The honors keep pouring in... ;) Was quoted in this DNA article about Ravana being a physician, written by my good friend Marisha...
http://epaper2.dnaindia.com/
Here's the weblink
http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-did-you-know-the-man-who-abducted-sita-was-a-legendary-doctor-2263133
Following are excerpts from what I wrote, in a decidedly not-too-heavy vein, to Marisha when she asked me about Ravana...
"So, Ravana.
What you've heard so far is right, the Rakshasa Raja is credited with the composition of books on Arka (which are medicines prepared by the technique of distillation), as well as Nadi Pariksha (the art of pulse-diagnosis). Ravana's book on the latter is much more accurate and followed by practitioners of the technique, more than Kanada Muni's Nadi pariksha.
He could just feel up your wrist and mix you up a good stiff one to cure you of of all your ills, and this makes him the bespoke drinks guy your bartender will never be able to live up to, but Ravana was much more than that. He could tell you when you would be coming in for the drink - he was a top notch astrologer (said to have written the Ravana Samhita, not available now). He was a descendant of Brahma (family achi hai, beta), was tall, dark and handsome. Job bhi badiya - Ruler of all he purveyed, apparently, the sun rose when he wanted it to. (That's what the legend says). He invented the Rudra veena and played it so beautifully that his concerts were standing room only, and that too for Gods, while the common folks could catch strains of his playing outside the stadium or something. The common folks of Lanka hadn't much cause for complain though, for it is said that during his reign, the poorest of the poor ate food fit for kings from golden plates (how practical are golden plates for eating, has anyone done research on that? Would be a good idea for a future write-up, seeing how often golden plates come up as symbols of affluence in all these ancient texts). He had mastered the 4 vedas and the 6 shastras, was a Maha Brahman ( one of my Siddha teachers says he was addressed thus by his nemesis, Sri Rama), had knowledge of the 64 arts (which, for the record, includes sutra-krida — art of playing with thread - embroidery in plain speak. Ravana, doing embroidery, putting in a couple of dolphins on his favorite nightshirt as he looks out to the sea anticipating Rama's arrival and his imminent death at his hands is a strong, poignant image, isn't it?) (his 20 eyes, would they have helped thread the needle?)
Ravana was also old. Really old. Some say tens of thousands of years old. And he still looked like a fresh grape, not a withered raisin. Which brings us back to the question of 'What was he putting in those drinks of his?'
You no doubt know about the legend of Jai and Vijai. How they met up, and travelled in their motorcycle, and avenged Sanjeev Kumar... Wait, that was Jai and Veeru, wasn't it? Okay... so you may most likely know about the legend of Jai and Vijai, guards of whimsical Vishnu, who were cursed by the divine Kumaras to become mortals, and chose to be born as enemies of the Lord so as to earn their salvation sooner (3 births) than they would as friends (7 births). Ravana and Kumbhakarna were Season2 of this 3 season limited show.
There are conspiracy theories you should know of, some from spoken lore. Ravana orchestrated his own death, carefully leaving out 'human' in the clause 'Cause of Death' from the Terms and Conditions of Immortality Agreement he got from the Gods. He was tired of being a goddamn immortal. Sita was his own daughter, who was prophesied to be the reason for his downfall at the time of birth, and unlike Kamsa who had no qualms killing children, he instead stuffed her inside a earthen pot and hurled it across the seas to be found by Janaka. (Maybe he wanted to meet his daughter and see just how well his son-in-law could look after her).. .and so forth
More than Ravana's connection to Ayurveda, which is undeniably there, what interests me is the influence the biggest villain in our mythology has on us. He has temples dedicated to him in various parts of India, stories are told that put spins of all kinds on Valmiki's version of events. In medicine, more than Ayurveda, it is the Siddha system of medicine that holds Ravana in high esteem. Many marma masters I trained with in the art of vital points and pulse reading speak of him reverentially as a master of the system.
Strictly speaking, in our shastras, it is said that the ideal physician would be an optimum combination of many qualities. Many of these were found in Ravan. It is said that Hanuman, when he first saw Raavan seated on his majestic throne as he entered his durbar, astounding in its opulence, thought that 'Here is one who could have ruled all three worlds had he but curbed his ego' or something to that effect. The same is true of Ayurveda. He could have been one of the brightest stars in the firmament of Ayurveda, but he was too preoccupied writing veena sonatas and spiriting away Sitas, a pursuit that cut short his career.
The best physician would be one who has overcome greed and ego and other such affections of the mind. Ravana, sadly, had not.
Marisha, Valmiki and VedVyas did not, in my humble unlearned opinion, mean for their heroes to be interpreted in black and white tones. They were master storytellers, who brought out many more shades of grey than Erika Mitchell in each of their characters. Their magnificent tales showed what man could aspire to, and all the flaws that even the best of us may have. Ravana was not merely a cause, he was an effect. What of? The Kumaras' wrath? The gatekeeper's steadfastness to their duties and the conceit which arises from a job well done? The fancies of Vishnu? Chaos? That is up to the reader's intelligence and his predicament at the time of reading. If Vishnu was all powerful, maybe he could have had the Jai and Vijai atone as sinning snails or something, and leave other innocent lives out of it. So many possibilities.
Ravana symbolizes the way our world is going right now. He was technically perfect, had ten brains (deca-core?) but one heart. (He is also symbolic of the way the iPhone is going right now, so much computing power, and just one lightning port to make good connections).
I rather like that last sentence. Raavan had ten brains, but just one heart.
It is more wisdom we need now. It was more wisdom that Ravana needed then.
But I like to think that he had it. His death was pre-mediated, and he was in on the script. It is said that before Shri Ram could cross the sea, he had to perform a yagna with his wife at his side and the rites done by the best Brahman in the world. The one person who answered said description of best in the world was Ravana, apparently, and so he was requested to do the honors. Ravana graciously came to Shri Ram at Rameshwaram, bringing Sita along with him to be seated with Rama, performed the ceremony, blessed Rama to be victorious (sealed his death warrant) and took off again with Janaki...
Again, Ravana - very complex character"
