Lets see ...the more the number of hands that Ravana had the more he could multitask especially during the war – imagine one hand using the mace the other using the bow and arrow and so on and so forth. Then the more the number of heads the more the number of minds he had to play games, plot strategies and of course multi-task. More heads meant more eyes to watch out for enemies and more mouths for self propaganda. And then of course there’s the single body which meant lesser sleep and rest needed and more time to appease the supreme Lord with his veena playing skills to receive rich gifts in return. The single body also meant lesser time to maintain/groom himself and oh did that all not translate into more time that could be spent doing the above mentioned tasks that the hands and heads excelled at? He got to be king and live in pomp and luxury. He died a miserable man but for the most part his life was filled with abundance.
Now let’s examine the worthiness of being Rama. He was a man with an absolute sense of justice, obedience, intelligence, limiteless patience, kindness, boundless compassion and steadfast sense of duty or dharma. But he did not have the umpteen heads and hands to connive and conspire so as a result he got to live in the wilderness for 14 years of his life with no real benefits, without the love of his near and dear family, even without his immediate family – his wife. Besides every demon worth his name attacked him and oh need I remind you that the lack of heads and hence eyes just made it that much more tough to watch out for these demons? He did not get promoted to be king and continued to perform the same activity of protecting sages through the 14 years. In the end he came home to victory but for the most part his life was riddled with insufficiency.
So..
In this ruthless corporate world today should I be proud that I am a Ravana or ashamed that I am one? Or should I aspire to be one? Or reconcile to the fact that I am Rama? Is it time to re-interpret the Ramayan for the next generation?
© May 1st 2010
