Ravana and his people – reading about them leaves me thinking that every human has a seed of every thought and emotion. A situation just triggers that thought and emotion, to manifest itself..

After Hanuman leaves Lanka setting fire to it, Ravana meets his council of ministers and requests them to give him suggestions on how to win over Rama. He also tells them that the right advice comes from friends, relatives, people more intelligent than oneself and faith in the almighty. A person who follows such right advice is an exalted person, according to him. He tells them that they are more intelligent than him and hence would be able to give him a solution that can be executed. The council of  ministers on the other hand, put him on a high pedestal and reel out the various victories of Ravana. They tell him that Hanuman breaching the fortress of Ravana was a small incident and that there is no one who is stronger than him (Ravana). Each one of the council of ministers and also a few sons of Ravana, volunteer to fight with Rama, Lakshmana and the army of monkeys; as this is too small a fight for Ravana.

It is suggested that we surround ourselves with people more intelligent than ourselves; so that our intellect is further strengthened and we discuss ideas. It is also important to constantly  learn from the intelligent people around us. This is what will make us to challenge the ideas they give us.

A leader inevitably exudes power. However, this power may make people to fear the leader. What then the leader hears, is what the people want him / her to hear; NOT what the leader needs to listen to. There may hence be a few critical signals, that the leader may miss to read. This leads to consequences that the leader may find difficult to swim out of.. or perhaps may not swim out of, at all.

Vibheeshana, Ravana’s brother, speaks to him in front of the whole assembly. He tells him that he (Ravana) should not have abducted Sita. He also points out the way Hanuman crossed the seas and with ease pierced through the fortress in Lanka. Vibheeshana also tells Ravana that as it is tough to know the strength of the enemy’s army, they should tread even more carefully. He warns Ravana of the various signals he is seeing, that reads ominously; and that the council of ministers are showing hesitance at giving him the right advice. He tells him to take an appropriate decision after mulling over whatever he shared. Ravana scoffs at what Vibheeshana said and tells him that he did not see any signals; and that Rama does not have it to stand in front of him.

It takes a certain courage and maturity to stand up to a person in power, or a person who calls the shots.

 – What makes people stand up, to question a person in power?

 – Is it their journey towards the cause?

– Is it their inner strength and conviction to stand up for a cause?

 – Is the cause / purpose so larger than life?

 – How prepared are they to handle the repercussions that they may come in their way?

 On the other hand, what stops us from saying what needs to be said, no matter to who it is?

– Is it fear of the person?

– Is it fear of what will happen (or rather the consequences) if what needs to be said, is said?

– Is it not knowing what to say, how to say and when to say?

The answer could lie in one question or in a combination of them. 

Kumbakarna (Ravana’s brother), initially gets angry with Ravana. He tells Ravana that the decision taken to abduct Sita, was done without consulting anyone. That this decision should have been taken after analysing the impact it would have. He also says that people who do things before it needs to be done; or people who do things much after they need to be done; or people who do things without assessing whether they are right or not; or people who do things without consulting others, thinking that they know it all, will face HUGE obstacles. He also says that it is anyway too late to do anything and so Ravana may as well make Sita to fall in his clutches. This thought is echoed by a few others, in the assembly. Vibheeshana finding that he is outnumbered and that his voice is not heard by Ravana, leaves Lanka to join Rama in his battle against Ravana.

There are times when we know that a decision is wrongly taken. We are also aware that nothing can be done and hence we continue in the same path, to complete what needs to be done. We perhaps also do the same, when others seek our help.

– Is there anything called ‘irreversible’ decisions? or decisions are reversible, but the impact of the decision has to be faced?

– Because anyway the impact of the decision has to be faced, do we need to align and support the person who has taken the decision? Knowing very well that the person who has taken the decision, is in the wrong?

– How tough is it to support an outsider who is right, and when our own family member is in the wrong?

– And if we are able to do that, what is it that drives us to take sides with what is right?

Here again are situations with a conflict of values, triggered in an individual. Kumbakarna’s decision is so different from Vibheeshana’s decision – one continues to stand his ground while the other succumbs to the decision taken. What is it that drove either of them to their decision? What was their framework, in terms of priority of values? So much like in our own real life, isn’t it?  The call that each one of us take when we are in a value-conflict situation, could be so different – based on priority.. based on our own thoughts of what is right and what is wrong.. driven by our own value framework. Always interesting to watch human behaviour in action!!