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?

The lotus was a flower that retained its fragrance and beauty even while growing in slush and dirty water. It posed a silent challenge to the humans who visited the temple, to be true to their dharma even if those around them were not.

Freedom from judgement. Freedom from expectations. Freedom from right and wrong. Freedom from Gods and Demons. Freedom to be oneself. And revel in the union with Lord Rudra.

Use people before they can use you. Most people in the world are contemptible. Many hide behind pretentions. The ones who succeed are the ones who are honest with themselves.

Be clear about what you want. But hide it well. It will help you get what you want.’

‘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.’

There is a lion and a deer within each of us. Only if we nurture the lion will we make something of ourselves. If we indulge the deer, we’ll be running and hiding all our lives.’

In the field of dharma, intentions matter as much, if not more, than the act itself. But one thing is clear. Only if you put your duty above yourself do you even have a chance of attaining a life of dharma. Selfishness is the one thing that’s guaranteed to take you away from it.’

‘Swatatva, in old Sanskrit. Literally, the essence of your Self. Or more simply, your Being.’

‘When you start on the most important journey of your life, you cannot be dependent on anyone else. For you would be binding your purpose, your swadharma, to the fate of another person. That is dangerous. Especially for someone as important as you are.’

‘What you term a monster is the fire every successful man has within him,’ continued Vedavati. ‘A fire that will not let him rest. A fire that drives him to work hard. To be smart. To be relentless. Focused. Disciplined. For those are the ingredients of success. That fire is like a monster that will not allow you to lead an ordinary life. But there is one thing that differentiates a successful man from a great man. One key thing: Does the monster control you or do you control the monster? Without the monster, you would have been ordinary. With the monster, you have a chance to attain greatness. Not a guarantee, but a chance. To seize that chance, you need to control the monster and use your unique and enormous abilities, in the cause of dharma.’