By Yogi Ashwini

Creation is run on energy. That energy is for all of us only, the question is, what is our desire and how much energy can we hold. Take the example of sun, sun is a phenomenal source of energy, the closer you go to it, the more heat is felt by you, but then how much heat do you desire and can bear, decides how close you can be to it. At times, even if one has the desire, it so happens, that as you near that energy, since you start reflecting that energy, the ego comes into play, and because of that ego you separate yourself from that energy thinking yourself to be the source of that energy. Similarly when you come close to the Guru, you start reflecting his radiance and energy, at that time if you take that glow to be your own, you err. The life cycle of Ravan is a perfect example.

Ravan, in a previous birth, was the gatekeeper of Lord Vishnu and lived in Vaikunth. Being so close to the Supreme Lord, his ego grew and he started wielding his power over others, deciding who could meet the Lord and who could not. Once he denied the entry to SanathKumars, the monks then cursed him to be separated from his Lord and be born on earth.

As Ravan, once again he started his journey, acquiring the gyan of the Vedas and various sciences of energy. Through his tapa and sadhna, he was able to access Lord Brahma, but then he desired not the Lord but a part of his shakti – the boon to be unconquered among devs and danavs (by now, he considered humans to be no match to him, and so did not ask for immunity from them). With his newfound shakti, he went to Kailash, and tried to lift the Kailash with his arm-strength. Lord Shiva, with a mere toe press pushed the mountain back in its place, crushing the hand of Ravan, indicating how every shaktiin the physical is limited and that reality is much beyond that. Ravan was humbled and began the tapasya of Lord Shiv…to access his power, again a desire for the physical. He was able to please the Lord, who granted him more power, and once again Ravan’s ego increased. This time to give him an indication, he was humiliated in the court of Janak, where despite his phenomenal power and boons from Lord Brahma and Lord Shiv combined, he was unable to lift the dhanush of Lord Shiva, which was lifted effortlessly by Rama, a mortal. Veiled by ego and avidya, Ravan left the court in anger, unable to identify his Lord, for the purpose of returning to whom he had taken a human birth. The Lord arranged for Ravan to meet him once again, this time in the battlefield…to not just be defeated but also slain, by a mere human being. All the power, all the vidyas, all the knowledge, and the armor-like body, brought to an end…with a single arrow that pierced his navel indicating the unreality of everything in the physical world, which comes to an end sooner or later.

Dussehra is the day that marks the end of Ravan inside us, so that we may return to the source, from where we started our journey. Regular practice of SanatanKriyaand AshtangYog, under the guidance of Guru takes a being through the experiences he desires and puts him on the path of final merger, the pleasure of which far exceeds the pleasure of any physical power or possession and is endless.

Yogi Ashwini is the Guiding Light of Dhyan Foundation and an authority on the Vedic Sciences. His book, 'Sanatan Kriya, The Ageless Dimension' is an acclaimed thesis on anti-ageing. Log onto to www.dhyanfoundation.com for more