Raavan: Enemy of Aryavarta (Ram Chandra #3)

by Amish Tripathi

Why does the soul insist on hanging on to the body until the absolute last minute? Even when death is clearly the better alternative?

According to the ancients, this was the highest form of divinity that humans were capable of understanding. For the Saakshin Vishnu was the Primal Being. Floating through time. Witnessing it all, as people lived their lives and the universe breathed its karma.

‘Witness me, My Lord.’ Witness me as I carry out the greatest karma of my life.

Raavan smiled. ‘Always remember why we are strong, why we are successful. Because we don’t fool ourselves that we are honourable or good. We know who we are. We accept it. We embrace it. That’s why we beat everyone. That’s why we will continue to beat everyone.’

‘All of us have been through times when life seemed unfair. In such situations, we can choose to see ourselves as victims and blame the rest of the world. We can drown ourselves in the false comfort of knowing we are not responsible for our difficulties and expect others to change our lives. Or, we can pick ourselves up. Be strong. And fight the world.’

‘Dharma is complicated. It is often not about the what, but the why.

‘Everyone is struggling… I suppose we must try to understand and learn, rather than judge.’

‘Guilt? She must have known that she did not do right by Vali and wanted to confess to him before her death.’ ‘How incredibly selfish! To cleanse her own soul of bad karma, she confessed to her son and gifted him a lifetime of trauma.’