By Pt. Amitabh Sharma
Yogas, choices, action-the real path to triumph or downfall lies in the chart and character
Every Vijayadashami, as effigies of Ravana fall and the tale of Ram’s victory resonates across India and beyond, we are reminded that good and evil are complex, lived dynamics-never a simple black and white. Both Ram and Ravana were scions of immortal lineages. Each possessed immense talent, wisdom and drive. Their lives, shaped by yogas and planetary signals, remind us that fate is sculpted not only by stars but by the values one chooses.
Ram was the gentle sun of Raghu’s dynasty, ever shining with discipline, grace and resolve. Ravana was the proud summit of Pulastya’s house, brimming with knowledge and assertion but always on the edge of downfall. Both wielded astrology’s powers and both experienced the full range of life’s glories and challenges.
Ram was born under Cancer ascendant, in Punarvasu nakshatra, with exalted placements of five planets. Jupiter and Moon together form Gajakesari Yoga, the astrological signature of wisdom and compassionate command. Exalted Venus, Saturn, Mars and Sun furnished courage, grace, balance and moral conviction. His upbringing reflected this: strict discipline, yet tenderness, careful learning and deep connection to siblings and parents.
Ram’s chart gifted him a balance between strength and empathy. Even his periods of exile or loss, inflicted by Saturn’s and Mars’s influence, were turned into opportunities for dignified leadership and deep reflection. His relationships, while tested, endured because of the aligned power of Venus, Mercury and Jupiter.
Ravana’s Libra ascendant brought together exalted Saturn and Moon, creating Visha Yoga, the hallmark of genius but also volatility and pride. With the Sun’s intensity, he projected both brilliance and self-centered purpose. Mercury and Venus together, while bestowing artistry and intelligence, also let restlessness and sensuality undermine his foundations.
The benefits of his chart were manifest-Ravana’s smarts, learning, power and success were undeniable. Yet, as every story notes, his passions and his defiance proved his undoing. Mercury’s placement in the sixth house, coupled with unbridled Venusian energy, sowed the seeds of his eventual fall.
Ram’s yogas made him an upholder of virtue and ethical clarity. His network-friends, allies and supporters-trusted his wisdom, saw justice in his ways and followed him in adversity. He balanced the thrill of war with appeal to conscience and openness to counsel.
Ravana, for all his wisdom, let dogma harden into stubbornness and desire become ego. The brilliance that could have built moral power was dispersed in indulgence and dominance. His literary gifts, his mighty mind, all fell to anger, pride and disastrous choices.
Ram was shaped by nurture, collaboration and perseverance. His hardships in marriage and exile (a result of planetary placements) were endured with grace, with brothers and sons standing as steadfast allies. He grieved deeply but chose unity, trust and reconciliation each time.
Ravana’s family was marked by strife and ambition. The same Saturn that gave him endurance lent a chill to familial bonds. His mother’s ambition, his sister’s passions and his inability to contain his lusts and angers splintered what could have been unity.
Attribute | Ram | Ravana |
---|---|---|
Ascendant Yoga | Gaja-Kesari (Jupiter+Moon) | Visha Yoga (Saturn+Moon) |
Learning | Guided by wisdom, dialogue | Learning but restless |
Marriage | Endurance amid loss, faith | Discord, indulgence |
Family | Bridge-building, unity focus | Conflict, ambition |
Response | Balanced, wise, compassionate | Impulsive, proud |
Desires | Controlled, focused | Excess, self-destruction |
Fate | Turned hardship to legacy | Let power erode morals |
Ravana’s passions, sparked by restless Venus and sharp Mercury, diverted his talent into sensuality, arrogance and rebellion. Ram-with steady Jupiter, Moon and Venus-showed how to wield desire, emotion and adversity for constructive ends. Shabari, faithful to her hope, Hanuman’s unmatched loyalty, Jatayu’s sacrifice, even Vibhishana’s humility-all reflect how well-guided souls rise above fated trials.
Astrology can set the field but choices tip the scales. Ram’s chart, with its rare yogas, provided both test and support. Ravana’s genius could not counter his pride and misdirection. When internal policy, self-restraint and justice are embraced, one finds harmony, perseverance and the capacity to weather all storms.
Sphere | Ram | Ravana | Historical Echo |
---|---|---|---|
Learning | Openness, wisdom, humility | Arrogance, innovation | Vashishta vs Pushkara |
Power | Duty, compassion, trust | Fear-based dominance | Rama Rajya, Lanka’s empire |
Family | Reconciliation, loyalty, support | Fraction, rivalry, conflict | Bharat, Vibhishana |
Great Battles | Justice for greater good | Rage, vengeance, self-focus | Vanquishing evil |
Liberation | Sacrifice, renunciation, fulfillment | Obsession, clinging, loss | Forest exile, final peace |
Ram’s Gaja-Kesari Yoga and clarity turned challenge into opportunity and left behind a path for others. Ravana’s Visha Yoga, left untamed, became the architect of his own fall. Policy, self-awareness and humility remain stronger than any planetary fate.
Q1. Could greatness or downfall have changed in either case?
The best charts can unravel under hubris, while wise action and control can uplift any fate.
Q2. Did Ram succeed only because of stars?
No, his steadiness and faith made fate serve virtue. Character is destiny.
Q3. Are planets or yogas decisive?
Chart positions open doors but only self-mastery and decision frame what lies beyond.
Q4. Is the struggle still relevant today?
Absolutely. Every conflict, failure or chance for courage mirrors these age-old, cosmic patterns.
Q5. What are the real keys to leadership and progress?
Clarity, active listening, humility, perseverance and self-control-the foundations of all lasting success.
Experience: 32
Consults About: Life, Career, Health
Clients In: Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Himanchal Pradesh
Share this article with friends and family