Chapter 47 - Rāma’s Sin of Brahma-hatyā

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Note: This story explains why Rāvaṇa and his brothers are regarded as Brāhmaṇas. VR, l, 20.18 tells us that Rāvaṇa’s father Viśravas was a Brāhmaṇa. Hence his Brāhmaṇahood, though his mother Kekaṣī was of Rākṣasa clan.

The sages said:

1-4. O Sūta, O great Sage, how did the noble-souled Rāghava incur the sin of Brāhmaṇa-slaughter by slaying Rākṣasa Rāvaṇa.

O Sūta, the sin of Brāhmaṇa-slaughter is incurred only when a Brāhmaṇa is killed. The ten-headed demon was not a Brāhmaṇa. How then did this happen? O sage, tell us. How could Rāmacandra, the intelligent one, commit the cruel sin of Brāhmaṇa-slaughter? We listen attentively; kindly tell us about it now.

On being asked thus by those residents of Naimiṣa forest, Sūta began to give an excellent answer to their question.

Śrī Sūta said:

5-6. There was a son of Brahmā, of great brilliance, called Pulastya, O Brāhmaṇas. His son Viśravas was very well-known. That son of Pulastya, Viśravas, O eminent sages, performed a penance for a long time. It was one which was very difficult to be performed even by Devas.

7. While he was engaged in the penance, a Rākṣasa named Sumālī came to the terrestrial world from the nether worlds. He wandered over the entire earth.

8. He wore armlets made of gold coins. His complexion was of the colour of a black cloud. He had taken with him his virgin daughter who was like goddess Lakṣmī but without the lotus.

9-11. As he was wandering over the earth thus, once he saw Kubera, the son of Viśravas and the lord of wealth, seated in his aerial chariot named Puṣpaka. Then, O eminent Brāhmaṇas, that Rākṣasa Sumālī thought thus: ‘If we had a son like Kubera, we would all flourish. All the Rākṣasas would be free from fear from everywhere.’

After thinking thus the lord of Rākṣasas spoke to his daughter:

12-17. “O my splendid daughter Kaikasī! Now that you have attained youth, the time of giving you away in marriage has arrived. You are to be given away to a bridegroom.

If daughters are not given away (in marriage), fathers will be distressed. Further, O my splendid daughter, you have all the good qualities like Lakṣmī. You are very excellent. O splendid girl, it is due to the fear of being refused that you are not being wooed by men. Indeed the state of being the father of a girl brings misery to all men desirous of honour.

I do not know who that bridegroom will be, O dear girl, who intends to woo you. (I suggest that) you yourself approach the Brāhmaṇa Sage Viśravas, the son of Pulastya. He is born of the family of Brahmā. You court him of your own accord. There is no doubt about this that sons on a par with Kubera will be born to you.”

On hearing his words, the girl Kaikasī of pure smiles accepted his suggestion out of deference to her father.

18. She went to the hermitage of Sage Viśravas, O excellent ascetics, and stood near him blushing with the face downwards.

19. At that time, O Brāhmaṇas, the intelligent son of Pulastya resembling a blazing fire was engaged in performing Agnihotra (the worship of Fire-god).

20-21. Without considering the fact that it was the exceedingly cruel hour of the dusk, the lady of beautiful eyebrows approached that sage out of deference for the directives of her father. She stood there with downcast eyes marking lines on the ground with the tip of her big toe. On seeing Kaikasī who was slender-waisted and whose face resembled the full moon, O Brāhmaṇas, Viśravas spoke to her smilingly.

Viśravas said:

22-24. O splendid lady, whose daughter are you? From where have you come here? O lady of pure smiles, what is that purpose for which you are here? Speak everything truthfully to me now, O praiseworthy one.

On being told thus, O Brāhmaṇas, that virgin Kaikasī joined her palms in reverence. She spoke to the sage humbly and politely:

25. “O sage, the illuminator of the family of Pulastya, due to the power of your penance, you can know perfectly well my purpose (of coining) today.

26-27. I am the daughter of Sumālī, O sage, and my name is Kaikasī. I have approached you, O Brāhmaṇa, at the bidding of my father. The rest you can know with your vision of knowledge. There is no doubt about it.”

Sage Viśravas meditated for a short while and said to Kaikasī:

28-32. “O lady of excellent eyebrows, the desire within your heart has been known by me. O splendid lady, you have come to me now with a desire for sons. Since you approached me now during the cruel hour of dusk with a desire^[1] for sons, I have to tell you this, O lady, listen attentively. O uncensured (i.e. praiseworthy) Kaikasī you will give birth to Rākṣasas of ruthless activities. They will be dreadful with terrible features. They will be fond of terrible people.”

On hearing his words, Kaikasī bowed down to the son of Pulastya, O Brāhmaṇas, and said to him with palms joind in reverence:

“O holy lord, it is not proper that I should get sons like these from you.”

33-39. On being told thus, that sage said to Kaikasī, the lady of excellent waistline: “Your youngest son will be one with good qualities, befitting my family. He will be righteous. He will be conversant with the scriptures. He will not indulge in demoniac activities.”

Kaikasī was told thus, O Brāhmaṇas. After the lapse of some time, she gave birth to a son in the form of a dreadful Rākṣasa, who had ten heads and twenty hands. He was evil-minded and frightful. His lips were copper-coloured. His face was dark. His moustache and hair were red in colour. He had huge curved teeth. His body too was very huge. He caused perpetual terror to all the people. He was called by the names of Daśagrīva and Rāvaṇa.

After Rāvaṇa, the son named Kuṃbhakarṇa was born. Thereafter, the cruel demoness named Śūrpaṇakhā was born. Thereafter the last son of Kaikasī, well-known as Bibhīṣaṇa was born. He was intelligent and virtuous. He was conversant with the Vedas and scriptures. O Brāhmaṇas, thus these sons of Viśravas, Daśagrīva and others, were Brāhmaṇas.

40-43. So due to the killing of Kuṃbhakarṇa and Daśagrīva, Rāma, of unwearied activities, incurred the sin of Brāhmaṇa-slaughter. In order to dispel the same Rāma installed the Liṅga named Rāmeśvara in accordance with the injunction in the Vedas.

So by killing Rāvaṇa, the intelligent Rāmacandra, the favourite of all the people, had incurred the sin of Brāhmaṇa-slaughter.

Thus how the sin of Brāhmaṇa-slaughter was incurred, has been recounted to you all. It was to expiate this sin that Rāma himself installed a Liṅga.

44. After installing the Liṅga, the exceedingly virtuous Rāmacandra considered himself blessed and contented, O Brāhmaṇas, along with Sītā and his younger brother.

45. A Tīrtha named Brahmahatyā-Vimocana^[2] arose in the place where the sin of Brāhmaṇa-slaughter of King Rāmacandra was dispelled.

46. The holy bath there is highly meritorious. It is destructive of the sin of Brāhmaṇa-slaughter. Even now, Rāvaṇa is seen there in the form of a shadow.

47-52. Further ahead of it, there is a hole (leading to) the world of serpents. It is very huge. The lord of Sītā took the powerful sin of Brāhmaṇa-slaughter arising from the killing of Rāvaṇa to that hole. Above that hole he made an excellent pavilion. For the sake of guarding it Rāghava established Bhairava there.

Frightened of the command of Bhairava, the dreadful sin of Brāhmaṇa-slaughter could not come out of that hole, O excellent Brāhmaṇas. That Brahmahatyā who was unable to do anything, remained in that hole itself.

To the south of Rāmanātha, the great Liṅga, there stays joyously the Daughter of the Mountain who forms half the body of the Supreme Bliss, Śiva.

On either side of the Trident-bearing Lord are the Sun and the Moon. Fire-god is in front of Lord Rāmanātha.

53. Indra is in the east. Fire-god is in the south-east. The attendant of Rāmanātha in the south is Yama.

54. Nirṛti is on the south-west of Śaṅkara, O Brāhmaṇas. In the west Varuṇa devoutly serves Rāghaveśvara (Rāmanātha).

55. To the north-west of Śiva is Wind-god and Dhanada (Kubera) is in the north of Rāmanātha.

56-59. To the south-east of the lord, O Brāhmaṇas, is Maheśa. Vināyaka and Kumāra, the two sons of Mahādeva, stay in their respective places in the temple of Rāmanātha now. All the leaders of the Gaṇas of Maheśvara, Vīrabhadra, etc., always stay in their respective places in the temple of Rāmanātha. Sages, serpents, Siddhas, groups of Gandharvas and Apsaras live as they please in the vicinity of Śiva with contented hearts. They stay there for the sake of rendering service to Rāmanātha with great devotion.

60. For the sake of worshipping Rāmanātha, Raghupati established many Brāhmaṇas well-versed in the Vedas, as the priests.

61-66. One should adore the Brāhmaṇas established by Rāma by means of Havya and Kavya. If they are pleased, all the deities along with the Pitṛs shall be pleased.

The Lord of Sītā gave them many villages yielding much wealth. For the Naivedya of the great Lord Rāmanātha, the elder brother of Lakṣmaṇa gave many villages and much wealth. The son of Daśaratha gave necklaces, armlets, bracelets and other ornaments, gold coins, many silk garments and different kinds of fine fabrics to Lord Rāmanātha.

Gaṅgā, the meritorious Yamunā, Sarayū and Sarasvatī worship Lord Rāmeśvara on the Setu for suppressing their own sins.

By reading this chapter and by listening to this, a man shall be liberated from all sins. He attains Sāyujya with Hari.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The cruel demoniac nature of Rāvaṇa and his brothers is attributed to the ‘cruel nature of the time’ of their conception.

[2]:

Now this is a well in the second north Prākāram of the Rāmeśvaram Temple.