New doors open to the mystery of Rawana

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.