Asura: Tale Of The Vanquished, The Story of Ravana and His People QUOTES

41 " There were a million stars. Were they the gods? They seemed so far away, cold, indifferent and irrelevant – silent witnesses to the drama unfolding on a tiny rock called earth. There "

― Anand Neelakantan , Asura: Tale Of The Vanquished, The Story of Ravana and His People

42 " Fear is not an emotion, it is a disease. It spreads from the leader to his followers and vice–versa. Nothing has killed more men in war than fear. "

― Anand Neelakantan , Asura: Tale Of The Vanquished, The Story of Ravana and His People

43 " Later, much later, I became a real leader, and then I was sure that all good ideas emanated from me and the bad and foolish ideas had some other father. "

― Anand Neelakantan , Asura: Tale Of The Vanquished, The Story of Ravana and His People

44 " Anger is the lowest emotion. It clouds the intellect and can make you do foolish things. You become blind to reason and react only with your body, without thinking. "

― Anand Neelakantan , Asura: Tale Of The Vanquished, The Story of Ravana and His People

45 " The rich did not care who ruled, as long as they were allowed to be rich. The poor could not afford to care and nobody asked their opinion in any case. Only the middle class mattered and any half-witted ruler knows how to pamper them. One "

― Anand Neelakantan , Asura: Tale Of The Vanquished, The Story of Ravana and His People

46 " was no dearth of gods in my country. It only lacked men. "

― Anand Neelakantan , Asura: Tale Of The Vanquished, The Story of Ravana and His People

47 " Then who would ever now the passions and ambitions I held close to my heart? "

― Anand Neelakantan , Asura: Tale Of The Vanquished, The Story of Ravana and His People

48 " They were no fools-these Brahmins. They knew how to project even the mundane tasks of burning twigs as earth-shaking, scientific discoveries and claimed to tame the forces that controlled the world. "

― Anand Neelakantan , Asura: Tale Of The Vanquished, The Story of Ravana and His People

49 " Many worldly-wise people have said so, to get along in the world you had to be practical and satisfied with what your measly life offers. But I was a dreamer. And I did not want to just get along in this world. I wanted to own it. "

― Anand Neelakantan , Asura: Tale Of The Vanquished, The Story of Ravana and His People

50 " So it gave us great pleasure to slay the men and take the women. Sometimes I felt we were no different from the rampaging Deva army which had trampled my village. But then, peer pressure is something which even great men find hard to resist. It was easier to succumb to temptation than raise oneself to the chivalrous act usually heard about only in legends and fairy tales. After all, they were just Devas and deserved to be hated, irrespective of their social standing. Like any other Asura, I too was quite sure of that. "

― Anand Neelakantan , Asura: Tale Of The Vanquished, The Story of Ravana and His People

51 " The real meaning of the sacred texts gave me greater determination to attack evils like caste, animal sacrifices and other rituals being propagated by the priestly class. I was determined to curb meaningless rituals and sacrifices and put an end to the curse of caste. We "

― Anand Neelakantan , Asura: Tale Of The Vanquished, The Story of Ravana and His People

52 " वर्षों तक भारत के निर्जन वन प्रांतरों में भटकती ही रहेगी। और फिर जातियों व कबीलों का परस्पर संयोग आरंभ हुआ। कोई भी निश्चित रूप से यह दावा नहीं कर सकता था कि उसकी रगों में विशुद्ध देव रक्त था या असुर रक्त दौड़ रहा था। गहरे श्यामल असुरों का संयोग हल्के सुनहरे वर्ण के देवों से हुआ, और इस तरह कई प्रकार की रंगत वाली संतानों ने जन्म लिया। इसी प्रकार गंधर्वों की सुनहरी व पीली रंगत, किन्नरों का विशुद्ध श्वेत रंग तथा यक्षों की गहरी काली रंगत आपस में घुल-मिल गए। प्रायः ऐसा पाया जाता कि कोई देव युवती गहरे काले रंग की होती और उसकी आँखों का रंग नीलिमायुक्त होता या किसी असुर व्यक्ति की चमड़ी का रंग सुनहरा और बालों का रंग भूरा होता। "

― Anand Neelakantan , Asura: Tale Of The Vanquished, The Story of Ravana and His People