Raavan's Defeats

Recently I published two blogs about Raavan - Raavan's Boons and Raavan's Curses. This blog is about Raavan's defeats. After reading those blogs, you must be thinking that I am joking. How can Raavan, after getting the boon of being invincible and of being almost immortal be defeated by anybody? But I am not joking, he really got defeated by some or say he could not win them. Because of his boons he became so proud that wherever he used to go, he said to him - "Either fight with me or accept your defeat".  Let us see who defeated him and how did he feel when he got defeated.

(1) Raajaa Bali
After winning Kuber, his half brother, and taking Lankaa from him, he won many, kings, Devtaa (Varun, Yam, Soorya, Chandramaa etc). His hunger of winning was increasing day by day. One day  he came to Ashm Nagar. There he saw gem studded palaces with golden pillars, Vaidoorya Mani and diamond studded stairs etc. He kept thinking whose city it could be. He had his Chief Army Chief Prahast with him so he sent him to find out about that city. Eventually Prahast came to a grand palace. There he didn't find anybody at the gate so he kept walking in and came inside the palace. In a room he saw a very graceful Yam-like man. He got frightened seeing him so he came back immediately and reported Raavan about him.

Raavan came down from his Pushpak Vimaan and was about to enter the palace, that he saw a very graceful man who had a Moon on his head, fire-like tongue, and conch shaped neck, at the gate. Raavan got frightened seeing that man. That man said - "O Raavan, fight with me carefully, or if you want to fight with Bali Mahaaraaj, then tell me like that." Raavan said patiently - "Whoever is the master of this palace, I want to fight with him only." That man said - "He is Raajaa Bali." and took him inside the palace. This Bali was the Daitya King - he was in the lineage of Hiranyakashyap. Hisranyakshyap's son was Prahlaad, Prahlaad's son was Virochan and Virochan's son was Raajaa Bali.

Seeing Raavan, Bali said - "What has brought you here?"
Raavan said - "I have heard that Vishnu has controlled you, I can free you from His control."
Bali replied - "Did you see that man who was at the gate, he has controlled me. He cannot be defeated by anybody. And you see that fire-like disc lying there? Bring it to me."

Raavan tried to pick it up, but he could not pick it up, then he tried to move it, but then he fell down senseless. Seeing this Raavan's ministers got very sad. When he came in senses about in half an hour, Bali said to him - "This is my great grandfather's one earring which you were trying to pick up. He had got the boon that he would not be killed by Kaal, Death, disease, in day or night, in water or land, and by any kind of weapon. When an argument took place between him and his son Prahlaad then a horrible man named Narasinh (Vishnu's Avataar) appeared from a pillar. He caught hold of mighty Hiranyakashyap with His both hands, put him on his thighs and tore his chest with His nails. Look Raavan, He is the most respectable man among Devtaa who is standing at our door."

Raavan said - "I have seen many Devtaa but never this one, so introduce him to me." Bali said - "He is the deliverer of Saankhya Shaastra." Raavan proceeded to see him, but by then He had disappeared  thinking that since Brahmaa Jee has bestowed him the boon of long life, this is not the appropriate time to kill him. When Raavan did not see Him he went away from there only.
[Raavan came back even without fighting with Raajaa Bali]

(2) Raajaa Maandhaataa
After visiting Raajaa Bali he won Soorya Dev and headed towards Raajaa Maandhaataa (the King of Ayodhyaa) on the advice of Parvat Muni. Raavan challenged Maandhaataa for the fight and the fight started between them. Once Maandhaataa made Raavan unconscious. When Raavan came into senses, he wanted to use Brahm Astra, seeing this Maaandhaataa took out his Paashupat Astra. At this Maharshi Gaalav and Maharshi Pulastya Jee (Raavan's grandfather) came and ceased their fight. After that they became friends.
[Thus Raavan could not defeat Maandhaataa also as Rishi Gaalav and Pulastya Jee intervened.]

(3) Raavan and Kapil Jee
Once Raavan went to western seashore. There he saw a very gracious man. He said the same thing to him also - "Either fight with me or accept your defeat." That man roared at Raavan. Raavan started shooting arrows at Him, but He remained unmoved. He then slapped Raavan and Raavan fell down unconscious. In the meantime, that man went to Paataal Lok. When Raavan came into senses, he asked his Ministers as where that man went. They told him that he had gone to Paataal Lok, so Raavan also went to Paataal Lok.

There he saw 30 million (3 Crores) men dancing in the same form and attire in which he saw that man on the seashore. He just came back from there. As he was coming back, he saw a man sleeping on a valuable bed and a very beautiful woman was sitting beside him. Seeing Raavan, that man laughed loudly and Raavan again fell unconscious. The man said to him - "O Raavan, You will not die at this time because of Brahmaa's boon, so you get up and go." Raavan tried to ask His introduction but He said - "What will you do of who I am? I don't want to kill you now." Raavan said - "I cannot be killed by Brahmaa's boon, but I wish that I should be killed by you only." Then Raavan saw the whole Universe in His body. He got very surprised to see that scene. He came back from there.
[Who was He? He was Bhagvaan Kapil Dev.]

(4) Raavan and Sahastraarjun
There was a King named Kaartveerya Arjun. Because he had 1,000 arms, he became known as Sahastraarjun or Sahasbaahu. He was of Haihaya Vansh, and his capital was Maahishmatee Nagaree. Wandering around with the desire of fight and victory, once Raavan arrived in Maahismatee Nagaree and expressed his desire to fight with the King. His guards told him that he had gone to take bath in Narmadaa River. So he came to Narmadaa River. He liked the place so he thought to worship Shiv Jee there. He sat down, established his golden Shiv Ling on the shore and started worshiping it.

As he was worshiping it, that Narmadaa's water started flowing backward and Raavan's worshiping material started floating over that water. He got surprised to see this. He looked around as what was happening to river's water, but he could not see anything special. In fact a little down the place where Raavan was worshiping, Arjun was taking bath with his women. He had spread his 1,000 arms around to stop the water of the river to play in that water. Raavan got very angry seeing his worship disturbed, so he challenged him for a fight. Arjun came out of the water and started fighting with Raavan. In the last he caught Raavan and took him to his city.

Hearing Raavan's arrest, Pulastya Rishi Jee came to Sahastraarjun. Sahastraarjun welcomed him and regarding him as a Rishi asked him what he could do for him. Pulastya Jee said - "You have caught my grandson, so now you free him for me." Arjun did not consider proper to disobey him, so he called Raavan and released him. He made him wear divine clothes and jewelry, declared him his friend in front of Agni and put a condition that if Raavan will ask him any help to trouble somebody he couldn't be able to help him."
[Thus Raavan could not win Sahastraarjun also and his grandfather had to come to free him.]

(5) Raavan and Vaanar Raaj Baali
Still there is one more who kept Raavan in his armpit for three days. Who was he? He was Vaanar Raaj Baali - Sugreev's brother. Raavan soon forgot his insult by Sahastraarjun and he again started wandering around with the desire of fight and victory. One day he came to Kishkindhaa Nagaree and challenged Baali for a fight. Baali was not at home. His father-in-law told him that he had gone to do his Sandhyaa on all the four seas, so if he wanted to wait, he could wait, otherwise go there and meet him.

Raavan was very impatient for the fight so he went to South Sea and saw Baali worshiping on the coast. He went slowly behind him with the desire to catch him, but Baali had already seen him coming to him, so he caught him first, and since his Sandhyaa was not yet complete, he kept him in his armpit and resumed his Sandhyaa.. When he finished his Sandhyaa there, he went to other seas for his Poojaa. Raavan's Ministers saw Baali taking Raavan, so they followed him but could not pace with him so they came back. Baali went to North Sea, then East Sea and whole the time Raavan was in his armpit.

When Baali reached Kishkindhaa, he released Raavan from his armpit and asked him - "Who are you and why have you come here?" Because of being in armpit for all this time, Raavan was not feeling well, so he replied - "I am Raavan. I came to fight with you, but you have defeated me easily, now I want you to be my friend." So Baali became friend of Raavan in front of Agni and Raavan returned to Lankaa.
[Thus Baali kept him under his armpit for three days then only he released him.].

What do you think about Raavan's defeats? Interesting, isn't it?

Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com