I, Raavan

Here I lie, waiting for death on the land that belongs to the Kingdom, The kingdom; I won with my power, expanded and glorified with the my efforts. I know the history will always consider me as an antagonist. The future generation will call me a devil, an anti-god. No one will ever look at the positives, no one will appreciate how I struggled to be a king and found a great empire, how bravely I fought all my enemies and how I died, fighting my combatants, my kingdom’s foes. History will commemorate this as moment of victory of good over evil. 

Born to a brahmin father (A class of people responsible for religious and scholarly works), I had opportunity to learn different domains ranging from art of fighting, music, medicine and politics. I proved myself with all these. I grabbed this opportunity with both the hands. Yes, I was ambitious and was ready to fulfill them with my efforts. My father’s background did not provide me with such opportunity but, my grand father set the right background for this. Is it really so wrong if I want to use my knowledge and skills to establish a kingdom. People say I snatched the kingdom from my brother, but didn’t I do better as the king . How much was Lanka’s glory in Kuber’s time. I asked and challenged Kuber for the kingdom as I could do better and did it, in time. Every child takes qualities from its parent so did I and did the best in what I was taught by my parents. 

I worshiped Shiva, I devoted myself to Brahma to get their blessings and powers. I was a normal man not a God or their reincarnation unlike Rama. Why should the history present me as an Apollyon? Who at my time was a more devoted worshiper of these gods? People call me polygamist and blame me for exploitation of women, king Dashrath “The father of Ram” was also one. But he is the father of their hero Ram. Leave alone Dashrath who was a human, just think of the so called Gods. Shiva himself had had clandestine coitus with Madhura in absence of Parvati. Why is he a God and I am a demon?

I was a good king I know that. Its glory speaks of it. There was only one golden empire and it was Lanka not Ayodhya. A small island kingdom had surpassed the hero’s kingdom in terms of glory. Lanka although a small island but was a greater kingdom.

Source: daniel.oblak.dk

My people were happy, my city was more prosperous, I had more victories under my belt, but, history to be written in future will  present it in another way. 

I faced wars and faced them with full courage, valor and bravery.  I lost wars as well but never cheated my enemy. I lost to the king of Kiskindha; Vali but never attacked at his back. Ram killed him while hiding behind him. If these are the traits of the gallantry, I happily admit I am not the one. If the so called Gods like Ram wins and kills in this way, he should not be called as a God.   If I would have taken Sita as my lady forcibly what Ram could have done. I had enough time and opportunity to do that. I didn’t do that. Sugriv accuses his brother Vali of being partial and for taking his wife after exiling him from the kingdom. But what did Sugriv himself did after killing his brother, took the kingdom and his wife. Today even I am dying because of my dear brother Vibhishan. I would have never been killed or defeated, if my dear brother had not been a traitor. He perhaps did for the kingdom, making another Sugreeva out of him. Oh my Brother Vibhishan, I would have sacrificed the kinghood if you would have asked for it once. Betrayal and god gelled together to bring me to death. Should I really call him a God?, Anyway I will be declared a demon by history in the future, I am happy dying like a warrior while defending my land, from the hands of Rama or more appropriately my brother, because Rama could never kill me.  I was never defeated by the so called God.