Hare Krishna !
I have a very basic and simple question as to why or how demons like Ravana, Kamsa, Hiranyakashipu, etc take birth?
Since God is creator of everything in this world, would it be fair to say that even for demons?
If yes, is the purpose of their creation to make people understand the difference between good & bad ? Or he wants to convey some message via them?
Can demons be actually considered fortunate to be killed by God?
Replies
Hare Krsna
Why demons like Ravana, Hiranyakashipu, etc take birth?
Ravana, Hiranyakashipu were previously dwarapals/gate keepers of Vaikuntha planets. They thought that Lord Vishnu is being served in so many ways, but Lord Vishnu doesn;t get to fight in Vaikuntha. So they desired to give that pleasure of fighting to Lord Vishnu. This was normal, evenin olden days kings would keep body guards and would have friendly fights with them for practice and pleasure. So to fulfill that desire Lord Vishnu arranged for them to take birth as demons in material world. I'm sure you know the story of 4 kumaras visiting vaikuntha and so on. So basically some living entities play the role of enemies of the lord.
How demons like Ravana, Kamsa, Hiranyakashipu, etc take birth ?
This is very interesting. Whenever a powerful demon or a devotee/ lord is to take birth there is divine or demonic intervention behind it. For birth of Hiranyakashipu Diti and Kashyapa united in the wrong time. Although both were brahmins, Diti had selfish motives to unite with Kashyapa which resulted in very selfish children. Since the sage was powerful and Diti was chaste, the children were powerful but selfish. Similarly Ravana was also born to sage, but Ravana's mother was demon, she had the motive to use Sage Vishrava to give birth to a demon. Similarly Kamsa was born when his mother was exploited by a powerful gandharva.
God is creator of everything in this world, would it be fair to say that even for demons?
Yes, but if I am a demon then it is not because God created me to be a demon. It is because I chose to be a demon. God doesn't want any particular living entity to be a demon. But if a living entity chooses to be enemical towards Sri Hari then the lord fulfills it.
Think of it like govt building prisons. Govt builds prisons and puts people in prison. If someone thinks govt has made people into prisoners, technically it may be right, but reality is much larger. Govt doesn't want prisoners. Govt doesn't want any one particular citizen to be come prisoner, but if a citizen does illegal things then he is punished in prison.
So the supreme personality of godhead Sri Krsna is the source of demons also, but it is only because those demons want to be enemical to Krsna. So Krsna is not responsible for their creation.
If yes, is the purpose of their creation to make people understand the difference between good & bad ? Or he wants to convey some message via them?
Both
When Sri Krsna performs he'll have so many purposes being fulfilled simultaneously.
Can demons be actually considered fortunate to be killed by God?
Yes, they get liberated. Krsna liberated so many demons - Putana, Aghasura, Bakasura, Shisupal etc.
Hare Krsna
Hare Krsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
Yes, demons are as much created by God as humans and demigods. There cannot be creation without the creator right? All of us have the same creator - adi purush Govind.
This world is dukhalayam ashashwatam - temporary and full of miseries. This is true for all yugas, not just for kaliyuga. If everyone is good and there are no demons, then the world will become a good place to stay in. Then this world will not be dukhalayam atleast.
There are always multiple reasons for any activities done by God. The reasons mentioned by you are all right. One has to experience duality in this material world - demons is one of the ways in which to experience this. Difference between good and bad is one of them. At any point in time, there will be demons in the world. That is the arrangement of the lord.
Yes of course, these demons are most fortunate to be killed by the lord. That means instant liberation. IN the case of Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakasipu, Ravan & Kumbhakaran, Shishupala and Dantavakra - they are 3 lifetimes of Jay and Vijay, who were doorkeepers of Vaikuntha, who got cursed by the 4 Kumaras to take birth on earth as demons. So they were anyways empowered jivas, who could fight with the lord Himself. They went back to being Jay & Vijay after these 3 lifetimes. Then they came back as Jagai & Madhai in Chaitanya leela and attained love of Godhead.
Haribol,
Your servant,
Radha Rasamayi DD
Hare Krishna Mataji...Well explained....exactly what I was looking for....thank you so very much....