Epics of India Storybook

Shiva sat upon the summit of the great mountain. He enjoyed the cool air breezing passed him, as he sipped his wine and ate his ganja. He had just imprisoned the demon king Ravana beneath this mountain: Ravana had committed all kinds of evil, and Shiva felt that imprisoning him was a good thing for the universe.

As Shiva sat, a sweet voice singing softly came to him in the breeze. Shiva could not hear the words of the song, but the sound painted a picture in his mind. He saw the complete life of the universe in a single, repeating moment: its beginning as a breath exhaled by Vishnu, its growth and evolution as it filled with life through Brahma’s creation, its four ages passing as it became corrupt, its ultimate destruction through Shiva’s own work. The voice grew, and the words gradually became audible—the themes of the song filled Shiva’s spirit. The song emphasised the unity of all creation as a manifestion of the One: it showed that even the most evil and ugly creatures contain the beauty of divinity. The song praised the destructive work of Shiva for purifying the universe of evil: it showed that all destructive forces participate in this purification. The song prompted all living things, gods and humans and monkeys and demons alike, to play their role in the maintaining the harmony and the beauty of the universe. The song pleased Shiva because it agreed with his own understanding of the meaning of the universe—and to a small degree because it glorified his importance in the lifecycle of the universe.

The song continued, day after day: it never was quite the same, yet it continually wove the same themes into a musical tapestry. After some time, Shiva realized that the voice must be that of the demon Ravana, imprisoned beneath him. This surprised him at first, that such beauty could come from such an evil creature. As the themes continued to nourish his spirit over the years, he realized his error: Ravana, too, was a manifestation of the One; Ravana’s destructive work shared the purifying aspect of his own; all creatures must participate in creating beauty in the universe. Over time Shiva felt remorse at interferring with nature, with keeping this creature from playing his part in the harmony of the universe. With a smile on his face and with joy in his heart, Shiva released Ravana from beneath the mountain.