The battle between good and evil is epitomized in the tale of Rama and Ravana. Ravana is the immortal demon king who kidnaps and imprisons Sita, the lover of Rama. He is extremely powerful and has vanquished numerous foes until Rama comes along.

Rama is the embodiment of good, being an avatar of the god Vishnu. He is the champion of the people and represents good and benevolence. He takes his rightful place of power after stringing Shiva's bow, revealing his strength and allowing him to combat Ravana.

Rama is able to do what no one else had—defeat Ravana, and in so doing, he overcomes evil and reclaims his love, Sita. This moment is the pinnacle of the story and shows the tremendous triumph over seemingly indestructible evil.

India is a very devout culture that believes good and evil actions determine our fate every day and through eternity. The ability to triumph over evil is extremely important for them, because they believe that one must withstand and triumph over it to advance in each subsequent reincarnation. Their devotion to the gods—Vishnu, Shiva, and the myriad others—is an attempt to curry their favor and become more righteous by their actions. This event is celebrated because it represents the work Rama has done to overcome evil in the world.

Valmiki’s version of the Ramayana is one of the most enduring Sanskrit texts of all time. Throughout the epic, Rama battles gods and mortals, endures exile, and strives to rescue his beloved wife Sita.

Rama, as an avatar of Vishnu, is a human form of deity; he embodies virtue. Ordered into exile by his royal father, while a half-brother serves as regent, Rama must prove himself before assuming the throne. One of his early glorious tasks is winning Sita’s hand in a contest set up by her father. His strength shows his value and his divinity. Once he enters exile, he wants to focus on his devotions, and establishes a hermitage so he can be near the holy man Agastya.

Evil, in contrast, is embodied in Ravana, the demon king who, among other misdeeds, kidnaps Sita. He deceives Rama by assuming the form of a deer. To get back his wife, Rama wages full-out war. He enlists the aid of the monkey people and their leader, Hanuman. Their combined forces lay siege to Ravana’s city-fortress and through many battles, finally win and rescue Sita.

Rama’s virtuous reputation is tainted, however, by jealousy. He wrongly suspects Sita of infidelity, and only through the Earth Mother’s intervention is her purity confirmed. The price, however, is his losing Sita when the Earth Mother reclaims her.