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| Illustration by Gemini AI |
Ravana was not the only individual to own an aircraft back then.
One must salute Valmiki for imagining
a flying palace like the Pushpak. It is a marvel of engineering that could
become a reality in our times with the soaring sophistication of technology,
thanks to the brilliance of the human brain. Vishwakarma, the celestial
architect of the gods, created this amazing aircraft which could soar across
the skies, change size at will, and travel anywhere simply through the
intention of its rider. It was gifted to Kubera, the god of wealth.
Ravana was Kubera’s half-brother.
Having won certain boons from gods, Ravana went on a cosmic hunt. One of his
key targets was Alakapuri, Kubera’s opulent city in the Himalayas. He defeated
Kubera and seized the Pushpak Vimana. Though Kubera was the god of wealth, he
didn’t react like the wealthy people on the earth; he let the aircraft go.
Ravana used the aircraft for all his
ignoble forages into other people’s properties. The last of his immoral
adventure was the abduction of Sita. It is this aircraft that Jatayu intercepted without
success.
It is this very aircraft that
Vibhishana, Ravana’s brother, gifts to Rama at the end of the war in which
Ravana was vanquished and killed. Pushpak Vimana carries Rama, Sita, Lakshmana,
and a few others to Ayodhya. After reaching Ayodhya, Rama returns the aircraft
to its rightful owner, Kubera.
The Pushpak Vimana becomes a mythical
crucible where divine creation, demonic ambition, and human virtue intersect.
Kubera, Ravana, and Rama become symbols in a cosmic drama that surrounds the
Vimana.
It is interesting to note that the
Pushpak Vimana has companions in mythology. There are flying chariots, winged
horses, and celestial flights in the myths of other cultures too.
In Greek mythology, the master
craftsman Daedalus makes wings of feathers and wax to escape imprisonment with
his son Icarus. He advises Icarus not to fly too high; otherwise the sun’s heat
will melt the wax and damage the wings. However, exhilarated by the flight,
Icarus forgets his father’s counsel and flies high and higher. And the obvious
consequence follows: pride goes before a fall. Icarus’s wings cannot withstand
the sun’s heat and he plummets into the sea and drowns. The Icarian Sea is said
to have got its name from this young adventurer.
There are flying horses in Norse
mythology. They were used to carry the most valiant warriors who had fallen in
battle and bring them to the chief god, Odin.
In Egyptian mythology, Ra, the god of
the sun, sailed across the heavens during the day on an aircraft. At sunset, he
would descend into the underworld and continue his ‘flight’.
The Pushpak Vimana, like Daedalus’s
wings or Ra’s flying barge, is more than a mythological curiosity. It embodies
a timeless yearning – to rise above the mundane, to transcend human limits, to
journey between worlds.
I am tempted to look at the Pushpak
as much more than a mythological flying palace. We can draw some lessons from
it on the ethical use of technology. After completing his journey and restoring
dharma, Rama does not claim the aircraft as his own. He returns it to its
original owner from whom Ravana had taken it by force, by adharma.
The Pushpak, as an advanced and
unique technology then, offered Rama enormous possibilities. Yet Rama chooses
to advance dharma rather than his political power. He refuses to treat the
technology as a trophy he had won. He refuses to let it become an extension of
his ego.
Today, we live in an age of
unprecedented technological power – artificial intelligence, genetic
engineering, weapons of mass destruction, surveillance technologies, and a lot
more. Are they in the hands of Ravanas or Ramas today? Are even the upholders of
Rama Rajya today guided by dharma in their use of technology and power? Rama
teaches us that technology must serve dharma, not replace or override it. The
value of a tool lies not in its power, but in the hands that wield it and the
purpose it serves. 
If Ravana lived today... Gemini's answer
PS. I’m
participating in #BlogchatterA2Z. This
series looks at the Ramayana from various angles.
Tomorrow: The Quest for Sita
Previous Posts in this
series:
Chitrakoot: The Antithesis of Ayodhya
Loyalty: The Silent Strength of Ramayana
Hari OM
ReplyDeleteAn excellent take on this amazing craft... and your closing two sentences wrap it all together so well! The debate as to the benefits and dangers of all our technologies demonstrate is directed by those with altruistic versus avaricious motivations. YAM xx
Unfortunately, those with altruistic motives don't prefer politics.
DeleteYou have wonderfully interlinked the modern era technological advancements with that of int the mythology and it's right usage for betterment of humanity. I hope the Rama within the leaders of today always has an upper-hand on the Ravana within them.
ReplyDeleteKeeping Ravana under control is no easy job. Looks like another avatar is required.
DeleteI didn't know about the Greek and Egyptian mythology but your beginning lines grabbed my attention. "One must salute Valmiki for imagining a flying palace like the Pushpak." Why didn't we think about it before? I think the epics were our guiding lights in many aspects of the future. - Swarnali Nath (The Blissful Storyteller)
ReplyDeleteGood writers imagine big! What to say about epic writers?
Delete"The Pushpak Vimana becomes a mythical crucible where divine creation, demonic ambition, and human virtue intersect." A different perspective. Never saw this symbolism in pushpak vimana.
ReplyDeleteOne advantage of literary symbols is their amenability to multiple interpretations.
DeleteHas someone made a cartoon with that aircraft? Because if they haven't, it's high time someone did. The storytelling possibilities are endless.
ReplyDeleteOh there is an infinity of stories and cartoons on Ravana.
DeleteHumans are guided by their desires and dreams. Sooner or later, we chase and attain them. Perhaps the Pushpak was born from a similar longing-to soar through the skies like a bird. The Greek mythology around flight is fascinating as well. It might be a case of parallel imagination, since our admiration for birds has always inspired us.
ReplyDeleteThe discussion of dharma and adharma surrounding the Pushpak, especially in the stories of Rama, Ravana, and Kubera, is intriguing. In many ways, we carry aspects of all three within us. The balance between these qualities shapes who we become.
Epics like the Ramayana have so much to teach us because they widen our imaginations in so many directions.
Delete