The battleline between good and evil runs through the heart of every man.

Times may change, but some principles are eternal — like the battle between good and evil. Doomsayers and cynics notwithstanding, good always triumphs. In India we celebrate this triumph as Dussehra.

The legend goes that on Dussehra, Sri Ram killed the great demon Ravan who had abducted his wife, Sita. Ravan is said to have 10 heads. They are, of course, symbolic of the 10 evil facets of his character. 'Dus' means 'ten' in Hindi and 'hara', means 'annihilated'. So Dussehra is the day on which the 10 facets of evil were destroyed.

His weakness for 'wanting to possess Sita' destroyed him. Yet, his enmity and obsession with Sri Ram fetched him liberation. For, Hindu scriptures insist that if you constantly think of the Lord, it will make you a candidate for release from the wheel of life and death.

In many parts of India, effigies of Ravan and his two brothers-in-arms are burnt amid much fanfare on Dussehra. It is preceded by days of Ramlila, where the story of Sri Ram is enacted. Floats are also taken out through the streets. Our legends are, of course, multi-layered. One must not forget that Ravan was a great scholar and a worshipper of Lord Shiva. Dussehra inspires us to continue to fight all that is negative in ourselves and the world.

"I've always identified with the warrior and good over evil, and you don't negotiate for good over evil, if you want peace and love, kill people that deny you that." ~ Ted Nugent