“Those cowards who do wicked deeds against the servants of the enemy of Ravana go towards death, in the manner of the lowly Dushana, Khara, and Maricha.” (Dohavali, 145)

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रावन रिपुके दास तें कायर करहिं कुचालि।
खर दूषन मारीच ज्यों नीच जाहिंगे कालि ॥

rāvana ripuke dāsa teṃ kāyara karahiṃ kucāli।
khara dūṣana mārīca jyoṃ nīca jāhiṃge kāli ॥

As explained in Bhagavad-gita, the Supreme Personality of Godhead has a neutral disposition. He does not favor one person over another. He is similar to the sun and other elements of nature; they do not discriminate. They provide but do not ask the purpose behind the exchange of benefits.

God has no envy. God is not petty. He is not miserable. He is not miserly. He is not lacking anything. Therefore, His outlook towards the world makes sense. He would never consider any person an enemy, since no one can ever get in His way. God is always satya-sankalpa. The desires come through with a success rate of one hundred percent.

समो ऽहं सर्व-भूतेषु
न मे द्वेष्यो ऽस्ति न प्रियः
ये भजन्ति तु मां भक्त्या
मयि ते तेषु चाप्य् अहम्

samo ‘haṁ sarva-bhūteṣu
na me dveṣyo ‘sti na priyaḥ
ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā
mayi te teṣu cāpy aham

“I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.29)

When Goswami Tulsidas uses the words “ravana ripuke”, referring to the enemy of Ravana, it is from the point of view of the other party. Shri Rama, the eldest son of King Dasharatha, does not view Ravana as an enemy. Rather, Rama is the one who stands in the way of Ravana’s desired enjoyment. Those desires, kama, can never be satisfied, and so Ravana falls into the trap of chasing something he is not permitted to have.

The people who serve the enemy of Ravana are known as devotees. They are not bothering anyone. They are peacefully going about their worship. They may kindly ask others to join, to follow along, to find the same ocean of unending bliss, enthusiasm, and joy. But they do not interfere in the karma of others.

न बुद्धिभेदं जनयेदज्ञानां कर्मसङ्गिनाम्।
जोषयेत्सर्वकर्माणि विद्वान् युक्तः समाचरन्।।

na buddhibhedaṃ janayedajñānāṃ karmasaṅginām।
joṣayetsarvakarmāṇi vidvān yuktaḥ samācaran।।

“Let not the wise disrupt the minds of the ignorant who are attached to fruitive action. They should not be encouraged to refrain from work, but to engage in work in the spirit of devotion.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 3.26)

Tulsidas makes specific reference to Maricha, Khara, and Dushana, who are lowly in appearance and deeds. They are cowardly in their behavior, as they attack innocent victims. They pounce unexpectedly, and their interference serves no tangible purpose. They want to only destroy, to disrupt, to eliminate the presence of good in the world.

Those who behave in such a manner head straight towards death, which is known as kala in Sanskrit. The question may be raised as to the need for the stipulation. Is not every person devoured by kala? Is not the destination for every person taking birth the same? How are the associates of Ravana, the Rakshasas from Lanka, any different?

जातस्य हि ध्रुवो मृत्युर्
ध्रुवं जन्म मृतस्य च
तस्माद् अपरिहार्ये ऽर्थे
न त्वं शोचितुम् अर्हसि

jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyur
dhruvaṁ janma mṛtasya ca
tasmād aparihārye ‘rthe
na tvaṁ śocitum arhasi

“For one who has taken his birth, death is certain; and for one who is dead, birth is certain. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.27)

From the end result we see that kala chose to strike right at the peak of the performance capabilities. When those Rakshasas were in their prime, when they were enjoying a winning streak, when they thought they were on top of the world. When it looked to be all said and done. That is when they were vanquished.

The protection came directly from Shri Rama. Those demons were fortunate to see the face of death in the arrows released by the husband of Sita. They received payback in a ferocious way, a return on the horrible deeds they had first unleashed on the world. For the many innocent people they had killed, for the steady interference they created, everything came crashing down in an instant.

In Closing:

Through those arrows found,
All came crashing down.

Like horrible deeds to return,
That ferocious punishment to earn.

From enemy of Ravana came,
Known by Rama the name.

Since by His eyes inspected,
Devotees always protected.

Categories: dohavali 121-160

Tags: dohavali, hare krishna, poem, poems, poetry, tulsidas