The Ram and Raavan Fight in Kaliyug | Divya Toshniwal |

Every year Dussehra is celebrated as a major festival in India. This day marks the triumph of good over evil. It is said that Lord Ram killed Raavan on this day and till date we celebrate the victory of good over evil by burning huge statues of Raavan , Meghnath and Kumbhakaran (which I believe is another evil task that we are doing , considering the environmental hazards, but that’s a different story). We celebrate and enjoy the various 'melas' across the city and we eat good food and then come home and sleep . The next day is just another day and we continue to live the lifeless life that we live every day.

But is that it? Aren't we symbolically killing the evil while the evil merrily resides within us and around us? It is important to actually kill the evil than burning those pollutions creating statues. 

But‘What is evil? '.

Evil has been defined differently in different times and the good has been fighting the evil since eternity. As per vedas there have been 4 Yugas . The first was satyug . The fight then was between the Devtas and The Asuras residing in two different worlds. In Satyug the Asuras and there behaviours and actions were defined as evil . Then came Treta yug. The fight here was between Ram and Raavan residing in two different countries . Raavan and his actions were defined as evil and the triumph of Ram or the good is what we are celebrating today . Then came Dwapar yug where the fight was within members of same family, the Pandavas and the Kauravas . In this yuga the actions of the Kauravas were defined as evil and the Pandavas won against the evil again marking the triumph of good over evil . The fourth Yuga is Kaliyug , the time we live in . Evil now is closer than we ever imagined. From worlds apart to countries apart and then to being present in the same family the good and evil now reside in the same body.

EVIL in Kaliyug 

As said earlier in Kaliyug evil resides within us. As per our ancient texts, the evil within is described in 6 categories and every wrongdoing can be traced back to one of these feelings. These are known as the SHATVIKAR.

KAM or Lust 

KRODH or Anger

LOBH or Greed

MAD or Pride

MOH or Attachment

&

MATSAR or Jealousy

It is also said that these open the door to hell for a human. Any wrongdoing can be traced back to these feelings and these are the Raavan we need to burn on Dussehra. Burning or Raavan is not just a festival. In fact, the only contribution it has is a hazard to the environment if we do not understand its cultural value. This is the cultural value - When you burn the Statues of Raavan outside, burn the Shatvikar within. 

Today we need to fight the evil within. Today we need to burn not the statues of Raavan but the Raavan within. The fight with evil is closer than it was ever before and we need to identify it and kill it before it kills the good in us. 

'Acchai ki jeet aur burai ki haar'. Dussehra is celebrated as the triumph of good over evil. So when the evil within is burnt there must also be good that is born. And hence the time now is to incorporate the 7 virtues of the soul :

PAVITRATA or Purity

PREM or Love

SHANTI or Peace

GYAN or Knowledge 

SHAKTI or Power 

ANAND or Happiness 

SUKH or Bliss

Developing these 7 qualities within every individual will bring back the Ram Rajya.  Let's Begin today. Kill the Raavan within and awaken the Ram.

Ram begins with 'Ra' and so does Raavan. The beginning is the same for all but the Karma decides the rest.


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Divya