Rama - The story of a history
The immunity that plagued
Who else can be the reason behind the epic but for Ravana and what else can be the device by which he could be slain but for the deliberate flaw in the boons that he obtained not once, but twice! Every plan has its flaw, every design has its defect, every forte bears a foible and every fort has a niche. Like every other asura, Ravana stands in testimony to the fact that the performance of askesis, the practising of asceticism – particularly the one which is performed for the purpose of the attainment of material wealth, worldly power, longevity, et al – does not mean that the person would stay put in that position of ‘controlling his senses’ ever after.
It is true that the basic quality of the performer of askesis is his ability to quell all that is sensual, rise his mind above the pleasures of his senses. It is also true that one who performs such dreadful penance as Ravana, who went to the extent of severing his heads one by one and offering them through fire, should have had tremendous control over his mind, disciplined his intellect and thwarted the pleasures of the body absolutely aside, until at least the purpose of the penance is achieved.
But that does not end there. As it has happened in the case of every other asura who performed such gory and frightening penances, the gates to the senses and sensual pleasures get wide opened once the purpose of getting the desired boons is achieved. How Ravana gave a free and uncontrollable vent to his lust until he was restrained by the curses of Vedavati and Nalakuara, the son of Kubera, has been studied earlier when we took up Ravana. (See:
The Curse of Vedavati and
The Curse of Kubera’s
son)
As we mentioned earlier, at the end of his long and frightful penance of severing his heads one by one and offering them, Brahma appears before him (See:
Getting Lanka
back) and asks for what he desires. ‘Death is the only dreaded but most certain event in the lives of all created beings,’ answered Ravana. “O Lord, to living beings the only constant source of fear is death; there is no enemy like unto death. I choose immortality.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Uttara Kanda, Canto 10, Sloka 16) But the Creator said,
“There can be no absolute immortality for you, ask for some other boon of me.” (Ibid, Sloka 17)
As against this, let’s see what Vibishana asked for and what he was granted. “If you grant a boon to me in your pleasure, O god of holy vows, please give me a hearing. Even when I get into the greatest of difficulties, my mind should remain steady in virtue.” (Ibid, Sloka 30) And then he goes on to seek the boon that his mind remains constantly fixed in Dharma, apart from the conferment of the knowledge of Brahmastra to dawn on him, untaught. Pleased with him, Brahma says, “My son, since you are exceedingly virtuous, it shall be so; O destroyer of your foes, since your mind is not inclined to unrighteousness, even though you are born in the family of Rakshasas, I make you immortal.” (Ibid, Sloka 34)
That underlines the fact that remaining in penance for however long a time it may be, does not guarantee the disciplining of the senses and the Self
(atman) forever. The battle over the senses is eternal. As Valluvar said,
‘adal vENdum aiyndhan pulatthai’ ‘The sage who seeks to attain what he wants must wage a battle over his senses.’ If eternal vigilance is the price of liberty, eternal control over the senses is the price of liberation of the soul. That was not possible for Ravana, the Creator knew, after all!
Considering the fact that Vibishana was granted immortality even without being asked, on grounds of virtuousness, it becomes abundantly clear that Brahma was not ready to grant immortality to Ravana due to obvious reasons; that he foresaw what Ravana would be up to, once the boons – undeniable now on the strength of his penance – are granted. On hearing that, Ravana then made an elaborate list of races and beings from whom he sought immunity from death. “O eternal lord of created beings, I want immunity from death at the hands of Suparnas (eagles), Nagas (serpents), Yaksas, Daityas, Danavas, Rakshasas as also from gods.” (Ibid, Sloka 19) He did not stop there. He goes on to add
na hi cinta mamanyesu pranisv amarapujita
trnabhuta hi me sarve pranino manusadayah
“O god, worshipped by immortals, I have no cause of anxiety from other living beings, for I think of those other creatures such as human beings as mere straw.” (Ibid, Sloka 20)
Having been granted the boon, Ravana had one more opportunity to seek immunity from humans as well, when he was pressed down under Mount Kailash and when Lord Sankara offered to grant him the boon that he sought. (See:
Thus he became Ravana) Once again Ravana says, “I do not reckon the human beings, O Lord, because they are regarded by me as very insignificant. A boon of long life has been secured by me from Brahma, O destroyer of Tripura! Give me the remaining lease of life sought by me and give me also a weapon.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Uttara Kanda, Canto 16, Sloka 42)
Therefore, it is not that Ravana either ‘forgot’ or ‘slipped to include’ humans from the ‘immunity from death’ that he sought from Brahma as well as from Shiva. He specifically excluded them. ‘I need protection from this, this and this class of beings. However, I do not need such immunity from humans, for I consider them too puny to come in war with me, leave alone killing me.’
That was the niche which paved the way for his destruction. If the Lord could see a way through the well-knit, fail-proof design of the boon that Hiranyakashipu obtained, it was child’s play for Him to enter through the deliberate and nonchalant hole that a bloated ego left unplugged. The boon of Ravana contains the seed of the avatar and that of the epic.
Title
for Harikrishnan
|
