Where are the Rakshasa and Danavaas

[krishnadasa]

Dear Bandhus, accept my humble respects,

 

As we all know every former yugas have seen or encounterd many Rakshashas or danavas who created a lot of havoc and trouble in the atmosphere both tangible and intangible. And Lord desecended down during these times with his associates and killed them to deliver the pious and devotees. eg.in kritha we saw big demons like Hiranyakashipu , in treta we saw ravana , in dwapara we saw Bakasura and where are these in Kali now?

 

Do they exist in Kaliyuga ? if so where are they ? are they in human being itself? or they live in altogether different planet now in kaliyuga? Many questions and you need to send your comments/thoughts

 

Hari hari bol

[Guest guest]

First of all rakshash need not have big teeth or look like demons as we know that ravana was a vedic pundiit but he was a rakshash because of his tamsic nature and tendedencies. He studied scriptures but developed tremendous ego which led to his downfall. Even when he lost everything and still he had chance to surreneder Before SriRam but such was his ego that he had to be killed.

 

In modern day time what we see everywhere prople are under tamsic influences. They have egos, kill animals, have illicit relations with others wife, cause harm to others, grab others property, poison others life....where to draw a line.

 

How many people are there with genuine human qualities.Difference between a human and a animal is that an animal is born and remains as an animal. BUt as somebody said humans have to learn to be a human , unfortunately all humans learn is to become an exploiter and extreme consumer of nature.More a human gets education first thing he/she learns is how best to maximise his/her interests...

 

Whole human history right from prehistoric age we see that the earth goes through phases of population and depopulation. Great empires rise and collapse even if you do not consider ravana's empire.

 

Earlier majority of people were Sattvik and only few were Tamsic or asuras. Today how many people can claim to be totally saattvik.

 

Even so called civilized world has its root in exploitation and cruelity of nations from colonial period.

We see humans becoming bombs and killing other huamns for the sake of religion. Children are killed, women are killed, innocent office workers are kiled......do you need somebody with big teeth to declare him/her rakshashs.....

 

Do you think the God has to come personally to kill asuras....there is a counter reaction to every action and we know from Newton laws. Why earth goes through phases of population and depopulation (STephen Oppenheimer)..why empires rise and fall.....WHY SOME CIVILIZATIONS IN SPITE OF THOUSANDS OF YEARS OF EXPLOITION/CRUELITY/DEHUMANIZATION STILL SURVIVE "INDIA"

 

What we see today as violence is just reactions and counter reactions of all KArmas. Nobody can preach holier than though..nobody is Holy if only a genuine introspection is done...Rakshash are everywhere....

 

[krishnadasa]

[First of all rakshash need not have big teeth or look like demons as we know that ravana was a vedic pundiit but he was a rakshash because of his tamsic nature and tendedencies. He studied scriptures but developed tremendous ego which led to his downfall. Even when he lost everything and still he had chance to surreneder Before SriRam but such was his ego that he had to be killed.]

 

For your kind information even Duryodana had all these bad qualities but he was never considered to be a Rakshahasa but on the other hand Bakasaura was considered to be one

 

[in modern day time what we see everywhere prople are under tamsic influences. They have egos, kill animals, have illicit relations with others wife, cause harm to others, grab others property, poison others life....where to draw a line.]

 

Thats true but yet humans are humans are Rakshashas are rakshashas. Just like there are Demigods and yakshhas in different planets. And then there are human beings with godly qualities, which can never make them demigods or yakshah on the earth.

 

My question was about the different set of people who existed in former times with their own diffferent kingdom.

 

Hari hari bol

 

[Guest guest]

"My question was about the different set of people who existed in former times with their own diffferent kingdom."...

 

Bali was an asura but with Sattvik qualities, Bhakt Prahalada was an asura's son but with sattvik qualities,Vibhishan was brotehr of rakhshas but with sattvik qualities....SriKirshna killed Kansa who was his own uncle.... hence Rakshasas are not a different set of people but humans becoming Rakshasa becuse of their Tamasic nature... and karmas..

 

Duryodhana was a human with Tamsic qualities hence an asura had to be killed by Arjuna at instigation of SriKirshna ...Mahabharat was organized to wipe out asuric people from earth by SriKrishna

 

Ofcourse there are special categories of Yakshas, demigods and also rishis and Gods who are visible to people with special qualities...they appear at right times when needed.....

 

 

 

 

[maadhav]

per the vedic literature,

a rakshasa is a man-eater, a cannibalist.

due to his/her uncivilized nature,

he/she is tamasic.

you could find some now a days in some jungles,

not in citis where there is law and order,

as they used to live in the vedic times.

 

a daanava (daitya) is just one who defies the authority or thinks god is his greatest enemey and alsways goes against the wishes of god. they could be as powerful as a deva, or a human.

 

ravan, kamsa, and hiranyakashipu etc were danvas,

where as tadka or hidamba were rakshasis.

 

ravana's elder brother kumbhakarna,

althoug tamasic, was a good guy,

he scolded ravana for making enemity with rama,

but fought for ravana just because he was his brothre.

vibhishan however, chose to take the side of righteousness -god. so did prahlad.

 

it just happend that aditi's childen became aadityas, (godlovers) whereas her sister diti's children became daityas. both were married to kashyap rsi.

this family tradition/mentality contiued for generations/milleniums.

 

hope it helps.

 

[Guest guest]

Hmm , that was a good explanation, So the conclusion is that they do exist now as well, but the appearance is as similar to human beings -unlike Vratasura or kesi demon in dwapara

 

hari hari bol

[Guest guest]

these kingdoms could have been kingdoms in the indian area and central asia, or south east asia or elsewhere that the indians knew of that were considered bad people by the indians of that time.

 

for example the kalika purana (or kali purana) refers to a battle between kali and kalika where the kambojas came to help kali. the kambojas were called bhimavikramaih which i think means great warriors.

 

this refers to the problems between the mauryan buddhist king Brhadrata (kali) against his military general Pusyamitra Sunga (kalika). Pusyamitra was a brahmin who murdered the mauryan king in 185 BC and took over the empire. He was a ruthless ruler who followed brahmanism and persecuted many Buddhists, buddhist monasteries and converted 84000 buddhist stupas into brahmin temples. in 180 BC, his kingdom was attacked by the greco-bactrian kingdom of northern afghanistan. perhaps, this is the referece to the kambojas attacking kalika and supporting kali.

 

 

butanyway, i think rakshasas probably refer to different peoples living around that time that the indian/hindu authors considered evil people. i too wonder who and what kingdoms they refer to. there is alot of mystery around south and central asian history pre-christ. but i think alot of the answers can be found in the indian texts. its just a matter of translating and equating different groups in the texts with real life groups that existed then. the indian works have alot of wonderful, rich history in them. its just a matter of getting it out.