Understanding the many Ravanas

Known Unknowns

During my visits to Vijayawada as a child, I often heard names like Patamata Lanka and Krishna Lanka. Curious, I asked whether these were connected to Lanka in the Ramayana – the golden island ruled by Ravana. That was when I first learnt that in Telugu, Lanka means an island, usually one formed in the river’s flow. This learning made me wonder whether the Lanka of the Ramayana was Sri Lanka, as most believe, or some other island. And, like many Lankas, perhaps many Ravanas exist too.

In the mainstream imagination, Ravana is the ten-headed demon king whose arrogance and desire led to his downfall at the hands of Lord Rama. Yet, even Valmiki’s Ramayana describes him as more than a villain: he was a learned scholar, a master of the Vedas and music, a ruler of rare administrative ability, and a devoted follower of Lord Shiva. His golden Lanka was prosperous and well-governed. His undoing lay not in ignorance but in pride – the belief that his brilliance placed him beyond moral restraint.

Other retellings add further layers. The Ananda Ramayana and some Jain texts portray him as a noble monarch undone by destiny rather than vice. In Sri Lankan and Tamil traditions, Ravana is remembered as a warrior-king, healer, and inventor, said to have mastered aerial travel through the Pushpaka Vimana. These diverse portrayals suggest that Ravana’s story has long been open to interpretation and shaped by culture, geography, and time.

Across several regions of India, particularly in the south and central heartlands, Ravana is remembered with nuance and even respect. In Andhra and Telangana, elders speak of his deep devotion to Shiva – the very act that sanctified Rameswaram. In parts of Karnataka, his Ravana Dandakam is sung as a hymn. In Tamil folklore, he is often seen as a tragic hero whose strength and scholarship could not overcome fate.

Among the Gond communities of central India, the narrative takes an even more striking turn. For the Gonds of Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli and Chhattisgarh’s Bastar regions, Ravana is not a demon but an ancestral king. During the Dussehra of Paraswadi, they raise a tall wooden image of Ravana to honour him.

Such traditions reveal how India’s cultural landscape accommodates multiple truths. This diversity speaks to the depth of India’s storytelling heritage – one that allows space for both reverence and reflection.

Ravana’s life encapsulates the duality of human greatness. A scholar, musician, philosopher, and ruler, he embodied intellect and ambition. His Shiva Tandava Stotra remains one of the most profound hymns of devotion ever composed. Yet, his extraordinary gifts were matched by an equally powerful ego. His refusal to yield to wisdom, even from his brother Vibhishana, led him into conflict beyond repair.

In the end, his downfall was not caused by weakness but by an excess of talent, confidence, and pride. His story is a reminder that strength without humility can corrode even the most brilliant mind.

Ravana demonstrates how intellect, discipline, and innovation can build a flourishing realm – yet also how self-assurance can slide into arrogance. Surrounded by courtiers who echoed his thoughts, he silenced the one voice of dissent that could have saved him.

For modern organisations, the message is clear: when leaders stop listening, empires – corporate or otherwise – begin to erode from within. Vision must be paired with humility; conviction balanced by empathy. Leadership is not about being infallible but about creating an environment where truth can be spoken freely.

Ravana also exemplifies the tension between individual brilliance and collective good. His unchecked pursuit of power turned knowledge into destruction. Sustainable leadership demands a balance between ambition and responsibility. This is the very balance that the Ramayana ultimately upholds.

Ravana endures because he is more than an antagonist. He is intellect and ego, devotion and defiance, strength and solitude – humanity writ large. To understand him is to confront the fine line between aspiration and arrogance that every generation must navigate.

And perhaps that is why his story continues to resonate – from the islands of Krishna Lanka to the forests of Bastar, from Rameswaram’s shrines to Sri Lanka’s hills. Ravana’s legend reminds us that greatness without humility courts ruin – and that wisdom, wherever it arises, is worth listening to.

(The writer is the former CTO of Tata Group and founder of AI company Myelin Foundry is driven to peel off known facts to discover unknown layers.)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.