A Question for Self-Reflection on the Occasion of Vijayadashami
by Prof. (Dr.) Manmohan Prakash
On the occasion of Vijayadashami, effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna, and Meghnad are burned in towns and cities across the country. Amid loud cheers and festive celebrations, the message of the triumph of good over evil is reiterated year after year. Yet, when the noise of the festivities subsides, one question continues to confront us: Will we continue to burn only Ravana’s effigy, or will we ever resolve to burn the Ravana within ourselves?
This question is not merely about religious faith or tradition. It concerns our personal conduct, social character, moral values, and human consciousness. Vijayadashami is not only an occasion to celebrate the victory of good over evil but also an opportunity to look within, acknowledge our weaknesses, and strive to overcome them.
The human race in the twenty-first century is scaling new heights in science, technology, and development. Smartphones connect us to the world, our reach extends into space, and technologies such as artificial intelligence are transforming our lives. We have made unprecedented progress in understanding nature, harnessing resources, and reshaping the material world. Yet, one fundamental question remains unanswered: Has our inner consciousness evolved at the same pace? Alongside technological advancement, have our thoughts become more liberal, our conduct more compassionate, and our character more firmly rooted in moral principles? While transforming the world around us, have we made any sincere effort to dispel the darkness within?
To find answers to these questions, we must examine not only the society around us but also our own conduct.
Ravana: A Symbol of Human Weaknesses
Ravana is not merely a character from the Ramayana; he can also be seen as a symbol of human weaknesses and uncontrolled impulses. His ten heads may be interpreted as representing evils such as arrogance, anger, greed, attachment, jealousy, deceit, hypocrisy, injustice, uncontrolled desire, and intolerance.
Ravana was learned, powerful, and exceptionally capable. Yet his arrogance, uncontrolled desires, and determination to follow the path of unrighteousness ultimately led to his downfall. His story offers us an important lesson: knowledge, power, and ability are not sufficient in themselves. They acquire true significance only when guided by wisdom, restraint, justice, and concern for the greater good.
The question is whether humanity today is living up to this ideal.
Ironically, modern human beings constantly strive to acquire knowledge, prestige, wealth, and power, yet often allow the very evils they symbolically burn in Ravana’s effigy to flourish within themselves. We celebrate the destruction of evil while turning a blind eye to the evils that continue to grow in our own lives.
The Contradictions in Our Everyday Lives
Today, a person who delivers speeches against corruption may not hesitate to accept an improper benefit. Someone who preaches honesty may resort to dishonesty when an opportunity arises. In a society that speaks of respecting women, incidents of humiliation, discrimination, and violence against women continue to surface. Even those who advocate truth and justice sometimes compromise these values when confronted with their own self-interest. Some who preach morality on social media are equally quick to spread falsehoods, bitterness, and hatred.
These contradictions compel us to reflect: Have we reduced the fight against evil to a symbolic ritual? Have we come to believe that burning Ravana’s effigy fulfils our responsibility, even as we continue to nurture the same evils in our own conduct?
Vijayadashami reminds us that no matter how powerful injustice and unrighteousness may appear, the courage to stand for truth and righteousness ultimately makes the difference. However, this message becomes meaningful only when it is reflected in our daily lives.
If, after Ravana’s effigy has been burned, our arrogance remains unchanged, deceit and dishonesty continue to shape our behaviour, and our insensitivity towards the rights of others persists, we must seriously reconsider the true purpose of our celebration.
The problem does not lie in burning Ravana’s effigy. The problem is that we often keep alive within ourselves the very traits he symbolises. Burning the external Ravana is easy because he stands before us as an effigy. Burning the Ravana within is far more difficult because each of his ten heads may be connected to some aspect of our own personality.
Recognising this inner Ravana requires courage, acknowledging it demands honesty, and overcoming it calls for constant self-discipline.
The Most Difficult Battle Is Within
It is easy to identify the faults of others but difficult to acknowledge our own shortcomings. We often disguise our anger as self-respect, our arrogance as dignity, our greed as necessity, and our selfishness as pragmatism. Rather than admit our mistakes, we find it easier to construct arguments to justify our misconduct. In doing so, we begin to defend our weaknesses instead of overcoming them.
True self-reflection begins when we find the courage to question ourselves rather than constantly questioning others.
Does my behaviour cause unnecessary pain to anyone? Do I disregard another person’s rights for my own benefit? Do I misuse my position, wealth, or influence? Do I extend the same respect and fair treatment to others that I expect for myself? Most importantly, do I practise in my private life the moral values I publicly profess to uphold?
The answers to these questions reveal our true character. A person’s morality cannot be judged merely by their thoughts, speeches, or public image. It is reflected in their behaviour, decisions, and actions, particularly when nobody is watching.
Evil is not confined to major crimes or grave acts of immorality. Insulting someone in need, exploiting the weak, envying another person’s success, spreading false rumours, using abusive language, damaging public property, or remaining silent in the face of injustice for personal gain also weakens our social character.
When such tendencies become accepted as normal behaviour, they gradually become part of society’s collective consciousness.
The moral decline of a society does not begin only when serious crimes are committed. It also begins when people accept small acts of dishonesty as commonplace, become indifferent to injustice, and compromise their principles for personal gain.
Therefore, recognising the Ravana within us means confronting not only major evils but also controlling the small weaknesses that gradually corrupt our personalities and social life.
Individual Transformation Can Change Society
Positive social change cannot be achieved through laws, speeches, and campaigns alone. Although these have their own importance, their success also depends on changes in individual attitudes and conduct.
If every person fulfils their responsibilities honestly, respects the rights of others, places collective welfare above personal interests, and stands up for truth, meaningful positive changes in society become possible.
Values nurtured within families, moral awareness imparted through education, transparency in public life, and sensitivity in social interactions are all essential pillars of the transformation we seek.
This does not mean that our traditions are meaningless or that burning Ravana’s effigy has no significance. Festivals are important expressions of our cultural consciousness, collective memory, and social unity. The real requirement is to ensure that the outward form of celebration remains connected to its inner message.
The burning of Ravana’s effigy should inspire us to stand against unrighteousness, resist injustice, overcome our inner weaknesses, and uphold the truth. If the tradition becomes confined to fireworks, entertainment, and formal observance, we risk losing an important dimension of its deeper moral significance.
The Relevance of Lord Rama’s Ideals
The ideals represented by Lord Rama are equally relevant in this context. Commitment to righteousness, a sense of duty, self-restraint, truth, and justice remain as essential today as they have ever been.
The true meaning of remembering Lord Rama’s ideals lies not merely in chanting his name but in incorporating those values into our own conduct. If we wish to see truth prevail, we must be truthful ourselves. If we aspire to build a just society, we must practise justice in our own dealings. And if we expect others to uphold dignity and restraint, we must demonstrate these qualities in our own behaviour.
The true message of Vijayadashami lies in this very process of self-transformation. The festival encourages us to look within before compiling a list of other people’s faults. It reminds us that the most difficult struggle in life is often not against an external enemy but against our own weaknesses, desires, and ego.
Victory in this struggle does not require grand ceremonies. It requires small, sincere, and sustained efforts.
Let This Vijayadashami Begin a New Journey
This Vijayadashami, let us resolve to give up at least one bad habit, correct one personal failing, oppose an act of injustice, and help someone in need. Let us cultivate honesty in our conduct, openness in our thinking, and compassion in our relationships.
If we make these sincere efforts, the message of Vijayadashami will no longer remain a celebration confined to a single day; it will become a guiding principle that shapes the course of our lives.
On this Vijayadashami, we must ask ourselves one essential question: Will we remain mere spectators watching Ravana’s effigy burn, or will we become seekers who recognise the evils within ourselves and strive to overcome them?
Ultimately, the question is not when Ravana will be burned again next year. The real question is when we will resolve to eliminate the arrogance, greed, deceit, injustice, and insensitivity within ourselves.
The day we genuinely stand up against the evils within us will be the day Vijayadashami acquires its true meaning in our lives.
