we eliminate the word “I” from our achievements, we will remain trapped in the cycle of ego.
If a person lives in ego, he is reviving Ravana (Ravana’s ego). We should all follow the paths of Rama. Rama became God because he renounced his “I” and then nurtured every relationship with his heart, whether it was the relationship of a son, a husband, a father, or a king. Even today, we are delighted to see every character he portrayed. We too have to nurture every relationship in our lives in the same way, whether it is a family relationship or a relationship in the office.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Isn’t It Unjust to Call Ravana a ‘Villain’?
Answer: Ravana was neither completely a villain nor a hero. He did some villainous acts and some heroic ones. For example: he was a knower of the four Vedas but also abducted Mother Sita; he was a great devotee of Shiva but also cast his eye on another’s wife; he was a great musician but also snatched Lanka from his brother Kubera; he was a severe ascetic but also very egotistical. According to me, it was only one act done by Ravana (Ravana’s ego) that harmed his image a lot.
2. If Ravana Was So Wise, Why Did He Go Against Ethics and Abduct Sita?
Answer: To answer this question, we need to understand the difference between knowledge and ego. Ravana knew that abducting another man’s wife is adharma, yet he did it; Ravana knew that Rama is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, yet Ravana’s ego would not let him bow before him; and he knew that if he fought with Rama, he would be killed, yet he still waged war. That is, Ravana had knowledge but not wisdom (Viveka).
3. Is Ravana a Symbol of Today’s ‘Successful but Lonely’ Person?
Answer: Yes, this is 100% true. Today’s person is successful, but his condition is just like Ravana’s (Ravana’s ego). For example: Ravana was the king of Lanka, and today’s person is a CEO/Businessman in some big company; Ravana had countless demon armies, and today’s person has thousands of employees/followers; Ravana was a devotee of Shiva and knower of the Vedas, and today’s person has degrees, skills, and experience; Ravana was away from his brother, and today’s person is away from his family.
4. If Ravana Regretted His Actions, Did He Attain Salvation?
Answer: Yes. When Rama’s Brahmastra came toward him, he realized his mistake. He praised Rama and said, “O Rama! You have freed me from ego and given me salvation.”