Lessons in Leadership – Ravana
This Diwali gone by, I read and reread The Ramayana - The Epic, a play written by Gopal Sharman and enacted by Jalabala Vaidya. I had the privilege of seeing it decades ago at the NCPA in Mumbai and it left an impression on me. As I read it this Diwali, it set me thinking…
About Leaders. About Heroes and Villains. And perspectives. I was pushed to read about Ravana’s heroic son, Meghanad. A beautiful telling by the famous Bengali writer Michael Madhusudan Dutta.
I got to thinking of Ravana as a Leader.
Ravana was a good king, as some have said before me. Under his leadership Lanka was a prosperous nation and the envy of other nations, including Ayodhya. In fact, Dashratha and Rama were concerned about how well Ravana administered his nation, going so far as to say that Ayodhya’s citizens felt their own nation wanting as compared to Lanka.
There was opulence in Lanka. Its people lacked nothing. Lanka had a strong army that had conquered other nearby lands.
Ravana himself was a learned man, an author of many books, he was an accomplished musician as well. He was a devotee of Shiva and a man of principles; he had energy and passion. He was zealous about the way he led his nation and almost scornful of the Ayodhya way of life. Dashratha spoke of a simpler life, based more on need than greed, about balance and all things living together. Ravana on the other hand, spoke fervently about giving his people everything so they could lead a good life. If other nations were jealous of Lanka‘s prosperity, it made him happy.
Everything seemed to be on the up and up, but Ravana lost the war and his life. If he was such a good leader and he had such a great kingdom, why did he not win? He could have, and easily.
A crisis brings out the strengths and weaknesses of leaders. Ravana failed in more ways than one.
Even before the war there were signs that all was not well. Ravana was so intent and passionate on giving the best, providing for everything and more, at any cost, that he refused to see other points of view. He demanded compliance and berated anyone who did not subscribe to his way. Vibhishana, his brother, implored him to re-examine his headstrong ways. Seeking wise counsel was not Ravana’s way and only threats and insults prevailed. He was not serving his people but expected servility from them.
His arrogance and wish to be the Supreme Leader was pushing him towards a war with Ayodhya. Vibhishana implored Ravana to make peace with Ayodhya. “There is no profit in this war,” he told Ravana. Vibhishana reminded him that it was he, Ravana, who had said that “Civilized people make no wars. We fight for our gains in the minds of men – while fools and upstarts clash their swords”. But Ravana would have none of it. “They have been spoiling for a fight, challenging our supremacy,” he shouted back. Ravana failed to see where passion ended, and arrogance began.
As war became imminent, when Rama wanted to get Sita back, Ravana assumed that Rama would go all the way back to Ayodhya to get his army. He laughed and said that the army would be so tired (walking across half the sub-continent) by the time it reached the shores of Bharat, that the Lankan army would not even need to lift a sword to defeat them. He was so smug in the knowledge of what the enemy would do, how they would act, that he refused to listen to his own generals who were giving him different feedback.
Prahastha, the Commander-in-chief of the Lankan army knew that Rama had collaborated with the southern kingdoms to raise an army and that was a danger to Lanka. He told Vibhishana (Ravana’s brother) as much but didn’t want to tell Ravana. Ravana only wanted to hear how soon the army could vanquish the adversary and not about the changing scenario. Ravana, you see, was not very good at listening.
Hubris was his Achilles heel.
Another turning point in the war was when Ravana’s son Meghnad, a fierce and talented warrior, was killed. Lakshman found him unarmed, praying at a temple. Lakshman ignored the Kshatriya code of conduct and slayed a defenceless Meghnad and turned the tide in the war. Did Lakshman do the right thing by ignoring the Kshatriya code of conduct? Now, that’s another story.
Originally published November 2021