Dashrath Nanndana Ram-Dashanan Ravan

"The Balance of Dharma — A Poetic Reflection"

Art and Concept: Swati Balivada

Without Ravana, there is no Ramayana,

No echo of Rama’s valour,

No light to show the depth of love for Sita,

No waves to rise against the still ocean of fate.

Rama and Ravana—bound by karma, birthed a story eternal.

We must unlearn the myth that paints the South in shadow,

That colors intelligence as pale and evil as dark.

Ravana, born of Brahmin fire,

A scholar crowned with Shastra's pride,

Master of Vedas, Seer of Yuddha Neeti,

Even in death, he taught—

As Lakshman knelt at his feet,

He gave knowledge, not vengeance.

That, too, was dharma.

Ravana chose his moment of death,

Not as a vanquished king—but as a Brahmin sage,

Fulfilling the sanctity of time and teaching.

He knew the path was wrong,

Yet he walked it—for a sister's broken pride.

Shoorpanakha, flawed and fiery,

But still blood

And blood demands duty,

Even when dharma trembles.

He kidnapped Sita, yes,

But never once crossed her grace.

They say it was a curse,

I say it was his code.

Today, in an age where laws tremble before lust,

Where crimes are cursed yet continue

Ravana, too, would have stood with Rama,

Against the demons of this world.

In my painting—Sita waits in Ashoka Vanam,

Serene, strong, enduring.

Hanuman kneels, 

offering Rama’s ring- 

A symbol of hope,

A message across oceans.

On the other shore, Rama readies—not for war alone,

But for balance, for truth, for love.

We often judge the epic too quickly,

Forget the weight of roles and wounds.

Yes, Shoorpanakha was wrong.

Yes, vengeance was misplaced.

But in the chaos of right and wrong,

The story was born.

Let us see both Rama and Ravana not just as rivals—

But as forces that shaped each other.

A hero is known by the challenges he faces,

And a villain, sometimes,

Is simply a brother bound by blood.