Why do we take birth? Are Karmic debts the only reason for our mortal presence? Then why did the celestial beings like Devas and Gods take birth in human form?
Most of us are familiar with the full story of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. We know that Lord Vishnu took the holy avatars of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna to eradicate evil from earth. Lord Rama killed Ravan in a divine battle and established dharma. But there is more to the story than most of us know. It is believed that Ravan was not a true enemy of Lord Vishnu. In fact, he was a devotee of Narayana in his past life. You heard right!
The Story of Jaya and Vijaya
The dvarapala (Gatekeeper) of Nayarana’s divine Vaikuntha dham were called Jaya and Vijaya. According to a story from the Bhagavata Purana, the Four Kumaras (manasaputras (mind-born children) of Brahma), Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, and Sanatkumara, paid a visit to Vaikuntha, the abode of Lord Vishnu, to see him.
Jaya and Vijaya thought that the Kumars were merely children and stopped them from entering Vaikuntha. They didn’t want to disturb Narayana while he was resting. The Kumars became angry, realizing that the gatekeepers saw them only as children, unaware that they were the mind-born sons of Brahma and possessed great inner power. They cursed the dvarapalas to be born as mortals on earth till they overcome their root desires and become free of their flaws. Thereafter, Lord Vishnu appeared before Jaya and Vijaya. He had seen everything with his divine vision.
Jaya and Vijaya seeked the help of their Lord to overcome the curse. But Lord Vishnu said that the curse could not be reversed. He gave them two options:
- Take seven births and be born as a devotee of Lord Vishnu and return to Vaikunth thereafter.
- Take three births as mortal enemies of Lord Vishnu and be slaid by him and return to Vaikuntha.
Jaya and Vijaya could not bear the thought of staying away from Narayana for so long. Hence, they decided to be born as the enemies of Lord Vishnu. In Satya Yuga, they were born as Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu, and were killed by the Varah avatar and Narasimha avatar of Lord Vishnu. In the Treta Yuga, they were born as Ravan and Kumbhakarna and were slain by Lord Rama. In the Dwapar Yuga, they were born as Shishupal and Dantavakra and were killed by Lord Krishna.
Image/GIF by: Khushboo Singh (Admin)
So Jaya and Vijaya were reincarnated only because they were punished for their negligence. But Lord Vishnu took birth to free them from their curse by slaying them in each birth.
What is our role?
Are we also some divine soul living our boon or punishment? It could not be a boon as we nowhere read that someone was born on earth as part of the boon!!
Our scriptures say that we are all part of the Para Brahma, the formless God who is omnipresent and yet beyond our perception. Then why can’t we return to the one? Because we are bound by our flaws, our desires, our Karma!
Astrology says that we have pending karma because of which we keep taking birth in different yonis. It’s a blessing to be born as humans because humans can learn, adapt, and hence, have a better probability of understanding the truth and escaping the cycle of life and death.
But the truth is that we have increased our desires over time, and we have grown more attached to this Maya (matrix) than ever. We are becoming slaves of our basic desires and are not ready to accept the truth. The truth is that no matter how much we earn or live, we are bound by pain, old age, and the miseries of life. We don’t know when life will take a wild turn and turn into a nightmare for us!
Especially in today’s world, we are living on the grace of God! Look where we have reached. What kind of food do we eat? What kind of air do we breathe? What is our future with the evolution of AI? Will we have jobs in the future? Will we get clean air, water, or food? It’s a miracle that we are even living in good health for at least a few years of our lives.
Do we not wish to escape this cycle of pain and uncertainty? But in each of our births, even if we are blessed with good money and potential, we choose greed over wisdom, desire over faith, and aggression over love!
So tell me, why do you think we reincarnate?
Thanks for reading!
See posts on Astrology and Ancient Hindu Scriptures to read more about our Sastras and Jyotish.
