Being Vibhishana
By Gaurav Tiwari
Gaurav Tiwari is the co-founder of Sutradhar, who has keen interest in Mahabharata, Ramayana and other ancient texts.
Vibhishana is probably the most misrepresented character of Ramayana. He is often portrayed as a weak and timid person who caused the destruction of his family. This cannot be far from the truth.
Let's analyze Vibhishana today:
- He was practicing Dharma while living in the middle of Adharmikas.
- He challenged his fearsome brother openly and defied his orders without any fear. Challenging Ravana required courage.
- He decided to side with Dharma against his own family. Given the historical data, everyone would have assumed victory for Ravana. Meaning, he was ready to sacrifice his own life for Dharma in the process.
- When Indrajeet brought maya Sita on the battlefield and killed her in front of Vanarasena, it was Vibhishana who saw through the maya and assured everyone to remain calm and focus on the task ahead.
- Vibhishana was one of the few people who remained conscious after Indrajeet's Brahmastra. He was the key to keeping Vanarasena in control even at their lowest point in the battle.
- It was Vibhishana who informed Shrirama and Lakshmana about Indrajeet's Nikumbhila sacrifice and was key to eliminating the biggest Rakshasa warrior fighting side-by-side with Lakshmana.
- Lanka's fate was sealed the day Ravana abducted Sita mata, Vibhishana switching sides, saved a few Rakshasa and ensured the kingdom of Lanka survived even after Ravana. That means Ghar Ka Bhedi Lanka Dhaye is the most inaccurate representation of Vibhishana's actions possible, kyonki Lanka ka dhahna to tay tha.
In the end, do you genuinely believe that Ravana would have prevailed over Shriram had Vibhishana not switched sides?
