॥ यत्र रामः भयं न अत्र न अस्ति तत्र पराभवः ॥

Vijayādasahamī

On the tenth day of bright-half of Ashvina month, Vijaya (Victory) festival of Bhagavan Shri Rama is celebrated.

“The Shukla-dashami (the 10th day of bright-half) of the Ashvin month is called Vijyaya day of Bhagavan Shri Rama.”

Vijayādashamī is celebrated to mark the victory of Bhagavān Śrī Rāma the embodiment of Dharma (righteousness) over Rāvaṇa the evil demon king, the success of good over evil in history, to rejoice the valorous pastimes of the cosmic hero, and so that it could inspire all in the world to tread on the path of righteousness!

How to celebrate Vijayādasahamī

One should do especial worship of Bhagavān Śrī SītāRām and Lakshmaṇ on the day of Vijayādasahamī and hear or sing the divine pastimes of Śrī Rām's victory over Rāvaṇ in the unparalleled war.

From the temples, people should take out Ratha-Yātrā procession of Utsava-Murtis of Bhagavān Śrī SītāRām and Lakshmaṇ.

Worship of the clay brought from the roots of Shami tree on Vijayādasahamī

“One should go to a shami in the eastern direction, and bring a clod of clay in the house from its roots, with singing and instrumental music. one should worship it with the various decorations as per one's capacity.”

“Celebrating Vijayadashami thus [by worshiping Shri Rama, Sita and Lakshmana, and Shami tree and singing the glories for the satisfaction of Shri Rama], bestows every desired things here, and the divine heavenly abode of Bhagavan at the end of this body, O Narada.”

Vishnu-dharmottara Purana is quoted by Sanātan Gosvāmī for how to celebrate Vijayotsava of Bhagavan Shri Rama..

On the Shukla-dashami (the 10th day of bright-half) of the Ashvin month, Vijyotsava (of Bhagavan Shri Rama) i.e. Vijayadashami should be celebrated by Vaishnavas desiring victory in everything.

atha vijayotsava-vidhih : Now the method of celebrating the Rath-Yatra festival on Vijayadashami

“One should adorn (the deity of) Bhagavan Shri Rama the slayer of the demons, with all royal ornaments, a bow, arrows, and quiver in His hand, and then place him on a chariot.”

(One can mentally meditate on this leela.)

“Then, with a royal pomp one should take Shri Rama who by his own desire for the leela and protection of the world manifested himself in the royal dynasty of Raghu, to a Shami tree.”

“As He stands by the shami tree, one should worship Lord Shri Rama, the beloved consort of Sita and the giver of fearlessness (or the liberation i.e. abhaya-padam of Upanishads) state to the devotees. Then, in order to attain victory, one should also worship the Shami tree.”

“May the Shamī tree which has red thorns like straight arrows, and which is dear to Lord Räma, pacify (destroy) my sins.”

“On this (10th) day, at the base of a shami tree, with His monkey allies Bhagavan [Shri Rama] celebrated the festival of the victory when He heard Hanuman say, “I see Sita (who is safe after Rāvaṇa is killed)!”

“Then, taking an unbroken clod of earth from the roots of the shami tree, one should with singing and instrumental music bring the deity of the Supreme Personality of Godhead back to his temple.”

“Then, in a drama (Rama-leela play), some may be bears, some may be monkeys, and some may be rakta-mukha monkeys for the pleasure of Lord Rama.”

(A ten days Ramayana based drama (Rama-leela play) is organised by devotees' associations. On the tenth day, Victory of Shri Rama over Rāvaṇa is played by devotees.)

“In that drama (Ramayana-play) the demons and cannibals who opposed Shri Rama are all defeated. Then one should call out: “Rama-rajya (the kingdom of Rama)! Rama-rajya! Rajya-rajya!”

“Then one should place the Deity of the Lord again comfortably on His throne (place). One should offer ārati to the deity, and one should offer dandavat praṇām falling to the ground like a stick. Then, with the other Vaishṇavas, one should accept the mahā-prasāda the remnants of sweets-food, garments and other things offered to the Lord.”

The battle between Sri Rama and Rāvaṇa can be likened only to the battle between Sri Rama and Rāvaṇa, there is no other such battle ever happened in history, nor it will ever happen in future. Therefore, only this victory is called Vijaya festival in the scriptures which brought happiness and peace to all the worlds.

The stories of Bhagavan Shri Rama eliminates the evil tendencies present inside in the form of Kama (lust), Krodh (anger), lobh (greed), moh (ignorance, infatuation), mada (arrogance, intoxication), matsar (envy, jealousy), ahamkara (ego, pride), himsa (cruelty, injuring others by speech, mind, and body), kapat (deceit, hypocrisy) and bhaya (fear), and all such vile and ignoble qualities.

Rāvaṇa was the embodiment of all these aforementioned evil qualities.

The evil-doer Rāvaṇa

Rāvaṇa was used to abduct and rape the daughters sisters and wives of devas (celestials), asuras (demons), Gandharvas, Humans, Vanaras, Nagas, etc and keep them in his gynaeceum.

“Rāvaṇa was used to abduct the daughters (women) of Deva (celestials), asuras, humans, etc from here and there. He was tormentor to wives of his enemies and a leader for his people.”

“Rāvaṇa used to cut all dharmas by their roots and molest others' wives.”

He used to destroy the Yajna and kill sages. He had become a terror for all the worlds and all the living beings.

“Rāvaṇa used to disrupt Vedic Yajnas at their final stage. He used to kill brahmins of those Yajnas. He was ruthless, harsh, and merciless. He was involved in the activities against human welfare. In short, he become a terror for all the living beings and all the worlds.”

Therefore, then Bhagavan himself appeared to eliminate Rāvaṇa who was not eliminable by anyone else, to bring peace and happiness in all the worlds.

(The victory of Bhagavān Śrī Rāma over Rāvaṇa)
As per puranas, Bhagavān Śrī Rāma eliminated Rāvaṇa along with his demonic army on the 9th day of Shukla Paksha (bright half) of Ashvina month and on the 10th day, finals rites of Rāvaṇa was done. And on the 10th day, Hanuman brought the good news to Śrī Rāma that Śrī Sita Ji is unharmed and safe and only after hearing this news Śrī Rāma and his monkeys armies celebrated the victory.

Therefore, people burn Rāvaṇa on the 10th day and celebrate victory of Shri Rama over Rāvaṇa, the victory of dharma over adharma.

“Wherever there is Sri Ram, there is no fear and never defeat (fall, ruin) !”

Unparalleled Rama-Rāvaṇa war

The battle between Sri Rām and Rāvaṇ was the most fierce battle ever seen in the history, the war between Rama and Rāvaṇ can be likened to the battle between Rām and Rāvaṇ only :

“Seeing that matchless struggle and observing that the sky is its own compeer and the ocean is its own analogue, the battle between Sri Rama and Rāvaṇa can be likened only to the battle between Sri Rama and Rāvaṇa, the hosts of Gandharvas the celestial musicians and Apsaras, the heavenly nymphs, looked on that battle between Sri Rama and Rāvaṇa.”

When Raghunandan killed the evil demon king Rāvaṇa, Gods from heaven poured flowers over chariot of Sri Rama!

“Pouring over the chariot of Sri Rama quite fascinating shower of flowers, which was difficult to be accomplished (elsewhere), fell from the heavens to the earth on that occasion after killing of Rāvaṇa.”

Gods started doing Stava of Shri Rama, proclaiming Shri Rama Jayam!

“Excellent pronouncements of the great-souled gods saying "well done! Bravo!", combined with a panegyric in praise (Stava) of Sri Rama, was distinctly heard in the sky.”

Everyone in all the three worlds rejoiced the victory of Shri Rama over the demon Rāvaṇa who was the basket of evils and terror to good people and women of gods and men.

“When Rāvaṇa, the cruel demon and the terror of all the worlds, was killed, a great rejoice filled the hearts of gods and charanas the celestial bards.”

The real nature of Bhagavān Śrī Rāma

After Rāvaṇa was eliminated, his wife Mandodari lamented a lot and she revealed the real nature of Bhagavān Śrī Rāma in front of all...

Mandodari, the great Sati says —
“(Oh my dead husband Rāvaṇa!) This Rama is certainly the Mahāyōgī (महायोगी the one whose leelas [yoga] are always great [mahan]), the supreme-soul (परमात्मा Paramātmā), the eternal person (सनातनः Sanatana), having no beginning middle or end (अनादिमध्यनिधनो anādi-madhya-nidhanō), greater than all great ones and distinguished gods (महतः परमो महान् mahataḥ paramō mahān), the one supremely luminous and present [lives] beyond the material world (तमसः परमो tamasaḥ paramō), the nourisher of all living-beings (धाता dhātā), to whom the Lord who wields a conch a disc and a mace is subordinate (adhara) (शङ्खचक्रगदाधरः śaṅkhacakragadādharaḥ), having the 'Srivatsa' mark on his chest (श्रीवत्सवक्षा śrīvatsavakṣā), eternally associated with Bhagavati Śrī (Sita) or the one who has eternal beautiful appearance in his form (नित्यश्रीः nitya-śrīḥ), incapable of being conquered (अजय्यः ajayyaḥ), a perpetual one (शाश्वतो śāśvatō), being the constant unchanging soul of the universe (ध्रुवः dhruvaḥ), truly mighty (सत्यपराक्रमः satyaparākramaḥ), the lord of all the worlds (सर्वलोकेश्वरः sarvalōkēśvaraḥ), the possessor of Śrī (श्रीमान् śrīmān), the all pervading cosmic-soul (विष्णुः Vishnu means the all pervading one), with a wish to benefit all the worlds, assuming the human form surrounded by all the gods in the form of monkeys, Rama killed you along with your family and demons.”

Mandodari further tells there -

“Oh dead Rāvaṇa! The moment your brother Khara were killed by Rama in Dandakaranya (Janasthana), though surrounded by a multitude of demons, it became evident that Rama is really not a human-being.”

Rāvaṇa and Kumbhakarṇa

The leelas of Shri Rama happened in diverse ways in different Kalpas, and Rāvaṇa and Kumbhakarṇa of different Kalpas were not same, but different ones, for example the Rāvana of Valmiki Ramayana and Adhyatm Ramayana were different from the Rāvaṇa of Vishṇu-Purāṇa.

In one Kalpa, King Pratāpabhānu and his younger brother Arimardan were reborn as Rāvaṇa and Kumbhakarṇa respectively.

In that Kalpa, Bhagavan Shri Rama himself appeared and given them the supreme abode (liberation).

“In due time, the King Pratāpabhānu with his family born as demons. He had ten heads and twenty arms. His name was Rāvaṇa; he was a formidable hero. The king's younger brother, Arimardana by name, became the powerful Kumbhakarṇa. His minister, who was known as Dharmaruci, became Rāvaṇa's younger half-brother, Vibhishaṇa by name, who is known to the whole world as a devotee of God Vishṇu (ŚrīRāma) and a repository of wisdom. And the king's sons and servants were born a fierce demon crew. ”

In another Kalpa, Jaya-Vijaya the two gatekeepers of the Vaikuntha became Rāvaṇa and Kumbhakarṇa.

“Śrī Hari has two favourite gate-keepers Jaya and Vijaya, who are known to everybody. Due to the curse of certain Brāhmaṇas (Sanaka and his three brothers) both these brothers were born in the accursed species of demons. One of them was known as Hiraṇyakaśipu and the other as Hiraṇyākṣa. They became known throughout the universe as the tamers of the pride of Indra (the chief of gods). Both of them were celebrated heroes who came out victorious in battle. The Lord assumed the form of a divine-Boar in order to kill one of the two brothers (viz., Hiraṇyākṣa); while bodying Himself forth as a Man-Lion (Narasimha), He killed the other (Hiraṇyakaśipu) and spread the fair renown of His devotee, Prahlāda (Hiraṇyakaśipu's son). It is these two brothers that were born again as the powerful and most valiant Rākshasas. Rāvaṇa and Kumbhakarṇa who were great warriors and, as all the world knows, conquered even gods.”

“Even though slain by the Lord, the two brothers (Hiraṇyākṣa and Hiraṇyakaśipu) did not attain liberation; for the Brāhmaṇas had doomed them to three births. It was on their account that the Lover of the devotees bodied Himself forth on one occasion. In that birth Kashyapa and Aditi were His parents, who were known by the names of Dasharatha and and Kausalyā respectively. This was how in one Kalpa (round of creation) the Lord descended from heaven and performed purifying deeds on earth.”

Only due to the curse of Sanakadik four brother sages, Jaya-Vijaya who had taken second birth as Rāvaṇa and Kumbhakarṇa were not liberated, as they had to take three births as per the curse, and Śrī Hari honored the words of the four sages.

Rāvaṇa and Kumbhakarṇa of Vishṇu-Purāṇa were the second-birth of Jaya and Vijaya on the earth as demons. In the Ramayana of that Kalpa, Bhagavan Shri Sita-Rama does not go beyond Chitrakuta, in their place Bhagavan Lakshmi-Vishṇu of Vaikuntha goes in the form of Sītā-Rāma. Thereafter, Rāvaṇa abducts Śrī Lakshmi in the form of Śrī Sītā, and Śrī Vishṇu in the form of Śrī Rāma eliminates Rāvaṇa and Kumbhakarṇa. There, due to the curse of four Kumāras (Sanakādik sages), Rāvaṇa and Kumbhakarṇa could not know that Bhagavan himself has come to eliminate them, and therefore they could not become liberated.

While the Rāvaṇa and Kumbhakarṇa of Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Adhyātm-Rāmāyaṇa etc were aware that Shri Rama is not a human, but Bhagavan himself. And therefore, they got the supreme-abode of Bhagavan, they were thus liberated.

“By whose valour, innumerable demons got the destruction (death), I think that Rama is verily Narayana alone beyond the birth and death, the illness and grief, the supreme immutable unchanging soul.”

This acceptance of Rāvaṇa in context of Śrī Rāma's reality is on the same pattern of Adhyātm-Rāmāyaṇa which is also like a concise commentary by Sage Ved-Vyasa himself over the selected spiritual mysteries of Śrī Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa.

At other place in Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Rāvaṇa tells “I know Śrī Rāma is Madhusudan, and I abducted Sita in order to get the Vishnoh-Paramam-Padam (the supreme abode of Vishnu Shri Rama) after being killed by Śrī Rāma himself.”

In some other Kalpa, Rāvaṇa was the reincarnation of Jālandhara, and he got the supreme state after being killed by Śrī Rāma.

“In another Kalpa all the gods were worsted in their conflict with the demon Jalandhara. Seeing their distress Shambhu waged war against him, which knew no end; but the demon, who possessed a great might, could not be killed in spite of His best efforts. The wife of the demon chief was a most virtuous lady. Armed by her strength of character the demon could not be conquered even by the Vanquisher of Tripura. By a stratagem the Lord broke her vow of chastity and accomplished the purpose of the gods. When the lady discovered the trick, she cursed Him in her wrath. (123) The sportive and gracious Lord accepted her curse on him. It was this Jalandhara who was reborn as Rāvaṇa in this latter Kalpa. Killing him in battle Shri Rama conferred on him the liberation the supreme state (final beatitude). This was the reason why Shri Rama assumed a human form in one particular birth.”

In some different Kalpa, the two Shiva-gaṇas became the demons Rāvaṇa and Kumbhakarṇa

Once divine sage Narada was doing penance and He went into Samadhi; seeing this Indra became apprehensive of sage's penance, and to break it he sent cupid and heavenly damsels there where sage was in trance. However, divine sage Narad was unmoved from various deceptive tricks and amorous plays of cupid and heavenly damsels. Finally, Kama-deva fell in the feet of sage Narada, telling he is defeated by sage. Divine sage Narada later on became proud of his victory over the god of love, he started narrating his victory with a pride to others. Narada with a feeling of pride narrated it to Lord Shiva and ultimately to Lord Vishṇu also. Bhagavan Vishnu does not like pride, and therefore he expanded his leela to destroy the pride of his devotee. He created an illusionary city just like Vaikuntha, where Shri Hari's own enrapturing potency became the princess Vishvamohini, the daughter of king Sheelnidhi. When Narada visted that city and saw her unparalleled beauty, he forgot his celibacy and dispassion and gazed on her again and again, He wished to marry her somehow, therefore he went to Bhagavan and requested to give him the form of Hari. Hari means Bhagavan Vishnu, and Hari means Vanara also. Bhagavan gave him the form of a monkey (Hari), not his own form. While Narada thought he got the face of Bhagavan Shri Hari, so he would definitely be selected as the husband by Vishvamohini in the arena of the choice-marriage. With that monkey- face, he reached to the arena of the choice-marriage where Vishvamohini would choose her husband from royal suitors. In the row where Narada sat in the arena, there two Shiva-gaṇas (the attendants of Lord Shiva) disguised as Brahmanas were also present to see the fun. Those two Shiv-Ganas knew all the secrets of Narada how he got the monkey face, therefore they started making sarcastic remarks on the beauty of Narada, saying “Hari has given this man such excellent beauty that the princess will be enamoured to look at it and shall certainly choose him.” Sage was still under the spell of delusion, he could not understand their sarcastic remarks and smiles. When Princess Vishvamohini came to Narada, seeing his ugly face she was filled with rage. She moved her face away from him and went to other royal suitors, sage Narada thought princess did not see him properly, so he went again and again to her, and princess repeatedly ignored him, then she chosed the Lord who had come there as prince and garlanded him. Thereafter, the attendants of Lord Shiva smilingly said to the disappointed Narada “just look your face in the mirror.” Sage looked the reflection of his face in the water, he became very furious and utterd a very terrible curse to those two attendants of Lord Shiva to go and be reborn as demons. After sometime, when anger of sage Narada was pacified, then those two Shiva-ganas prayed to him to free them from the curse, then the benevolent Narada told you shall be reborn as mighty demons and when You have subdued the entire universe with the might of your arms, then Shri Hari himself would assume the human-form to eliminate you, dying from his hands you both would be liberated and shall never be born again. These two Shiva-gaṇas were reborn as the demons Rāvaṇa and Kumbhakarṇa, then in that Kalpa Śrī Rāma appeared in the world and eliminated them and gave them the supreme abode.

This way there were different Rāvaṇa and Kumbhakarṇa in different Kalpas.

“The Lord rewards with everlasting victory, wisdom and worldly prosperity those men of good understanding who listen to the stories relating to the victory of Sri Rama (the Hero of Raghus line) in battle. Ponder well and see for yourself, O my mind: this age of Kali is the very home of impurities. There is nothing to fall back upon in this age, other than the name of the illustrious Lord of the Raghus.”

Jai Sri Rama!

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