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3.1 Avatars of Ravana

In the Bhagavata Purana (one of eighteen Maha (Sanskrit: 'great') Puranic texts of

in!uis")# Ravana an! his $rother# %u"$hakarna# &ere sai! to $e reincarnations of

aa an! i*aa# !e"i+go! gatekee,ers at aikuntha (,-ace of eterna- $-iss) + the

a$o!e of ishnu an! &ere curse! to $e $orn in arth for their inso-ence.

/urse of the four %u"aras

Accor!ing to a stor fro" Bhagavata Purana# the 0our %u"aras# Sanaka#

Sanan!ana# Sanatana# an! Sanatku"ara &ho are the "anas,utras of Brah"a (sons

$orn fro" the "in! or thought ,o&er of Brah"a)# visite! aikuntha# the a$o!e of

ishnu# to see hi".

ue to the strength of their ta,as# the four %u"aras a,,ear to $e "ere chi-!ren#

though the are of great age. aa an! i*aa# the gate kee,ers of the aikuntha

interru,t the %u"aras at the gate# thinking the" to $e chi-!ren. 2he a-so te-- the

%u"aras that Sri ishnu is resting an! that the cannot see hi" no&. 2he enrage!

%u"aras re,-ie! aa an! i*aa that ishnu is avai-a$-e for his !evotees an ti"e#

an! curse! $oth the kee,ers aa an! i*aa# that the &ou-! have to give u, their

!ivinit# $e $orn as "orta-s on arth ($hu-oka# or ,hsica- ,-ane)# an! -ive -ike

nor"a- hu"an $eings. ishnu a,,eare! $efore the"# an! the gatekee,ers

reueste! ishnu to -ift the curse of the %u"aras. ishnu sas curse of %u"aras

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cannot $e reverse!. Instea!# he gives aa an! i*aa t&o o,tions. 2he 4rst o,tion is

to take seven $irths on arth as a !evotee of ishnu# &hi-e the secon! is to take

three $irths as his ene". After serving either of these sentences# the can re+attain

their stature at aikuntha an! $e &ith hi" ,er"anent-. aa an! i*aa cannot $ear

the thought of staing a&a fro" ishnu for seven -ives. As a resu-t# the choose to

$e $orn three ti"es on arth even though it &ou-! have to $e as ene"ies of ishnu.(2his stor is a-so use! as a "eta,hor a$out the cost of co""itting transgressions

in 52he 6os,e- of Sri Ra"akrishna5.)

In the 4rst -ife the &ere $orn as iranakashi,u an! iranaksha in the %rita 7uga#

to iti (!aughter of aksha Pra*a,athi) an! sage %asha,a &ho &ere ki--e! $

ishnu taking the for" of araha# a $oar an! 8arasi"ha#a "an+-ion in the Sata

7uga.

In their secon! -ife the &ere $orn as Ravana an! %u"$hakarna an! &ere ki--e! $

ishnu &ho !escen!e! as Ra"a in the 2reta 7uga.

An! in their thir! -ife as Shishu,a-a an! antavakra &ho &ere ki--e! $ ishnu &ho

!escen!e! as %rishna in the &a,ara 7uga.

It has $een note! $ "an that the strengths of aa an! i*aa gra!ua-- !ec-ine!&ith each su$seuent $irth. ishnu nee!e! one avatar each to ki-- iranaksha an!

iranakashi,u. Born as Ra"a he &as a$-e to vanuish $oth Ravana an!

%u"$hakarna. In his %rishna avatar the ki--ing of Shishu,a-a an! anthavakra is not

the "ain focus $ut "ore to re!uce the 'Bhoo$hara5 (2he $ur!en on "other earth $

too "an sinners).

In the "o!ern era# kno&n in Sanskrit as the %a-i 7uga# aa an! i*aa are free fro"

their curse# an! the can $e seen as gatekee,ers in ishnu te",-es an! te",-es

a9-iate! &ith aishnavis". Statues of aa+i*aa stan! in the te",-e of

enkates&ara in 2iru"a-a# the te",-e of agannath in Puri# an! the te",-e of

Ranganatha in Sriranga".