Ravana 1

A reader is apparently a fan of Ravana and has asked me to write something on him. So this post is an attempt in that direction. First of all, I wish to narrate a story about Ravana's origin. Most of you might know this already, but anyway...

Jaya and Vijaya are the gatekeepers of Vaikuntha, the abode of Vishnu. One day some sages came to visit the Lord when they were barred entrance. Angered they cursed the duo that they would lose their positions (I am not sure about the exact curse). When the duo approached Vishnu for deliverance he said that he could not go against the curse of the sages but then gave them two options. They could either be born as his devotees for a hundred births and then return to Vaikuntha at the end or they could be born as his enemies for three births and then return to him. As the duo could not bear to be separated from their Lord for a very long time they opted for the latter course. Here I shall narrate a different story (a story inside a story inside a story :)).

The story I am narrating now is from the Telugu movie Mayabazar. There is a magical chest in the story. When one opens it the chest is supposed to show the person who thinks of the person the most. When Krishna opens it against everybody's expectations Shakuni's face appears. Everyone is shocked. The explanation is that even though Shakuni keeps thinking of Krishna in order to plot ways to work against him, he is by that very act itself keeping the Lord continuously in his thoughts. Thus not only a devotee but an enemy (if one may use that word) of God also keeps Him in mind always. The rest of the narration shall continue in the next post(s).