A Study of SB 9.10.23

(written April 19, 2019)

evaṁ kṣipan dhanuṣi sandhitam utsasarja

bāṇaṁ sa vajram iva tad-dhṛdayaṁ bibheda

so ’sṛg vaman daśa-mukhair nyapatad vimānād

dhāheti jalpati jane sukṛtīva riktaḥ

Translation: After thus rebuking Rāvaṇa, Lord Rāmacandra fixed an arrow to His bow, aimed at Rāvaṇa, and released the arrow, which pierced Rāvaṇa’s heart like a thunderbolt. Upon seeing this, Rāvaṇa’s followers raised a tumultuous sound, crying, “Alas! Alas! What has happened? What has happened?” as Rāvaṇa, vomiting blood from his ten mouths, fell from his airplane, just as a pious man falls to earth from the heavenly planets when the results of his pious activities are exhausted.

• In this verse Ravana’s death is compared to a pious man falling to earth from the heavenly planets

• It may seem uncanny that Ravana would be compared to a pious man, however, the correlations are strong

• A pious man does not necessarily mean a good man...

  • A pious man might be in the mode of goodness

    • In the mode of goodness, there is still sense gratification

  • A true pious man is in the the mode of transcendental goodness

    • In the transcendental mode of goodness, there is only actions to gratify Krishna’s senses

• A “pious” man only gets to the higher planets due to his good karma

• Once the man has exhausted his pious activities or the karmic reaction to his activities, he is back to the cycle of birth and death

• A true pious man, or a devotee, acts in akarma, or action without reaction

  • Hence he is above the cycle of birth and death

• Ravana was a so called “pious” man…

  • He performed many austerities

  • He hired brahmanas to do pujas everyday in Lanka

  • He did meditation, penaces, tapasya, etc.

• … but was not a true pious man

  • He performed demigod worship instead of worship for the Absolute Truth

    • BG 7.22 (Endowed with such a faith, he endeavors to worship a particular demigod and obtains his desires. But in actuality these benefits are bestowed by Me alone.)

    • It is said that demigod worship is associated with asking for material benefits, which is not a symptom of a pure devotee

  • He wanted to be god, and engage in highest sense gratification

    • Atheistic, mayavada philosophy

• One bad thing can destroy the effect of many good things

  • Ravana technically did many good things since he was “pious”

  • However, his reputation got completely tarnished because of his singular bad action: kidnapping Sita Devi

    • In the Vedas it is stressed that when the cows, children, and women are protected then society is safe

    • Especially causing harm or injustice to a woman is a very bad deed

    • Ravana did this to Sita, or Lakshmi Devi!

  • Ravana thought that he could make Lord Rama’s attempts unsuccessful by capturing Sita Devi

  • Ravana did not know that making a woman angry, especially a chaste woman like Sita Devi, was one of the most cheap actions

  • Hence why Ravana was defeated and killed by Lord Rama

• Bad things can defeat good things, but nothing can beat Krishna

  • Ravana had defeated the demigods in the past

  • However, he was no match for Lord Rama and his army

  • Since nothing is greater than Krishna, if we take shelter of him, then we are protected

    • When Krishna wants to protect you, no one can kill you

    • When Krishna wants to kill you, no one can protect you

  • Ravana did not take shelter of Krishna

• One must understand their eternal position in relation to Lord Krishna in order to rid themselves of all material designations

  • Ravana was obsessed with material designations

  • He wanted to become God, and wanted to be most powerful

  • He did not understand that his eternal position was to be the servitor of the Supreme Personality

• Hence, Ravana’s death is compared to a pious man falling from the heavenly planets once he had exhausted all his pious activities