Ravan is portrayed as one of the greatest villains of all time in pretty much all the versions of the Ramayana. Rudravan, however, is the story of Dashanan, the possessor of the wisdom of the ten, the first Brahmadaitya (Brahmin + Daitya) and the creator of the TretaYuga. This is a story of how one man’s goal turned from survival to conquest to vengeance and finally, to endless rage.
The tale begins with a prelude into how the dark forces were ending and how the union of the light and dark in a new world was the only way to escape death. This prelude is further accentuated by the tales of the many daitya lords and their struggle to find and open a portal on the new planet, earth, only to be destroyed the Vishnu and the protectors of the light, the devas. These daityas were banished to the world of Patal, never to return.
The narrative then moves on to the birth of Kuber, Ravan and his siblings, their humble beginnings and how each of them fall prey towards the ways of the world. We see Dashanan as a strong spirited boy, a follower of Dharma, a source of knowledge only to be tainted the troubled history of his lineage. In his quest to find himself, Dashanan leaves no stone unturned. His conversations with the Daitya king Sumali only strengthen his resolve to build a new TretaYuga where the forces of the light and dark would prosper in the age of coexistence rather than conquest. But, was it truly a world of balance if Ravan chose who could live?
The rest of the story revolves around how Ravan gains the favor of the lord of annihilation, Rudra and ascends the throne of Lanka. Ravan rose like the dark knight, defeating the devas and creating a place for his people, the people of the dark world. What was astounding at this point was that Dashanan would constantly strive to balance the forces of the light and dark, not once letting the dark forces get the better of him. Alas, Dashanan was the destined child, the prince that was promised and maybe it was this solid resolve that Shiv adored in his Ravan.
If I had to use an Avengers reference here, Ravan is the Thanos of this version of Ramayana. Just like the warlord Thanos Ravan’s sole purpose in life was to revive the dark and bring about a perfect balance between the light and the dark forces, for that was the only way for the Earth to evolve from SatyaYuga towards the TretaYuga.
Rudravan is not a pity story of how Ravan was vanquished by Ram. It is the bold story of how one man stood against a god, for the survival of his clan, only to consumed by his vengeance and lose to his rage. Ravan is every bit a human like you and we tend to emphasize with Ravan for he was probably just meant to play his part in the cosmic game.
The author does not try to humanize the story by eliminating the concept of magic. He instead sparks mischief by romanticizing and allowing the glamour of magic to play its part. This is quite evident in the portrayal of the various boons, the pushpak, the mystic powers held by the daityas and the devas alike and most of all, in the portal of the Patal world as being the barren wasteland, riddled with fire to be the lava underbelly of Earth.
Ramayana is viewed as the story of how light won over the dark, but Rudravan is a story of how one man’s infinite wisdom could not grant him infinite perception. Rudravan is the story of Rudra’s Ravan and the great war was not just a muse to save the world but to save Ravan from himself, to guard his honor and his soul.
Final Verdict: This is a fast-read, high on fantasy fiction and will appeal to anyone interested in Indian mythology. Most captivating prelude to the most epic tale, The Ramayana.