New doors open to the mystery of Rawana

By I Wayan Juniarta

DENPASAR, Bali (JP): Two scholars shed new light on the character of Rawana (or Ravana) during a three-day International Conference on Ramayana and Mahabharata held here last week.

Rawana is the embodiment of evil. It was Rawana who abducted the beautiful Sita -- the wife of Lord Wisnu's incarnation, Rama, and in doing so, this King of Alengka started a chain of tragic events that ended in the loss of his throne, and his life.

Many traditional storytellers, including wayang puppeteers, painters and sculptors, have been keen to illustrate Rawana as either a terrifying giant with a bad temper, or a 10-headed invincible being, yet vicious warrior.

In short, Rawana is definitely not the character Balinese children idolize, and no parents want their children to grow up to be like him either.

A Balinese literary scholar, Nyoman Suarjana, mentioned several facts that might change people's views on the greedy king Rahwana. In a paper, Suarjana described how Rawana, portrayed in the mask of Rawana, was worshiped and considered sacred at three temples in Baturiti village, Tabanan, some 45 kilometers north of Denpasar.

Those temples are Pura Pucak Kembar, Pura Pucak Padang Dawa and Pura Pucak Apuan. Those three, according to Suarjana, belong to the category of Kahyangan Jagat, meaning that all Balinese are responsible for the festivities and the well-being of those temples.

"At Pura Pucak Kembar, two Rawana masks exist. The older one was respectfully named Ratu Lingsir, who is accompanied by two servants, Delem and Sangut," Suarjana said.

At those temples, Rawana masks are placed side-by-side with those of other Ramayana characters, namely the monkey king Sugriwa, the white monkey warrior Anoman, Anggada, Meganada, Singanana, Nalalela and the servants Delem and Sangut.

It is interesting that the characters, who fought each other so bitterly in the Indian Ramayana epic, are "living together" in harmony, and have become common objects of worship in the agrarian village of Baturiti.

"It is the manifestation of the locals' ideal of equilibrium, where the opposite forces of worldly desires and spiritual aspirations balance each other," Suarjana said.

The locals believe that those deities saved Bali from the terror of the malicious Durgha Kala Joti Sarana. They also believe that parading the sacred masks around the village could dispel the threat of any plagues and misfortune.

"The locals interpret Rahwana as the source of life. 'Rah' meant blood and water, while 'Wana' means a thick forest," Suarjana said, adding that the farming culture of Baturiti is the base of the interpretation.

So, in Baturiti farmers' conception, Rahwana is no longer the king of the mighty army of Alengka, but Sedahan Agung, who controls the water sources and administrates the irrigation system. Meanwhile, Sugriwa is both master of the arts and the judicial system.

By the way, where is Rama, Sita, or Laksamana?

"The locals believe that those three have already reached a perfect purity level and should not be disturbed with worldly matters any more," Suarjana said.

According to the Wariga Winasa Sari text, Rama is now reigning at Pura Pucak Gunung Batur, and he is the one that holds the essence of the water of life, Amerta. Meanwhile, Laksamana is dwelling at Pura Pucak Tamblingan.

Prof. Emeritus Srisurang Poolthupya of Thamasat University, Thailand, was another speaker who shed light on Rahwana's character.

In Ramakien, the Thai version of Ramayana, Rahwana is called Dasakantha or Dasabaktra (10 faces). Dasakantha was a responsible youth, who at the age of 14, on his own initiative, asked for his father's permission to study under a learned sage, Goputra. He was a good student, and humbly served his guru, studied hard and could grasp all the necessary knowledge quickly.

He soon became skilled in archery and well-versed in the three holy Veda books, Poolthupya said.

When Dasakantha succeeded in removing his heart from his body, and put it in a casket guarded by Goputra, he became invulnerable and unconquerable.

Feeling assured of his prowess, the once good and respectful student became an aggressive man.

"Dasakantha, though a giant, personified a man who came to power and did not use it for the good. Power corrupted him. He was the most human of monsters. His failings were commonly found among men of high position," he said.

In the end, Dasakantha realized that he had committed so many sins. In the moments before his death, Dasakantha gave advice and asked for forgiveness from his younger brother Wibisana, the next king of Alengka.

"He repented before he died. Dasakantha fought bravely and died a tragic hero," Poolthupya said.