“During the exile period wearing the garb of an ascetic, while subsisting on fruits, seated on a bed of grass, and having love for trees, He gave Lanka to Vibhishana. In this way does Raghuvara behave.” (Dohavali, 162)

Download this episode (right click and save)

बलकल भूषन फल असन तृन सज्या द्रुम प्रीति
तिन्ह समयन लंका दई यह रघुबर की रीति

balakala bhūṣana phala asana tṛna sajyā druma prīti
tinha samayana laṃkā daī yaha raghubara kī rīti

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is satya-sankalpa. If He has an intention, sankalpa, then it will become a reality. It will live in truth, satya. There is no requirement of outside sanction. He does not need to prepare Himself with shirt and tie to arrive at a hearing with a predetermined time, in order to petition an approval board, only to wait many days for their ruling. He does not have to flatter, persuade, beg, borrow, or steal. When the time is right, when the appropriate moment arrives, destiny will show itself, in the manner that it did during the battle between Rama and Ravana. On the occasion of Dussehra we celebrate the triumph [vijaya] of Rama. That victory was planned many years before.

In his Dohavali, Goswami Tulsidas references the initial transfer of power applying to Lanka. The event took place prior to the final battle between Rama, an avatara of Vishnu, and Ravana, who was a devoted soul cursed to appear in a Rakshasa form. The Rakshasa and asura are both a species and a way of living. A person does not have to be a man-eater in order to carry the same qualities. The word asura is a direct negation of the word sura, which refers to people who lean on the side of goodness. The suras align with Rama, while the asuras are against Him.

मोघाशा मोघकर्माणो मोघज्ञाना विचेतस:
राक्षसीमासुरीं चैव प्रकृतिं मोहिनीं श्रिता:

moghāśā mogha-karmāṇo
mogha-jñānā vicetasaḥ
rākṣasīm āsurīṁ caiva
prakṛtiṁ mohinīṁ śritāḥ

“Those who are thus bewildered are attracted by demonic and atheistic views. In that deluded condition, their hopes for liberation, their fruitive activities, and their culture of knowledge are all defeated.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.12)

Vibhishana approached Rama with nothing. At least the fruit vendor in Vrindavana had fruit to offer. Because of her devotion, she was rewarded with valuable jewels. She practically gave her fruit away to an adorable child. On the balance sheet, this would go down as a loss. She essentially wrote off the expense because of her devotion to Hari, who was in the adorable visual of Krishna.

फलविक्रयिणी तस्य च्युतधान्यकरद्वयम्
फलैरपूरयद् रत्नै: फलभाण्डमपूरि च

phala-vikrayiṇī tasya
cyuta-dhānya-kara-dvayam
phalair apūrayad ratnaiḥ
phala-bhāṇḍam apūri ca

“While Krishna was going to the fruit vendor very hastily, most of the grains He was holding fell. Nonetheless, the fruit vendor filled Krishna’s hands with fruits, and her fruit basket was immediately filled with jewels and gold.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 10.11.11)

Vibhishana was essentially kicked out of the kingdom of Lanka. Ravana would not heed the wise counsel of his brother. Ravana wanted nothing more to do with that brother. Ravana considered Vibhishana to be an enemy, since Vibhishana showed some sympathy for both Rama and His wife, Sita Devi.

At the time, Rama had practically nothing. No kingdom to His name. No friends of military might. No access to a royal army. Rama was resting beneath trees that were dear to Him, priti. Rama was eating fruits and laying on a kusha mat. He was essentially a renounced ascetic; at least in the visual.

Since Vibhishana approached in a mood of devotion, Rama accepted the service. Rama rewarded Vibhishana by making that Rakshasa the new king of Lanka. It happened on the spot, though nothing changed in the physical sense. Ravana was still controlling that island safely guarded by water. Ravana was still holding the blameless princess of Videha against her will. Ravana still had the Rakshasas carefully guarding the area, lest any heroes attempt an intrusion.

Of course, Shri Hanuman had already penetrated the fortifications. Hanuman had already set fire to the city, in an ironic twist of fate. The very tail that Ravana had set on fire to humiliate the messenger, Rama-duta, was used to cause havoc and destruction. There was still some intelligence applied, as Hanuman intentionally skipped over the palace belonging to Vibhishana.

This was also the way in which Vibhishana was later accepted. It was through the recommendation of Hanuman. A representative could vouch for Vibhishana’s character. Rama gave the kingdom of Lanka to Vibhishana, and the reality would manifest at a later time. It was like waiting for an inverted hourglass to run out of sand. Destiny was already set. The wheels of change were in motion.

This picture is also symbolic of the way the universe itself operates. The same Supreme Lord is lying down without a care in the world. He is in the Vaikuntha realm, relaxing with His close associates. Meanwhile, countless universes come into being, remain for some time, and then withdraw back into Vishnu. All of this work takes place, at the grandest of scales, inconceivable to the mind, and yet Vishnu is not fatigued in the slightest. He is not affected at all, since He is always above karma.

न च मां तानि कर्माणि
निबध्नन्ति धनञ्जय
उदासीन-वद् आसीनम्
असक्तं तेषु कर्मसु

na ca māṁ tāni karmāṇi
nibadhnanti dhanañjaya
udāsīna-vad āsīnam
asaktaṁ teṣu karmasu

“O Dhananjaya, all this work cannot bind Me. I am ever detached, seated as though neutral.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.9)

The official transfer of power could have taken place in the manner that happiness and distress arrive on a schedule, akin to the changing of seasons. The results to fruitive activity, karma-phalam, could have devastated the plans of the wicked Ravana. In the normal course of affairs, the Supreme Lord would have nothing to do with the shifting ups and downs.

But Ravana is a special case, as he received the auspicious vision of Rama releasing arrows in defense of dharma. The occasion of Dussehra celebrates the long-anticipated victory of Rama, and that image of victory includes a defeated ten-headed king of Lanka. Because of his inclusion in that image, the memory of Ravana can also be considered auspicious. In showing the limits of the asura behavior, in giving an honest try in the foolish and hopeless endeavor to become God, Ravana helped to bring about the wonderful vision of Rama’s arrows of precise flight and strike. Those arrows are itself like units of time, which destroy the plans of the cruel.

लव निमेष परमानु जुग बरस कलप सर चंड
भजसि न मम तेहि राम कहँ कालु जासु कोदंड

lava nimeṣa paramānu juga barasa kalapa sara caṃḍa
bhajasi na mama tehi rāma kaha~ kālu jāsu kodaṃḍa

“Mind, why are you not worshiping Shri Rama, whose bow is like time, with weapons of arrows representing the different units of time, such as paramanu, lava, nimesha, barasa, yuga, and kalpa?” (Dohavali, 130)

In Closing:

Only a matter of time,
With crown on head to shine.

After Vibhishana approach making,
And Rama into camp taking.

Dussehra occasion as known,
Where brilliance in battle shown.

Those arrows like fire to release,
The world finally settled in peace.

Categories: dussehra, holiday, the bow of time

Tags: dussehra, feature, holiday, poem, poems, poetry, Vijayadashami