Ravana (the villain in Ramayana) sought wealth and gratification of desire, utterly violating the principle of dharma. He was a scholar par excellence. He had mastered the sixty-four disciplines of learning whereas Rama had mastered only thirty-two. However Rama put them into practice and thereby digested them, whereas Ravana failed to digest them. The indigestion on the part of Ravana arose in the form of desire (kama), which ultimately destroyed him. While Rama was the embodiment of Dharma, Ravana remained as the embodiment of kama. Thus there arose a conflict between righteousness and unrighteousness. Rama transformed Himself into the embodiment of sathya (Truth), since He followed the principle of dharma. Since Ravana violated dharma, he became the embodiment of asathya (untruth). There is an eternal warfare between righteousness and unrighteousness, truth and untruth. It is your duty to follow and practice the twin principles of truth and righteousness.
- Summer Showers Ch2, May 20, 1996. |
