The Devil's Bliss - Ravan et al

[Guest guest]

Hello Das,list

On this same note -

My mother used to tell us anecdotes from the puranas - wish I had

paid more attention then....

One such story was about king Ravan of the Ramayana fame.

Ravan we all know was a true and a great Shiva bhakt. He did his

tapasya to the utmost that the Lord was compelled to give Ravan all

that he asked for - immortality etc etc. But Ravan was not

appeased.He asked Shiva for the ultimate - His own Shakti- the

feminine potency/energy. And the Lord gave his Shakti - to Ravan

with one caveat that he should never put the kumbha- a vessel -

holding the Shakti on earth/ground. Note: Shiva without his Shakti

is Shava -lifeless

Anyway Ravan carried the kumbha and journeyed back to earth.

Shiva was panic stricken and sought out Vishnu to help him get his

Shakti back. Vishnu always the shape shifter and very aware of the

caveat induced in Ravan a call to nature. Ravan was forced to put

the kumbha holding shakti on the ground. The kumbha/Shakti

disappeared into the earth only to be found by king Janaka later

when he ploughed the famine stricken fields. And that is how the

story of Sita comes into play. She is shakti incarnate born of the

earth and later became one with the earth.

Anyway,in southern India there is a colloquial parody deriding

Ravan's inability to hold himself.

I have always been fascinated with this aspect of Ravan - the

absolute and insatiable devotee, a great patron of the arts, an

artist himself, indulgent - perfect paradigm for kali yuga and then

his fall. Rama is too perfect,too noble - theres no comparison.

Its the gods who are always the tricksters.

Like flies are we to the gods , they kill us for their sport.

[Guest guest]

Hullo Ranjiaiyer,

 

Thanks for finally clarifying the connecting point of Ravan`s obsession with

Sita/ Shakti. I was missing this link so far & now I am begining to understand

the reason for the Bow of Shiva being neccessary for the Svayamvar ceremony of

Sita.

So putting judgement aside & speculating as always, His Shakti, which Shiva gave

Ravan manifested in the form of a Kumbha ( ego ). I guess at the risk of

appearing decietful, Vishnu simply indicated to Ravan that even the greatest

have to share the same laws of existance as the humblest & the Ego ( kumbha )

can become cumbersome in such circumstances.

Ravan was nearly as powerful as Shiva himself but he couldnt have Shiva`s Shakti

because to possess this one must be completely free of desire & ego as only

Shiva is. With ultimate power comes ultimate responsibility, without which

there is only destruction.

 

So Ravan got a second chance at aquiring Shakti on the human octave, as the

wife of Ram. He misused his powers to achieve this. He was on this mega ego

trip again & none of his amazing & supernatural siddhis, could support him

in the face of his misguided ego.

 

I wonder what might have been the result if Ravan had humbly surrendered his ego

& worshiped with devotion at the feet of Sita ? I presume that like Hanumanji,

he would probably have had a better chance of recieving her ( Shakti `s ) grace

in this way. But I guess now, we will never know for sure...........

 

Hari Om !

Shabnam

 

 

----

 

ranjiaiyer

05/10/06 08:44:52

valist

Re: The Devil's Bliss - Ravan et al

 

Hello Das,list

On this same note -

My mother used to tell us anecdotes from the puranas - wish I had

paid more attention then....

One such story was about king Ravan of the Ramayana fame.

Ravan we all know was a true and a great Shiva bhakt. He did his

tapasya to the utmost that the Lord was compelled to give Ravan all

that he asked for - immortality etc etc. But Ravan was not

appeased.He asked Shiva for the ultimate - His own Shakti- the

feminine potency/energy. And the Lord gave his Shakti - to Ravan

with one caveat that he should never put the kumbha- a vessel -

holding the Shakti on earth/ground. Note: Shiva without his Shakti

is Shava -lifeless

Anyway Ravan carried the kumbha and journeyed back to earth.

Shiva was panic stricken and sought out Vishnu to help him get his

Shakti back. Vishnu always the shape shifter and very aware of the

caveat induced in Ravan a call to nature. Ravan was forced to put

the kumbha holding shakti on the ground. The kumbha/Shakti

disappeared into the earth only to be found by king Janaka later

when he ploughed the famine stricken fields. And that is how the

story of Sita comes into play. She is shakti incarnate born of the

earth and later became one with the earth.

Anyway,in southern India there is a colloquial parody deriding

Ravan's inability to hold himself.

I have always been fascinated with this aspect of Ravan - the

absolute and insatiable devotee, a great patron of the arts, an

artist himself, indulgent - perfect paradigm for kali yuga and then

his fall. Rama is too perfect,too noble - theres no comparison.

Its the gods who are always the tricksters.

Like flies are we to the gods , they kill us for their sport.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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