Why Asuras Saw No Wrong in Ravana’s Act: Power, Dharma, and the Ramayana
Two Worldviews, One Moral Conflict
The Ramayana presents a profound contrast between two systems of values: the Dharma of the Devas and humans, rooted in righteousness, restraint, and duty, and the Asura Dharma, which is driven primarily by power, conquest, and dominance. Ravana’s kidnapping of Sita is not merely a personal crime but a symbolic act that exposes this clash of worldviews. While to Rama and the world of Dharma it was a grave sin, to Ravana and many Asuras it was an expression of strength and entitlement.
Asura Dharma: Might Is Right
In Asura society, authority flowed from physical and political power. Victory validated action. If one could defeat another, then one had the right to possess whatever the defeated owned, including land, wealth, and even relationships. This mindset did not require moral justification beyond capability.
Ravana himself articulates this worldview when he says to Sita:
“I am the lord of the three worlds, feared by gods and demons alike. Who can oppose my will?”
Ramayana, Aranya Kanda, Chapter 56
For Ravana, power itself was righteousness. Possession followed conquest. In such a system, taking another man’s wife was not inherently sinful if the man was defeated or powerless to resist.
Rama’s Dharma: Protection, Restraint, and Justice
Rama represents a completely different ideal. He stands for Maryada Purushottama, the highest embodiment of moral conduct. To him, strength exists to protect righteousness, not to dominate others.
Rama declares:
“Dharma protects those who protect Dharma.”
Ramayana, Ayodhya Kanda, Chapter 109
For Rama, Sita is not a possession but a sacred partner. Her dignity, consent, and safety are paramount. Ravana’s act therefore becomes not only a personal crime but an attack on cosmic order.
Why Asuras Saw Nothing Wrong
Asuras believed that moral laws were creations of the weak to restrain the strong. In their view:
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Desire was natural and should not be suppressed.
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Power justified ownership.
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Victory erased moral objections.
Thus, Ravana’s court did not initially see his act as sinful. It was only strategic consequences they feared, not ethical ones. Even then, voices like Vibhishana opposed Ravana not on power alone but on Dharma:
“Adharma brings destruction. One must return Sita to Rama.”
Ramayana, Yuddha Kanda, Chapter 11
This shows that even among Asuras, Dharma still had a voice, though often ignored.
Symbolism of the Abduction
Sita symbolizes purity, consciousness, and divine order. Ravana symbolizes uncontrolled ego and desire. The kidnapping represents the attempt of ego to dominate purity through force. Rama’s victory signifies that Dharma ultimately overcomes brute power.
The Same Problem, Different Methods
All societies seek to regulate desire, power, and relationships.
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Asura Dharma relied on force.
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Dharma-based societies relied on ethics and law.
The goal was the same: social order. The difference lay in method. One protected order through righteousness, the other through fear.
Lessons for Life
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Power without morality leads to destruction.
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True strength protects, it does not exploit.
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Desire must be governed by restraint.
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Dharma is not weakness; it is higher discipline.
Ravana was mighty but fell because his strength lacked humility. Rama was restrained yet invincible because his strength was aligned with truth.
Dharma Is Not Validated By Strength
Asuras saw nothing wrong in Ravana’s kidnapping of Sita because their worldview equated power with justice. The Ramayana teaches that such a philosophy is incomplete and dangerous. Dharma is not validated by strength; strength is validated by Dharma. The epic reminds humanity that civilizations survive not through dominance, but through righteousness, restraint, and respect for the sacred dignity of all beings.