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Gatekeepers of Vaikuntha

Lord Vishnu’s abode, Vaikunth, was guarded by two gatekeepers, Jaya and Vijaya. They worshipped the Lord and ensured that he was not disturbed by anyone anytime. They were especially careful when the Lord was in repose. Once they saw four young boys trying to enter through the celestial gates. They stopped them as Lord Vishnu was asleep, and couldn’t meet them.

These little boys were actually four Kumars; manasputras of Lord Brahma, Sanak, Sanandan, Sanatan, and Sanatkumar They were devotees of the Lord and of great age. However due to severe tapas (austerities) they still retained their youthful appearance. Jaya and Vijaya assumed that they were some children, bent on mischief.

When prevented from meeting Lord Vishnu, these Kumars tried to convince the gatekeepers that Vishnu is available anytime for his devotees. The gatekeepers were not impressed. The Kumars lost their cool and cursed, “You two will be born on the Earth as mortals, losing your divinity!”

Lord Vishnu appeared at the commotion, and Jaya and Vijaya beseeched him to lift the curse.

“I cannot completely reverse the curse of the Kumars, but I can suggest a countermeasure! I can give you two options. The first option is to take seven births on Earth as my devotee, while the second is to take three births as my enemy. After serving either of these sentences, you will return to Vaikunth and be with me permanently.”

The gatekeepers chose the second option, as that meant that they would spend lesser time on Earth as mortals, though as Lord’s enemies. They loved Vishnu too much to be away from him for seven births.

In the first life they were born as Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksh in the Krita Yuga, to Diti (daughter of Daksha Prajapati) and sage Kashyap. Hiranyaksh was destroyed by Vishnu in the form of Varaha, a boar, and Hiranyakashipu was killed by Vishnu as Narasimha, a man-lion in the Satya Yuga.

In their second life they are born as brothers, Raavan and Kumbhakarn and will be killed by Vishnu who descended as Raam in this Treta Yuga.

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A Daitya named Sukesh was abandoned at birth by his rakshasi (demon) mother to go and enjoy herself with her husband. Naturally he began to wail. His cry was heard by Rudra and Parvati, when they were passing nearby on a pleasure trip. Seeing the infant crying most pathetically from hunger and cold, Rudra was filled with compassion. He picked up the child and handed over to Parvati. Parvati’s heart melted and she wondered what she could do to prevent such an incident from recurring. Babies need mothers till they become adults, so she decreed: "Henceforth, demon women will give birth immediately after conception to babies who will become adults instantly."

Parvati blessed this child with quick growth, long life, wealth and a city that could fly though the air. Sukesh, considered the foster son of Rudra and Parvati, turned into a noble soul. Graamni, a Gandharv, gladly gave his daughter Devavati, a celestial beauty, in marriage to Sukesh. They had three strong and powerful sons called Mali, Sumali and Malyavan. They knew that their father was blessed by Rudra himself, so they decided to seek blessings of Brahma. These three brothers undertook severe austerities to gratify Brahma. When Brahma appeared in front of them, they asked him to bless their brotherly love forever and also to grant them victory always.

Now, drunk with power, they conquered gods and demons. They continued to trouble the Devas, Nagas, Yakshas, and the Rishis. They commanded celestial architect Vishwakarma to build an unparalleled city for them. He asked them to occupy the city of Lanka, which was an idyllic city, created by him for Shiva.

Absolutely fed up with the atrocities of the three brothers, the Devas and Rishis begged Shiva to help them, but he had a soft spot for Sukesh and his children. So they turned to Vishnu. Vishnu was always on the side of the Devas and the Brahmans, and helped them without any hesitation, and annihilated them. Lanka was now given to Kuber to live in and rule, and he lived there with the Yakshas. Kuber however was not a yaksha, but a Brahman. He was merely the ruler of the Yakshas in Lanka. Kuber was the son of Vishrava and Ilavida.

Vishrava was the son of Rishi Pulastya and the grandson of Brahma, the Creator, and a powerful Rishi in his own right. A scholar par excellence, he earned great powers through tapasya, which in turn, earned him great name and fame amongst his fellow Rishis. Rishi Bharadwaj was so impressed with Vishrava that he gave him his daughter, Ilavida, in marriage. They had a son – Kuber.

Vishrava's legendary yogic powers were celebrated all over the three worlds. His renown also reached the ears of the Sumali and his wife, Tataka. Both sought to increase their own powers through alliances with mighty Kings and Rishis. They decided that their daughter, Kaikesi would make a worthy wife for Vishrava and orchestrated her apparently incidental encounter with the Rishi. Vishrava saw her and fell for her earthy beauty. He immediately asked her to marry him. He forgot the virtuous and pious Ilavida, and followed Kaikesi. They had four children, Raavan, Vibhishan, Kumbhakarn and Shurpanakha.

Raavan was aggressive and arrogant, but he was also an exemplary scholar. Under Vishrava's tutelage, Raavan mastered the Vedas, also the arts, and the ways of Kshatriyas (warriors). Raavan was also an excellent veena player. Sumali, his maternal grandfather, tried to ensure, that Raavan was familiar with the Daitya ethics.

Following his initial training, Raavan performed intense tapasya of Brahma, lasting several years. When Brahma appeared, Raavan asked for immortality, which he refused to give, but gave him the celestial nectar of immortality. The nectar of immortality, stored under his navel, dictated that he could not be vanquished for as long as it lasted.

Raavan also asked for absolute invulnerability from and supremacy over gods, heavenly spirits, other rakshasas (demons), serpents, and wild beasts. Contemptuous of mortal men, he did not ask for protection from them. Once he received all these blessings, he went to Sumali and took charge of his army. Then he decided to take Lanka away from his stepbrother, Kuber.

Kuber had generously shared all that he owned with Raavan, and the latter's siblings. However, Raavan demanded Lanka wholly from him, threatening to take it by force. Vishrava, their father, advised Kuber to give it up to him, as Raavan was now undefeatable. Raavan also took away his Pushpak vimaan (aeroplane). Kuber left Lanka and resettled in Alakapuri.

Although Raavan usurped Lanka, he was an exemplary ruler who cared for his subjects. Lanka prospered under his rule, to the extent that it is said the poorest of houses had vessels of gold to eat and drink, and hunger was unknown in the kingdom.

After conquering Lanka, Raavan decided to please Shiva and become even more powerful and dreaded demon! When he went to Kailas, Shiva’s abode, he was stopped by Nandi. Raavan was offended and began to tease Nandi, little realising that Nandi possessed cosmic powers. Nandi cursed Raavan that his kingdom will be demolished by a monkey. To show him his strength, Raavan began to uproot the Kailas Mountain. This angered the God and he pressed the mountain down with his little toe. Raavan gave out an earth-shattering cry and was trapped, unable to escape. His ganas told Raavan that he had crossed the mighty Lord Shiva by his absolutely reckless act. 

That alarmed the demon and he decided to venerate Shiva. He plucked his nerves and used them as strings to compose music and sang songs praising Shiva, and went on doing this for years together, till finally Shiva released him from his bondage. Moved by his music and pleased with his devotion, Shiva gifted him the divine sword, Chandrahas. Raavan in turn became a lifelong devotee of Lord Shiva, and composed the hymn known as Shiva Tandav Stotra. Aware of Raavan’s propensity for cruelty, Shiva warned him that if the sword were ever used for unjust causes, it would revert to him. That would also spell the end of Raavan.

Raavan now believed that he was invincible and nobody could touch him! He had the nectar of immortality, and no god or demon could harm him in any way! He went on to conquer humans, gods and demons. He subjugated the netherworld and crowned his brother Ahiraavan as the king. He became supreme overlord of all demons in the three worlds, and those he could not subdue, he made allies. He was now the Emperor! Supreme lord!

(Gatekeepers of Vaikuntha: Courtesy: https://tamilandvedas.com/2018/12/25/bhagavata-purana-rare-pictures-2-post-no-5820/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75628669)