February 19 - Sargas 3 and 4 of Uttara Kanda.
The birth and glory of Kubera also known as Vaishravana and his lordship over Lanka.
The strange birth of rakshasas and the powers conferred on them by Lord Shiva and Devi Parvathi.
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Sage Agastya continues the story of Vishravas.
Vishravas was a great ascetic and performed austerities just like his father had done before.
सत्यवान् शीलवान् दान्तः स्वाध्यायनिरतः शुचिः "Vishravas was full of truthfulness, virtues, and great self-control who engaged himself in constant spiritual studies."
"Sage Bharadwaja saw the greatness of the young ascetic and offered his daughter in marriage to him. Vishravas married the maiden who was godly in appearance and qualities. Soon they begat a son, whom the father knew to possess Brahmic qualities. In consultation with other sages, he named him Vaishravana, his worthy son who had also benefitted in the womb itself from the study of scriptures.
Vaishravana was full of aspiration to do good for the sake of all creation. He did tapas for several thousand years in solitude with extreme rigour and self-abnegation. Lord Brahma appeared along with other gods like Indra and pronounced Vaishravana to be worthy of the loftiest of boons. Vaishravana asked Lord Brahma,
भवाँल्लोकपालत्वमिच्छेयं लोकरक्षणम् "Oh! Lord! I want to be a protector of this creation!"
यमेन्द्रवरुणानां च पदं यत् तव चोप्सितम् चतुर्थस्त्वं भविष्यसि
निधीशत्वमवाप्नुहि एतच्च पुष्पकं नाम विमानं सूर्यसन्निभम्
"Lord Brahma was mightily pleased and made Vaishravana the fourth Lokapala after Indra, Yama and Varuna, and made him the Lord of Wealth. He also gave him the divine aerial vehicle Pushpaka Vimana. He ordered him to discharge his important role by travelling the three worlds in Pushpaka and providing for everyone."
Vaishravana, or Kubera, the Lord of Wealth, went to his father and shared the story of his wonderful boons and his appointment. He then requested his father, " Dear Sire! Please advise me where I should make my residence."
Sage Vishravas told him,
लङ्का नाम पुरी रम्या निर्मिता विश्वकर्मणा राक्षसानां निवासार्थम्
दक्षिणास्योदधेस्तीरे त्रिकूट नाम पर्वतः तस्याग्रे विशाला पुरी लङ्का स्थिता
हेमप्राकारपरिखा यन्त्रशस्त्रसमावृता सा राक्षसैः परित्यक्ता पुरा विष्णुभयार्दितैः
"Dear son, there is Lanka, a glorious city created like Indra's Amaravati on Trikuta mountain in the middle of the southern ocean long ago by Vishvakarma. Endowed with a golden outer wall and protected with divine weapons and military equipment, Lanka was created for rakshasas to dwell in. But they abandoned Lanka out of their fear of Lord Vishnu. Go and rule from there."
Kubera was most happy to go and rule Lanka. His glory and their safety under his rule attracted soon all the rakshasas back who began to dwell there very happily.
Kubera used to frequently visit his parents up in the north in his Pushpaka. He was very righteous and efficient in discharging all his ordained functions as धनेश्वर Lord of Wealth.
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Sri Rama was now intrigued. He was under the impression that the rakshasas had descended from Paulastya (Vishravas). But it now seemed they had existed even before. Smilingly, he asked Sage Agastya to clarify their genesis. He also wanted to know what made the rakshasas fearful of Lord Vishnu.
The sage smilingly replied,
प्रजापतिः पुरा सृष्ट्वा अपः सलिलसम्भवः तासां गोपायने सत्त्वानासृजत्
"Sri Rama, long long ago, Lord Brahma created the ocean, and placed several creatures of great capability to protect the waters. When they appealed to him to describe their duties and how to feed themselves, Lord Brahma said, "you shall form two groups. The group engaged in protecting the waters will be "rakshasas" (protectors). Those who will create, protect and nurture the food chain will be "yakshas"."
Eventually, there were two rakshasa brothers. Praheti and Heti. Whereas Praheti became an ascetic performing severe austerities, Heti went in search of a wife. He married Yama's sister named Bhayaa ("the source of fear!"). She bore a son by the name of Vidyutkesha. Vidyutkesha grew up and his mother arranged for him to marry the daughter of Sandhya. Sandhya's daughter was given to sporting and picnicking constantly with Vidyutkesha. So she left her child, just born, named Sukesha, alone, and flew away with Vidyutkesha. (The child care, foster home, and babysitter industries were not created yet.)
Lord Shiva and Devi Parvati/Uma who were moving in the skies felt great compassion on seeing the baby Sukesha crying piteously. Seeing Parvati's affection for the baby, Lord Shiva conferred the boon that the baby will become instantly a young adult of the same age as his mother. He even made Sukesha immortal and gave him an aerial city (how futuristic!). Devi Parvati also pronounced that henceforth rakshasis would conceive and deliver instantly and their offspring will be born as fully grown adults.
Sukesha became very proud and started living merrily in his aerial city using his great intelligence to acquire immense wealth, by virtue of Lord Shiva's boons.
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॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
