Strangely, questions other than about his life—which was fast slipping away—troubled Ravan. Ram had only a few moments ago shot a Brahmastra at him. As he was falling down, a question rose above the cacophony in Ravan’s mind: ‘Where did I err, Shiv, my Lord? Was my strategy wrong?’
‘I wouldn’t bother with such worldly matters?’ The voice jolted him. He knew it wasn’t his mind responding. It was undoubtedly Lord Shiv’s voice that resonated in his heart and mind. There was a time when the voice would answer all his queries. Strangely, he hadn’t heard it for years. Ravan posed a different question, his voiced laced with despondency: ’Oh Lord, how come I never heard you all these years?’
‘I was constantly there, trying to guide you. However, you had stopped listening long ago,’ Shiv replied.
Ravan immediately recalled the slow degradation: from his prayers to please Shiv in the initial days, which later turned into constant demands of boons, to finally coming to such a pass that he had almost forgotten the Lord in his self-obsession.
‘Is that a reference to my arrogance? Is my ego the reason for my downfall?’ Ravan came back to his initial curiosity about the reason behind his downfall.
‘That too, that too,’ Shiv said.
‘That too? What else other than that?’ Ravan was curious.
‘Ah! How mortals suffer from amnesia! Or is it selective amnesia of convenience?’ Shiv’s voice shook a bit with a touch of exasperation. ‘Try figuring it out yourself.’
‘I know I committed a sin by abducting Sita…’ Ravan said and left the sentence midway.
‘And?’ Shiv asked.
‘Lord, please stop playing games with a dying man,’ pleaded Ravan, as the suspense was unnerving.
‘How was she abducted?’ Shiv asked.
‘By masquerading as a sadhu…’ replied Ravan, but he stopped abruptly. The entire scenario flashed in his mind as if it were taking place at that moment.
Ravan approached the hut in the forest. He knew Sita was alone. Being aware of the lurking danger in the forest and cautioned by Lakshman, she wouldn’t step out. ‘I need to transform into a person she’d trust without a shred of fear or doubt’. With his powers, Ravan transformed into a sadhu as he approached the hut and called out, ‘Bhavati bhiksham dehi’ (O Lady, please offer alms.) Within no time, Ravan spotted Sita stepping out of the hut, not with apprehension regarding an unknown risk but with a smile of relief and reassurance.
‘Oh! So, it’s because I deceived her,’ said Ravan.
‘Partly,’ Shiv’s voice in his heart clearly came with lukewarm enthusiasm.
‘Partly? Oh Lord, I’ll die of suspense before Ram’s arrow can kill me. Let this misguided bhakta know the reason. How else would I atone for my misdeeds in the forthcoming birth?’ Ravan begged Shiv.
‘It’s due to deceiving her by impersonating a person society reveres and looks up to,’ Shiv answered. ‘It’s a breach of trust of the worst order, much akin to a mother or a father deceiving a little, unsuspecting child. It is even more virulent since this singular act would compel people to view even an honest sadhu with suspicion. It’s an act that would also encourage unscrupulous elements to try such tricks on helpless, trusting humans. When you were executing your wily plan, you had no idea of its far-reaching repercussions—something that would resonate for centuries to come. Among your sins, it stands above others. And being a compendium of wicked intent and action, it is downright unpardonable.’
While accepting—albeit reluctantly—that we do possess Ravan-like tendencies, we must know that Ram and Shiv also reside in our hearts and minds, always talking to us and guiding us. May we develop an ear to listen to them and heed them, especially when the Ravan inside us is tempted to cross ethical boundaries and is ready to deceive people who trust us unconditionally, since breach of trust is one of the worst human transgressions.
May we develop an ear to listen to Shiv and Ram residing in us, especially when the Ravan inside us is tempted to deceive people who trust us unconditionally.
Rajessh M. Iyer is a storyteller who explores human relationships through meaningful anecdotes, parables, and stories; he shares his work on www.rajesshmiyer.com.