This morning a boy asked me a question. He said: “Bábá, Ravana was considered a mahápátakii [great sinner]. But the Rámáyańa says that after death he attained mokśa [non-qualified liberation]. A question naturally arises here - ‘How could a great sinner such as Ravana attain liberation?’”

Well, this is indeed a very pertinent question. You know that the Rámáyańa is a highly educative puráńa [mythological story with a moral import]. There are many things in it which deserve to be learned. Anyway, we may make an attempt to answer the young man’s query.

Suppose someone commits a gravely unjust action, for which there is no provision for social atonement, the evil impact of which affects society recurringly; that unjust action is a mahápátaka. True, Ravana certainly was a mahápátakii in this sense. There is an instructive story in the Rámáyańa that explains this. Let me narrate the story:

Fierce fighting was going on between Rama and Ravana. At a stage when Ravana was on the verge of being finally vanquished, he appealed to his favourite god, Shiva: “O Shiva, save me; I will die in this fight.”

But Shiva did nothing to save Ravana. Párvatii said to Shiva, “Ravana is a true devotee of Yours. His life is at stake. Why don’t You save him?”

Shiva replied, “No, Ravana is a mahápátakii. The death penalty is the punishment he deserves.”

But where will a person go after death? He will merge with Shiva, become one with Him. There is nowhere to go outside Shiva. But in the material world, the death penalty is the punishment.

Párvatii objected, saying, “Why so! How can Ravana be a mahápátakii? Maybe he is an atipátakii [major sinner] at the most.”

According to the social code prevalent in India in those days, abduction of someone else’s wife was regarded as atipátaka; because the code in those days said that once a woman had been abducted, she would not be allowed re-entry into society. (Frankly speaking, this was not at all a commendable system. The stigma caused by abduction meant that the victimized lady’s life would be permanently damaged.) Hence from this point of view Ravana was of course an atipátakii. Atipátaka is an offence for which there is no scope for atonement, which cannot be set right. So Ravana was certainly an atipátakii. So Párvatii said: “Why should he be called a mahápátakii?”

In reply Shiva said, “Well, if Ravana had carried Sita off dressed just as a thief, then he would be an atipátakii. But he came in the guise of a sádhu [saint]. Can you imagine the implications of such conduct? Ravana disguised himself as a saint to carry off a housewife. As a result no housewife will henceforth believe a saint. Suppose a genuine saint comes to a family house and begs for alms. The housewife may well fear that he is a thief in the guise of a saint, like Ravana. Ravana has committed a crime which will have its effect on society in future. Moreover, the effect of Ravana’s evil deed will be a recurrent one. For this reason Ravana is not an atipátakii but a mahápátakii.”

Shiva’s answer was beautiful indeed. Nevertheless, Párvatii said, “Whatever the case may be, I will save Ravana.”

“You may try,” Shiva said, “but I tell you, you will not be able to save him.” And ultimately that which had to happen, happened. Ravana died at the hands of Ramchandra.

So this morning a boy asked the question: “How could Ravana, as a mahápátakii, attain liberation?” It is a good question: how could liberation be possible for a mahápátakii such as this? Now see who was Ravana’s dhyeya [object of ideation]. On whom was he always meditating? Who was he always thinking about? Remember that Ravana was thinking about Rama twenty-four hours a day. People generally think about their enemies more than they do about those whom they love. Suppose you have a bitter quarrel with someone. When you sit down to eat later on, you will find that you don’t feel like eating. The image of your enemy will come up again and again in your mind. And you will be thinking: “I should have hit him a couple of good ones!” On that day you will have no appetite at all. If you have love and affection for anyone, you will have a good appetite, but if you have enmity with anyone, you will have no appetite at all. Because on that day your mind will be fully occupied with thoughts of your enemy.

Now, what was the state of Ravana’s mind prior to his fight with Rama? He was thinking only of Rama, discarding all other thoughts. His kingdom was lost, the happy and prosperous Lanka was burnt to ashes, and all of his sons and grandsons had been killed. Everything was finished. Yet even then Ravana went on fighting Rama, thinking all the time only of Rama. The scriptures say: Shraddhayá helayá vá [“With reverence or with indifference”]. If you think about Parama Puruśa with reverence, that is good; but if you think about Him helayá – “with disdain” – your mind will be the same as if you are thinking about Him with reverence. You will be continuously revolving around Parama Puruśa.

The Rámáyańa also has an instructive story about this. While Sita was a captive in Ravana’s Ashoka Kánan [Ashoka Forest], she was surrounded by a number of ceŕiis [guard-women]. These ceŕiis were fallen angels. The story is that because of a downfall on the path of spiritual sádhaná, they had been reborn as ceŕiis. But because of their virtuous deeds in previous lives, they got the opportunity to come in contact with the glorious Sita. What did the ceŕiis tell Sita? Ravana’s repeated instructions to the ceŕiis had been: “Don’t allow Sita to utter the name “Rama”!” Accordingly, the ceŕiis would say: “Sita, don’t utter the name ‘Rama’.” Through saying this, Ravana is taking the name of Rama, and the ceŕiis also take the name of Rama. When the ceŕiis would say, “Sita, don’t utter the name of Rama, Sita, don’t utter the name of Rama,” it means that they were repeatedly saying “Sita-Rama, Sita-Rama” [a popular Vaishnavite expression]. Hence whether with reverence or with irreverence, the fact remains that the name of Rama is being taken.

So Ravana was thinking only about Parama Puruśa. The fact is that whoever thinks of Parama Puruśa as an enemy, receives a death sentence from Parama Puruśa and meets physical death – but the person gets mokśa. Ravana died in this way. Who killed him? Parama Puruśa. Even at the moment just before Ravana died, Rama was in his mind. Ravana won liberation by looking upon Parama Puruśa as his enemy. Of course it is a story; but it is an educative story.

The scriptures as well as the Tantras have this to say:

Api cet sudurácáro bhajate Mámananyabhák…⁽¹⁾

Ahaḿ tváḿ sarvapápebhyo mokśayiśyámi má shucah.⁽²⁾

[If even the most wicked people worship Me with a concentrated mind…]

[I will save you from all sin, have no fear about that.]

If one worships Paramátmá as an enemy, Paramátmá gives that person a death sentence, but rescues the person as well. Ravana has been characterized in the story in this way. Such a battle is not fought out of hatred of one another; it is an ideological battle. Good people fight for ideologies, not out of personal hatred or antagonism. The story has this also to say: When Ravana was just about to die, Rama approached him and said, “You are indeed learned and intelligent. You understand so much. Compared to you, I know very little, and am junior in age. So please give me a few words of advice.” Ravana then gave him two very valuable pieces of advice – Shubhasya shiighram, ashubhasya kálaharańam – which are still highly popular in Indian society. Very good indeed are these two pieces of advice. Follow these rules at every step of your life; you will benefit greatly from it.

Shubhasya shiighram. Ravana said: “Look here, Rama, as soon as a desire to do something good arises in your mind, don’t delay at all, start on it immediately. Because other people may come and influence you not to do it; or with the passage of time, your desire may also wane. You may think: ‘I don’t want to do this any more.’ So Shubhasya shiighram – ‘Be prompt in taking up whatever is good.’ Whenever a desire arises in your mind and you feel like accomplishing such-and-such good actions right now, take up the work then and there. Suppose you meet a beggar; he has no clothing; it is bitingly cold, he is suffering much from the cold; and the desire arises in your mind to give him some clothing. If before actually giving it to him you ask someone in your family, they may advise against it. They may say: ‘There are so many cases like this one! How many people can you give clothing to?’ Hearing this, you change your mind. ‘Yes, that’s true, maybe I won’t give the clothing.’ So when you want to do something good, never ask anybody anything. This is what is meant by Shubhasya shiigram. Start on a good work as soon as you can; there is no need to ask anyone. Why do you need to ask? Since it is a good work, the blessings of Paramátmá must be there. You can never fail.”

“Ashubhasya kálaharańam. Suppose the desire arises to do something bad. In this case, even if you keep telling yourself that you will do it, keep putting it off. ‘Not today, tomorrow… not tomorrow, the day after tomorrow…’ In this way, keep delaying the action. In this case ask anybody and everybody, ‘Should I do this or not?’ You will see that many will tell you not to do it. By that time your mind will have become purified, and you will see that your mind no longer wants to do that bad action.”

Yes, this was Ravana’s advice to Rama: Shubhasya shiighram ashubhasya kálaharańam [“Whatever is good, do it right away; whatever is bad, delay it as long as possible”].

Worshipping Paramátmá as an enemy – that is exactly what Ravana did. There are other stories like this as well, which tell us of many dacoits and demons doing the same thing. The story of Gayasura is one of them. Although the Puranic stories are not real, they were created for the purpose of educating the masses. The story of Gayasura is one such story. He was a terrible demon. Lord Viśńu had blessed Gayasura with a boon. Strengthened with the boon, he conquered heaven, earth and hell, and established a big empire. Ambitious of expanding his empire, he ultimately started to fight Lord Viśńu himself. The dethroned gods of heaven approached Viśńu and appealed to him plaintively: “O Lord, because of your boon Gayasura has become immeasurably powerful, irresistible. You please stop him.” So Viśńu went to fight Gayasura, but even he was defeated, because through the boon of Viśńu himself Gayasura was invincible.

This morning I said, regarding the question “Who is more intelligent, the devotee or God?” that the devotee is more intelligent. But if you put the question before a devotee, the devotee will reply: “I am; but I got my intelligence from Paramátmá.” Similarly, Gayasura acquired his power as a boon from Paramátmá. Anyway, Viśńu was defeated, and Gayasura bound him tightly to a big tree. A devotee of course has the right to bind his Bhagaván. Bound thus, Viśńu said: “Look, Gayasura! Before I granted you a boon. Now you grant me a boon.”

Gayasura said, “My Lord, I am yours, so whatever you want I will give you.”

Then Viśńu said, “You see, I want you to turn to stone.” Gayasura fell prostrate on the ground. Starting from the lower parts of his body, he began to turn to stone. Gradually Gayasura’s whole body was turning to stone. Then Gayasura said: “I am ready to grant you the boon you are asking for, but on three conditions. The first is that you put your divine feet on my chest – you must put them there.” Viśńu said: “So be it.” The meaning is that Viśńu was installed in Gayasura’s heart. “The second condition is that whoever worships you will certainly attain mukti [liberation] and mokśa [non-qualified liberation]. To anyone in the world – even a sinner or a durácárii – who worships you, you must give mukti and mokśa.” Lord Viśńu agreed to this also: “So be it.” “The third condition is, if anyone worships you and does not attain mukti and mokśa, then Gayasura will rise again.” Viśńu said: “So be it.” Now see the beautiful way Gayasura has been characterized here!

Even sinners, durácáriis [those of wicked conduct] and hiinácáriis [those of low conduct] are sure to attain mukti and mokśa if they perform the upásaná [worship] of Parama Puruśa in the right way. What exactly is the meaning of the Sanskrit word upásaná? It is “guiding oneself to Parama Puruśa”. The word upa means “close to”, “near”. Upásaná thus signifies moving one’s ásana, one’s sitting-place, nearer to Parama Puruśa. That is to say, upásaná means sádhaná. Human beings are ordinarily far away from Parama Puruśa. Hence to gradually move towards Paramátmá is the essential meaning of upásaná. Upa – as + ńic + lyut́ + t́á = upásaná. (And not merely moving towards Paramátmá, but remaining perfectly close to Him, is what is called upavása. Upa means “near” and vása means “to live” or “to remain”. Nowadays upavása has come to mean not eating, or voluntary abstention from food – what is called “fasting” in English. But upavása is not fasting. Fasting or refraining from food is anaśana in Sanskrit. Thus anaśana and upavása are not synonymous. On Ekádashii [“eleventh” day after the new moon or full moon], the full moon and the new moon very little food should be taken – almost like not eating at all. One should keep the body light and keep the mind close to Paramátmá alone. You should minimize your daily work and spend most of your time in sádhaná. This is called upavása.)

One who worships Paramátmá with sincere devotion, even if he or she is a [sudurácárii] – a greater sinner than a sinner – is sure to attain mukti and mokśa The Giitá says: Api cet sudurácáro bhajate mámananyabhák… [“If even the most wicked people worship Me with a concentrated mind…”]

Who is a durácárii? A person who causes your downfall if you come in contact with the person is a durácárii for you. If a sinner comes in contact with a mahátmá [elevated soul], that will not cause the downfall of the saint, rather it will have an uplifting effect on the sinner. So that sinner is not a durácárii for the mahátmá. But that sinner is a durácárii for you, because coming in contact with that person will lead to your downfall. Thus one who is a durácárii to an ordinary person is not so in relation to a saint. When a durácárii comes in touch with a mahátmá and takes shelter in him, the durácárii is changed to a person of noble character; while it may happen that for you to come in contact with that same durácárii will cause your downfall. For this reason, everybody should keep at a distance from persons who are durácáriis to them. When you feel that association with such-and-such person will have a degrading effect on you, you should keep away from that person. Sádhus and mahátmás never keep away from anybody, because they do not risk degradation through association with anybody; rather those who come in contact with the sádhus and mahátmás will be uplifted. That is why is has been said Bhaja sádhusamágamam [“Associate with the virtuous”]. There are, however, different rules for different people. What are they?

Tyaja durjanasaḿsargaḿ bhaja sádhusamágamam;
Kuru puńyamahorátraḿ smara nityamanityatám.

[Avoid association with the wicked and associate with the virtuous. Do good twenty-four hours a day, and remember the eternal.]

“If a person is a durjana, someone who may cause your downfall if you come in contact with them, who you think is not a good person, you should keep away from that person.” Wicked people should always be avoided, because under their influence an ordinary person may go bad. People of this type are durjanas to ordinary people. But if it is absolutely necessary to be in contact with such a person, then what should you do? Suppose your good qualities are four per cent, while the bad qualities of the durjana are ten per cent. What do you do? Well, when you contact that person you take two or three other persons with you. As a result, the combined good qualities of you and your companions will come to twelve or thirteen per cent. The bad qualities of the wicked person being only ten, the influence of those bad qualities can be overcome. The effect will be like that of satsauṋga [good company]. That is why all sádhakas should assemble for dharmacakra [collective meditation].

In everybody there is some good and some bad. But suppose the bad in you is greater than the good; where so many people are doing sádhaná together, it is bound to have an effect on you. For this reason satsauṋga is a technique for becoming virtuous in life.

Bhaja sádhusamágamam – “You should have more and more contact with people, contact with whom will be helpful in your development.” Satsauṋga is very important for all. In Tantric scripture it is known as mudrá sádhaná:

Satsaungena bhavenmuktirasatsaungeśu bandhanam;
Asatsauṋgamudrańaḿ sá mudrá parikiirttitá.

[Keeping good company leads to liberation, whereas the company of bad people leads to greater bondage. The mudrańam – shunning - of bad company is called mudrá sádhaná.]

Any member of society whom a durácárii calls a durácárii, or a sinner calls a sinner, is a sudurácárii. Api cet sudurácáro – that is, “If even a person who is extremely mean, than whom no one could be meaner,” bhajate mámananyabhák – “worships Me with undivided devotion, withdrawing his or her consciousness from all other objects, and meditates on Me alone, that person is sure to attain liberation from worldly bondages.” To think only of Parama Puruśa, forgetting everything else, is called Iishvaraprema - Ananyamamatá Viśńormamatá premasaḿgatá. Vaishnavite scripture also says that where there is no attachment for anything but Viśńu alone, Parama Puruśa alone, that is called Iishvaraprema. (The word Viśńu means “all-pervading Entity that is immanent in each and every being”.)

Api cet sudurácáro bhajate mámananyabhák – “If even a sudurácárii or mahápátakii whose future is totally bleak renounces everything else of the world to worship Me, and devotes himself or herself to the propagation of dharma, social service and sádhaná,” “I will liberate that person from all sin” – So’pi pápavinirmukto mucyate bhavabandhanát. Nobody’s future is sealed forever. Everyone’s future is bright. Everyone has the opportunity for progress. So’pi pápavinirmukto – “Even they will be freed from all sins.” Who does “they” mean? It means the greatest durácáriis.

Mucyate bhavabandhanát – “They will be liberated from earthly bondages.” What does the word bhava [sometimes translated “the earth” or “the expressed universe”] mean here? It means the minimum reactive momenta – that is, the minimum part of the saḿskáras [mental reactive momenta] of any individual’s actions, the unrequited saḿskáras, for which the person will have to be reborn, will have to come to earth again. Bhava is the very small part of the acquired saḿskáras that is left over as a residual and that causes rebirth in the world; those minimum residual saḿskáras are called bhava.

Unless one goes beyond these accumulated saḿskáras, this accumulated bhava, there can be no mukti or mokśa. That is why we speak of the bhavasamudra or bhavaságara [“ocean of bhava” or “sea of bhava”]. Liberation from earthly bondages is extremely difficult for someone who has not yet tasted the fruits of his or her previous actions, or whose saḿskáras, though they have begun to take effect, have not yet been exhausted. But an individual who has surrendered to Paramátmá will attain liberation from the bhavaságara. And the extraordinary sádhakas, the best sádhakas, will certainly attain liberation. Even hiinácáriis and durácáriis will certainly attain mukti and mokśa. So for no reason, under any circumstances, should anyone worry.

Footnotes

(1) Bhagavad Giitá. –Trans.

(2) Bhagavad Giitá. –Trans.