Four People Dragged By Invincible Time

“Whether in a greatly expanding opulence or a most miserable distress, invincible time drags a person, as if they were bound by ropes.” (Sita Devi, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 37.3)

aiśvarye vā suvistīrṇe vyasane vā sudāruṇe |
rajjvā iva puruṣam baddhvā kṛta antaḥ parikarṣati ||

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An ever-changing body. A constant factor within. Another identity of the same properties residing adjacent, but playing a different role. One situation today, another tomorrow, and always shifting until the end. After the end another beginning.

These are different descriptions of the life experience provided by Vedic literature. A similar term is Vedanta, which means the end of knowledge. Take every piece of information, stack them together, study, and in the end you should reach an important conclusion.

Vedanta kindly provides the conclusion at the beginning. That is to say a person saves valuable time by approaching the Vedas at the outset, instead of insisting on experiencing everything for themselves.

The conclusion is that the individual is spirit soul. Everything else is matter, either gross or subtle. Matter shifts and the external cause is time. Sita Devi, the wife of Shri Rama, describes that force to be invincible. It is synonymous with death, and it goes to work on people of all situations and predicaments.

1. The rich person

Enjoying in the backyard pool. It is an in-ground version, custom built to the specifications of the owner. The weather is ideal, as this location for a home was intentionally chosen based on the climate. Plenty of money in the bank, enough to pay for servants to take care of practically everything. No need to even drive to the grocery store. The chef surprises with each meal, hoping to meet the satisfaction of the owner.

2. The poor person

Barely making ends meet. Forget saving for a rainy day, the daily experience is bitter, damp and cold. Credit card debt is the only way to pay the bills. The expenses seem to only grow. No one is happy. The wife complains about having to live in a tiny apartment. She grew up in much more opulent facilities. What did she get by marrying you, she asks. Life would have been better at her paternal home.

The children struggle. They don’t have as much as their friends. It pains you to go through life this way, but what other choice is there? This is the way of the world. Some people are rich and others are not.

3. The young person

So much potential. Many years ahead of them. Ready to make a splash in the world, to shake things up, to avoid the mistakes of the past generations, to really move forward the plight of the human condition. Loads of energy to get up every day and go out there to make a mark.

4. The old person

You used to be able to eat whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted. An entire pizza at one in the morning? No problem. Running for miles and miles after little to no sleep the night before? A breeze. What could go wrong?

Suddenly, just eating a sandwich causes discomfort. You have to carefully monitor your diet. You can’t exercise as much, either, as the body becomes sore quickly thereafter. A mountain of pills to take every morning to control everything from blood pressure to bowel movement. The machine that is the body is breaking down, and not many miles are on the horizon.

In each case time operates. That is to say it plays no favorites. Sita Devi compares it to a person who is bound by ropes and dragged along. There is no choice in the matter. Nothing can be done. The analogy to being bound implies that the pull forward is not desired. After all, who actually prefers to be closer to death? Even the person in great distress wishing for the life to end didn’t intentionally choose to reach the point of wanting out.

As the end is the same for every person, what is the point to living? Why take birth at all? What can be done to stop the process going forward? The wise person asks these questions, and the only place they get meaningful answers is the Vedic culture, wherein there is instruction at the outset about the difference between matter and spirit, the changing bodies, and the amazing nature of the soul.

“Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.29)

Death cannot kill the soul. It is simply not possible. The soul continues to live, and actions taken while in the human form shape that future destination. The purusha, person, who is conscious of God the person assumes His nature after death. They become deathless in the sense of body and spirit becoming one, where invincible time no longer has a negative influence.

The simplest way to become conscious of the Almighty is to chant His names. Being married to the personal form, Sita Devi always thinks of Him. Her husband Rama is her life and soul, and that name is included in the maha-mantra, the sound vibration to deliver mankind: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

The rich or singing blues song,

Time dragging them both along.

Even the young with energy abound,

Or old creeping deathward bound.

Way of the world existing,

But inside something persisting.

The spirit soul imperishable indeed,

Sita-Rama towards liberation to lead.

A Tale Of Two Fortunes

“Whether in a greatly expanding opulence or a most miserable distress, invincible time drags a person, as if they were bound by ropes.” (Sita Devi, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 37.3)

aiśvarye vā suvistīrṇe vyasane vā sudāruṇe |
rajjvā iva puruṣam baddhvā kṛta antaḥ parikarṣati ||

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The tale of the first person is that they are doing okay in life. Making an honest living, not bothering anyone, they are neither rich nor poor. Suddenly, things start to change. They meet a beautiful person who is willing to spend the rest of their life with them. Soon children follow, and the living conditions improve. Previously, there was a studio apartment, with a refrigerator that remained mostly empty. Now there is a home, filled with love and joy.

The opulence doesn’t remain fixed. Rather, it keeps increasing. Certain investments start to pay off, in a big way. Moving on up to a bigger home. The couple is beyond happy, as the biggest issues moving forward relate to hosting dinner parties and renovating rooms that are already spectacular in appearance. It looks like the experience through life will only continue to get better.

The tale of the second person is different. They reach a decent position in life, where they are satisfied. Spouse, children, home, and job are steady. Then things decline, and rapidly so. Drug and alcohol addiction. Irresponsibility in making payments. Massive credit card debt. The spouse decides to divorce, finding another love interest. Due to the person’s pitiable situation, custody of children is granted to the spouse.

The job is soon lost, and therefore no ability to pay for food, clothing and shelter. The streets are the only resort, and in the winter that place can be terribly cold. One disease after another attacks. Just when the person thinks they have reached rock bottom, something else goes wrong.

As Sita Devi describes in the Ramayana, the situation in the background is actually the same for both people. That is to say there is a destination to be reached that will be identical. It does not matter whether your skin is white or tan, whether you are rich or poor, whether you are an adult or a child - there is a force dragging the person along.

By the way, there is no way to stop this force. The pulling occurs as if the person, purusha, is bound by ropes. The force is described as invincible time, krita anta. A similar word is death. Time and death are synonymous and they are both representations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

“The Blessed Lord said: Time I am, destroyer of the worlds, and I have come to engage all people. With the exception of you [the Pandavas], all the soldiers here on both sides will be slain.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 11.32)

Rather a bleak picture. Why be such a downer? Why bum people out? Shouldn’t life be enjoyed? Just because I am going to die one day, does it mean I shouldn’t live right now?

The truth is presented to give a sobering view of the future. It is another way to put the present into the proper perspective, as well. At the time of uttering these words, both Sita and her husband were in great distress, but in different ways. She was held captive in a city of man-eating ogres, and Rama was always wondering where she was, if she was okay, and if He would see her again.

Meanwhile, the leader of Lanka seemed to be in ever-increasing opulence. Beautiful queens living in the palace, the entire world afraid of him, an endless supply of meat and wine to consume - what could possibly be missing?

The difference here was that Ravana was ignorant of the force known as death pulling him. He put to the back of his mind the idea that everything would come crashing down. Not only was Sita aware, but her husband was that very time Himself. He would soon arrive in Lanka to prove her statement to be true.

In Closing:

One in opulence, the other lagging,

But both time’s victim dragging.

To the same destination to reach,

Fate of living entity each.

Since world temporary so,

Into ether someday to go.

Better the righteous side to choose,

King of Lanka soon all to lose.

Your Absence Means Something

“O Vanara, those words spoken by you, that Rama is not having any other thoughts and that He is completely overwhelmed by grief, are like nectar mixed with poison.” (Sita Devi, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 37.2)

amṛtam viṣa saṃsṛṣṭam tvayā vānara bhāṣitam |
yac ca na anya manā rāmo yac ca śoka parāyaṇaḥ ||

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What to do? How to feel? There is the side of things going bad. The person you care deeply about is in trouble. They are feeling grief. It is at a level that the emotions have taken over. The grief is overwhelming them. You don’t want them to feel this way. Moreover, the cause is your very absence.

On the other side you want to know that you mean something to that person. A simple way to gauge someone’s opinion of you is to compare the treatment. That is to say how do they treat you in comparison to their treatment of others? Better or worse? Different or the same? Even if they are nice to everyone else, it feels good to know that they consider you to be extra special.

This is especially the case in a marriage. The husband and wife are supposed to be on the same team. Others are surely important, but the basis of the family is the close relationship to the spouse. Sita Devi heard words from Shri Hanuman about her husband, and she describes the resulting feeling as nectar mixed with poison.

The nectar comes from knowing that Rama is thinking of her. They were separated through no fault of their own. The wicked Ravana came between them. The ruler of Lanka already had innumerable beautiful wives. There were so many queens, and they were devoted to him. Why did he have to go and steal another man’s wife?

She wanted nothing to do with him, either. Boasting of his many accomplishments did not help. Even if he were bent towards piety instead of sin, Sita had already given heart and soul over to her husband, who is none other than the Supreme Lord. The goddess of fortune gravitates towards the king of swans, while Ravana is like the worst of the crows.

“How can that female swan who is accustomed to sporting with the king of swans amidst lotus flowers ever cast her eyes on a water-crow that stays amidst bunches of grass?” (Sita Devi speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 56.20)

The poison comes from knowing that her husband is in distress. Who wants their loved ones to be in pain? The devoted wife in Vedic culture sees to it that her husband’s distresses are minimized. That is the reason for the different recommendations like not eating before the husband and not calling him by his name. In modern times these rules seem antiquated, but there is an underlying purpose. If the husband is happy he can better proceed in the mission of life. The wife then shares in whatever merits are earned.

Ravana, meanwhile, was accumulating sinful reaction after sinful reaction. He reached the point of turning into a special case that required Rama Himself to arrive to deliver justice. The Lord’s grief was for showing the love for the devoted Sita, but it was not enough to prevent righteousness from winning over.

In the same way, despite whatever grief arrives through the miserable journey of life, the soul devoted to Sita and Rama tries their best to continue forward. Chanting the holy names, they head straight for liberation at the time of death: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Someone previously near,

To heart remaining dear.

News of their welfare to hear,

Worst not happening the fear.

Like nectar with poison mixed,

Since Rama on her plight fixed.

But Supreme in this way thoughtful,

Of devotee’s welfare mindful.

Five Angles Of Vision From Which To Study Hiranyakashipu

“The literal meaning of Hiranyakashipu is one who is after gold and soft bedding, the ultimate aim of all materialistic men. Such demonic men, who have no relationship with God, gradually become puffed up by material acquisitions and begin to challenge the authority of the Supreme Lord and torture those who are devotees of the Lord.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 2.7.14 Purport)

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Not your rewriting of history, where you try to reinterpret the story. Not making a martyr out of him. Not putting the spotlight on his perseverance in struggling against the person who is might personified. Not making him out to be something that he never was. Excluding those angles of vision, there is still plenty of room for study of the historical personality known as Hiranyakashipu.

Vedic literature is so comprehensive and in-depth that there is as much to learn from the failures as there is from the successful. In the story of King Hiranyakashipu there is the obvious hero in the five-year old boy named Prahlada. The initially beloved son of the king, he soon became the target of wrath. The victim of intense hatred of a specific personality, Prahlada did not change his disposition. The behavior of the father throughout the ordeal is equally as important to understand.

1. The name

Hiranyakashipu’s name is a combination of two Sanskrit terms. There is gold. Who wouldn’t want that? The futures market fluctuates. There is speculation galore. The stock market is up recently, but at any time it can crash. A person is considered wealthy since they possess a certain amount of paper currency in the bank, but the value of that paper can change at any moment. It might become worthless in a matter of days through what is known as inflation.

Gold stands the test of time. It is a precious metal. In American history there is something known as the gold rush. San Francisco as a major city was founded on the pursuit of this valuable commodity. Have enough gold and you won’t have any problems paying for things.

The second term means “soft cushion.” The king was interested in these two things. Accumulate enough material wealth and then enjoy by lying down on a soft surface. The same desire is prominent to this day, as there is an entire industry based on increasing the comfort of sleep. There are the mattresses that have customizable firmness settings. In more recent times mattresses can come delivered to the home in a small shape, expanding once opened. The foam inside promises to give a cloud-like resting experience.

2. Demigod worship

Hiranyakashipu wasn’t invincible to start. He could chase after gold and material comforts on his own, but the outcome is not guaranteed. Even if you are a great fighter, the numbers might work against you. One man can only fight so many other people at a single time.

For meeting his desires, Hiranyakashipu chose the wise step of worshiping the demigods. To get what he wanted required severe austerity and penance. Not every person could endure what he did, so that made him special to begin with. Eventually, Lord Brahma arrived. The creator was pleased by the worship and so he was ready to give Hiranyakashipu whatever he wanted.

3. Wanting to stay king forever

Hiranyakashipu wanted immortality. Never to die. Never to succumb to time. Never to exit the temporary body by force. As Brahma isn’t immortal himself, he couldn’t very well offer it to anyone else, no matter how much they pleased him.

Hiranyakashipu did not give up. He schemed, thinking he could work around the mortality issue through specific benedictions. Let me get immunity from weapons. Let not any man or beast kill me. Let me not die at night or in the day. Neither on land nor in the air. Let not any weapon be the instrument of death.

Every request was granted, so as to ensure that he remained king forever. An interesting thing occurred, though. Despite being feared throughout the world and having everyone submit to his authority, the king was not happy. His senses were not under control, though they had been during the time of seeking Brahma’s favor. Since he got what he wanted, that spirit of renunciation left along with Brahma.

4. Hating Lord Vishnu

The ruler had everything and he still wasn’t at peace. He had this intense hatred for Vishnu, who is the personal side of God. In the back of his mind Hiranyakashipu knew that Vishnu wasn’t ordinary. That is to say despite being a staunch atheist who wanted to punish the demigods working in favor of Vishnu, Hiranyakashipu had an idea that there was someone superior to him.

The hatred was so strong that devotion to Vishnu was not tolerated anywhere in the kingdom, even in the home. The king’s son was devoted to God from birth, and Hiranyakashipu’s patience did not last long. He eventually went the route of trying to kill his son, but the boy was protected because of that devotion.

5. Seeking immunity from death

As mentioned above, Hiranyakashipu tried to get around the mortality issue. The same spirit exists today, as scientists claim to one day be able to eliminate death through advancement in health. The focus is on progress, which is supposedly the way of the future, despite the future bearing one noticeable similarity to the past: guaranteed death.

Hiranyakashipu was clever, more so than anyone from modern times. He received iron-clad boons from Brahma himself. They were valid and truthful, and yet they would not serve the seeker’s purpose. Just one percent vulnerability is enough for all-devouring time to successfully attack. In this special case the person who is time itself arrived on the scene in an amazing form. A half-man/half-lion, he killed Hiranyakashipu. That was the deserved punishment for the crimes committed. The lethal force did not violate any of the protections the king had. In the end the gold and soft cushion were not enough to save him. They did not bring peace while living, and they sure did nothing to protect him while dying.

In Closing:

Despite on soft cushion lying,

No protection while dying.

All that gold accumulated,

By time’s hands annihilated.

Hating always Vishnu inside,

From pillar now the outside.

With fierce nails stomach tearing,

Punishment’s garland now wearing.

How Could A Father Try To Kill Their Own Son

“Prahlada Maharaja, a small child of only five years, became the object of envy for his great father, Hiranyakashipu, only because of his becoming a pure devotee of the Lord. The demon father employed all his weapons to kill the devotee son, Prahlada, but by the grace of the Lord he was saved from all sorts of dangerous actions by his father.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.15.16 Purport)

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Friend1: Let’s talk about Hiranyakashipu today.

Friend2: Sure. Which angle? Demigod worship? Wanting to stay king forever? Hating Lord Vishnu? Seeking immunity from death?

Friend1: All good topics, for sure. Makes you think. The villain of villains has their own place in Vedic literature. That is to say they can be studied for equally as long as the good guys.

Friend2: Well, there is the protagonist to the antagonist, the hero to the villain.

Friend1: The son Prahlada. Yes, that is sort of where I was going with the discussion.

Friend2: The idea of succeeding the father? Grooming the child to become a ruler of the same weight, wherein the entire world is afraid?

Friend1: Well, I’m just thinking about how parents are with their children. Making goofy faces. Smiling all the time. Talking in funny voices.

Friend2: It’s a fun time. When they get older the children move away. Independence means loosening the attachment to the parents in some way.

Friend1: So there are certainly many promises made. “I will love you forever. I will always be there for you. You are everything to me.”

Friend2: The parents are making these promises?

Friend1: Yes.

Friend2: Alright.

Friend1: Usually, there aren’t vows made to kill the child. “Just you wait. I’m going to throw you off a cliff. I’m going to put you into a pit of snakes. My sister, right here, she will take you into fire.”

Friend2: Yes, one would hope none of those things are said.

Friend1: Yet that is precisely what Hiranyakashipu did. He subjected his five year old son to the greatest torture.

Friend2: And it wasn’t even meant to be that. Not like the father was trying to extract intelligence secrets from the boy. There wasn’t a hope of making the kid relent.

Friend1: Lethal force. The intention was to kill. In a special case, Prahlada survived every attempt.

Friend2: He had Vishnu on his side. This was the person that Hiranyakashipu truly hated.

Friend1: A historical incident, but also highly symbolic. Illustrating the mindset of the asura, to be against God.

Friend2: So strongly to the point that if devotion is found within the kingdom, within the same family, that won’t change the mindset.

Friend1: That’s really the question I had today. How could a father do that to a son? I’m not sure most people would be capable of it.

Friend2: Well, we sort of answered that already. Being so strongly against Vishnu.

Friend1: Is that it, though? Nothing wrong genetically? Mental instability, perhaps.

Friend2: It’s sense gratification. It’s pursuing personal interest over anyone else’s. It’s not believing in the afterlife. If this life is the only one, then I escape punishment for bad behavior. Think of Hiranyakashipu’s mindset. “Who is going to attack me? Who will be able to defeat me, after receiving those amazing boons from Lord Brahma, the creator? I will never die, so even if there is an afterlife, I have no chance of seeing it. No way to get punishment.”

Friend1: I guess that is the meaning to maya, the illusory energy of God.

Friend2: Illusion is the perfect word. Not seeing things as they truly are. The visual proof came sure enough. It was gruesome. The punishment was commensurate with the crimes. The appearance of Narasimhadeva validated the truth revealed by Shri Rama in the Ramayana.

Friend1: What does He say? Is that when Rama is speaking to Khara?

Friend2: “Just as a tree starts to blossom during the proper season, so the doer of sinful deeds inevitably reaps the horrible fruit of their actions at the appropriate time.” (Lord Rama speaking to Khara, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 29.8)

Yes. Justice did not arrive immediately, so Hiranyakashipu thought he was safe. He thought he had license to continue in the murder attempts against Prahlada. Only sense gratification was on his mind, and even with everything available to him he was never happy. Meanwhile, Prahlada was in danger the entire time and yet had no stress. Makes you think about what is important in life.

In Closing:

Typically the son a keeper,
But not when into sin deeper.

Like Hiranyakashipu under sway,
Not knowing proper way.

So for son murder attempting,
Not even own family exempting.

Someone protecting, a power higher,
So that boy to survive even fire.

Purna Chandra

“Hearing those words, Sita, whose face resembles the full moon, spoke the following pious and sound words to Hanuman.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 37.1)

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sā sītā tat vacanam śrutvā pūrṇa candra nibha ānanā |
hanūmantam uvāca idam dharma artha sahitam vacaḥ ||

Darkness all around. People steeped in the mode of ignorance. Not only chasing sense gratification at the personal level, but no respect for life and property. After all, how would the thief feel if someone stole from them? Would they like it if foreign attackers raided the home and used violence against innocent people living inside?

The Rakshasas in Lanka were about to get a taste of their own medicine. The notable distinction is that the delivery of the violence would be justified. Like the words of Sita described above, the work would be in line with dharma. This has several meanings depending on the context of the discussion. Dharma is essentially righteousness. Pious behavior. Doing things the right way.

The people in Lanka generally followed adharma, taking the lead from their king, Ravana. His worst crime was cheating to steal away the princess of Videha, who was married to the prince of Ayodhya. She was hospitable to him as a guest in the forest of Dandaka, and he repaid that kindness by dragging her away, using deception to first gain her favor.

The moment of payback was soon to arrive. The harbinger of bad things to come was the arrival of Shri Hanuman, the dedicated servant of Shri Rama. If Rama had been near the hermitage at the time of Ravana’s visit, there would have been no danger. Ravana would have been defeated. The evil king thought he got away with it, that living on an island far away insulated him from enemy attack.

Hanuman was in a monkey-type body, and yet he made it across the vast ocean, entered the city undetected, and was able to locate Sita. The description of her face shows the stark contrast. She was like the moon to a place perpetually in darkness. It wasn’t an ordinary moon, either. Purna-chandra, full and bright.

One person in dharma meeting with another. Hanuman described what Rama was feeling in separation from His wife, and now Sita is preparing to respond. She will speak words appropriate and in line with interest, artha.

It is said that devotees of the Lord are silent. It is considered one of the qualities belonging to the Divine side, divyam. The meaning is not that they never speak. It is that they do not waste time speaking nonsense. Their words are in line with piety, dharma, and meeting the highest purpose.

In Closing:

Words the highest purpose meeting,

Like Sita when Hanuman greeting.

In Ashoka oddest of place,

She of moon-like face.

Not ordinary so,

Like full to glow.

In line with dharma to speak,

How husband and wife to meet.

Reports Come In Of A Heavy Attack

“Rama’s younger brother, Lakshmana, has reddish eyes and a voice that resounds like a kettledrum. His strength matches that of Rama’s, and his face shines like a full moon. Just as wind gives aid to a raging fire, Lakshmana has joined forces with his brother. It is that best of kings, Shriman Rama, who has brought down the Rakshasas fighting in Janasthana.” (Akampana speaking to Ravana, Valmiki Ramayana, Aranya Kand, 31.16-17)

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A wise person accepts valid information from hearing. That is to say they don’t insist on personal observation and experience when not necessary. One example is the weather forecast. The experts say that it will rain today. From morning until night. Heavy at times, but ever-steady, there will be no parting of the clouds on this day.

Skepticism is always an option, so if I decide to not take an umbrella with me on my walk to the bus station in the morning, the negative consequences are on me. I get validation of the forecast through the rain drenching my face and clothes, and so there is no more doubt. The situation could have been prevented by accepting the knowledge on authority. There is an element of faith, for sure, but that is the case with virtually every aspect of living.

Many thousands of years ago a powerful ruler received eyewitness testimony of the amazing fighting ability of two men. They were brothers, and the person who observed decided to compare them to fire and wind. The leader, the elder brother, Shri Rama, fired arrows that were like heat-seeking missiles. In whichever direction the enemies fled, the arrows followed. The fighters could find no escape. Though the origin Himself was known to be peaceful, calm, kind and fair, the specific face they saw of Him was terrifying.

That fire-like fighter was aided by the wind-like younger brother named Lakshmana. Having a voice like a kettledrum, just from speaking there was intimidation. Lakshmana followed Rama as a matter of duty, though the guiding sentiment was love. Rama was enough to take on fourteen-thousand of the king’s men, and Lakshmana was there in the background, just in case.

A wise person would have taken heed. These are not people to be messed with. The king of Lanka, Ravana, thought his forces were enough to secure victory. They were the aggressors. They went to the forest of Janasthana specifically to attack Rama. Instead, reports came back of a heavy attack, originating from the son of King Dasharatha.

Ravana learned enough to not try a similar mission in the future. Instead he went the cowardly route. Combining with the advisor Maricha, Ravana changed his shape. He used deception to steal Sita away. Rama’s beautiful wife was alone at the time, not bothering anyone. She had amazing abilities acquired through asceticism, but she would not use them in a place where Rama was tasked with defending her.

The heavy attack that Akampana experienced was nothing compared to what awaited Ravana in Lanka. Rama was defending before, but this time He came in full force, bringing along an army of monkeys and bears. Just as Rama’s arrows met their targets, so too did the rocks and trees hurled by the dedicated servants, who were not nearly as skilled in warfare as Ravana’s men, who could employ black magic when desired.

The Ravana-like mentality existed prior to his time on earth and it continues through to this day. The less intelligent will deny the expert testimony passed on in Vedic literature and held safe through the system of disciplic succession. Taking shelter of skepticism, of the inaccurate information provided by the flawed senses, the choice will be made for material enjoyment. Forget the Almighty. Forget dharma. Forget right and wrong. Just as the forecast of fire and wind eventually wiped away Ravana and his clan, so the all-devouring agent of time shows its gruesome face to erase the gains acquired through human effort.

Just like the fighters dedicated to Rama were protected, so His servants are spared the cruel death that continues the cycle of reincarnation. No more changing bodies for the liberated soul, who no matter where they reside always sees the fearless Rama standing in their heart, holding His illustrious bow and arrow, with Lakshmana by His side.

In Closing:

Standing guard to preside,

With Lakshmana by His side.

Like wind aiding the fire,

Of enemy’s defeat to transpire.

What Akampana in Dandaka saw,

That Ravana’s army flawed.

Same brothers today at the ready,

To protect those of devotion steady.