Ravana and Kumbhakarna were Vaikuntha gatekeepers Jaya and Vijaya, says Puranic tale of three births

Everyone knows Ravana from the stories of the Ramayana, and tales of Ram and Ravana have been heard since childhood. But according to Puranic legend, Ravana was once one of Lord Vishnu's gatekeepers in Vaikuntha. A tale told in Hindu Puranic tradition says he had to be born three times into an asura clan in order to have darshan of Lord Vishnu.

The curse on Jaya and Vijaya: According to the tale, two gatekeepers named Jaya and Vijaya guarded the door of Lord Vishnu in Vaikuntha. One day four young sages, Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana and Sanatkumara, arrived in Vaikuntha for darshan of Lord Vishnu. Jaya and Vijaya stopped them from going in. The sages became angry and cursed both gatekeepers to be born on earth.

Lord Vishnu offered two ways out of the curse. The first was to live on earth as a devotee for seven births, and the second was to be born as Lord Vishnu's enemy for three births. So that they would not have to remain away from their beloved deity for long, Jaya and Vijaya chose the path of three births.

In the first birth, Jaya and Vijaya were born as the asuras Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu. Hiranyaksha was killed by Lord Vishnu in his Varaha avatar, while Hiranyakashipu was killed in the Narasimha avatar, taken to protect the devotee Prahlad.

Ravana and Kumbhakarna were the second birth: In the second birth, Jaya and Vijaya were born as Ravana and Kumbhakarna. Ravana was the king of Lanka and Kumbhakarna was his brother. In this birth, Lord Vishnu took the avatar of Shri Ram and killed Ravana. The tale holds that the slaying of Ravana in the Ramayana is not only the victory of dharma over adharma, but also part of freeing Jaya and Vijaya from the curse.

Who Jaya and Vijaya were in the third birth: The Bhagavata Purana describes the third birth of Jaya and Vijaya as Shishupala and Dantavakra. Shishupala was an opponent of Shri Krishna, who killed him at the time of the Rajasuya yagna. The Puranic tale also says that Dantavakra was killed by Shri Krishna as well. After these three births, Jaya and Vijaya were freed from the curse and got the chance to return to the service of Lord Vishnu in Vaikuntha.

The tale brings out a different spiritual perspective. A character like Ravana is seen not merely as a villain but also as part of a larger divine narrative. However, this information is based on tales from Hindu Puranic tradition. It should also not be forgotten that details may differ across versions of the Ramayana.

Some questions and answers: Was Ravana a gatekeeper of Vaikuntha? According to the Bhagavata Purana tale, Ravana was the second birth of Jaya, the gatekeeper of Vaikuntha. Vijaya is said to have been born as Kumbhakarna.

Who cursed Jaya and Vijaya? The four sages, Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana and Sanatkumara, cursed Jaya and Vijaya to be born on earth because they had been stopped from entering Vaikuntha.

What three births did Jaya and Vijaya take? The Puranic tale says that in the first birth they were Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu, in the second Ravana and Kumbhakarna, and in the third Shishupala and Dantavakra.