Ravana Orders the Sacred Fires Extinguished
Bala Kanda, Chaupai 181
Doha 181 · Movement 1 of 2
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Masters of illusion fill the demon race, without dharma or compassion even in dream. Ravana sits within his assembly and surveys sons, followers, kinsmen, and grandsons in numbers beyond counting. Pride rises naturally at the sight of such power.
His words carry anger and intoxication. The gods are enemies, he tells the night wanderers, but they will not fight face to face. Whenever the demons approach in strength, heaven's warriors flee.
A different attack will destroy them. Brahmin feasts, yajnas, fire offerings, and worship nourish the sacred order on which the gods depend. Ravana commands his hosts to obstruct every one, turning violence from battlefields toward altars, kitchens, hermitages, and prayer.
From Lanka's throne, Ravana sends darkness toward every sacred flame.
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AI-created devotional illustration · Chaupai 181
Ten-faced Ravana speaks proudly and angrily to his assembled Rakshasa host; upper-chest portrait
Source reference and artistic choices
Gita Press code81 undated · PDF pages 183, 184 · printed pages 181, 182. Reader passage: bala-kanda-chaupai-181. Printed numbering may differ.
Source facts
- All eight parts retained: shape-changing Rakshasas know maya and possess neither dharma nor compassion even in dreams. Ten-faced Ravana sits in court surveying immense sons, servants, family and grandsons, innumerable Rakshasa kin.
- Ravana speaks proudly with anger/intoxication to assembled demon bands, not another speaker addressing 'O demon king'. He calls the gods enemies and says they flee seeing a strong DEMON OPPONENT; not 'our powerful enemy' reversed referent.
- He announces a way to bring their death and orders obstruction of FOUR named activities: BRAHMIN FEEDING, SACRIFICE, FIRE OFFERING, ANCESTOR SHRADDHA. Ancestor rites not generic worship. This is the command, not actual execution/attack depicted.
- Explicit दसमुख TEN FACES shown. Context C176 TWENTY ARMS retained; all twenty arms/hands and lower body are OUTSIDE this deliberate upper-chest portrait crop, not replaced with a complete two-armed Ravana.
Artistic choices
- New imagined Ravana face convention: ten fully visible crowned heads in one curved horizontal row joined by stylized necks into one continuous broad upper chest. Natural warm brown angular faces, upswept thick black moustaches, small pointed black chin goatees, black hair behind crowns, gold/ruby crowns and necklace, cream neckline/deep purple drape. One central speaking mouth, other faces stern; exact age~40, features, neck connection, crown heights/jewels and red forehead mark are unverified artistic conventions, not human anatomical/historical reconstruction.
- All ten heads counted independently at modest display; face orientations vary, profile eyes partly obscured naturally. Ten crowns have space above. No visible arms/hands, no separate bodies. Imagined gold cream court arch, rust field and flowers; audience remains outside portrait, no actual ritual obstruction/death, no displaced Rama greeting Ayodhya scene.
An imaginative interpretation, not a historical portrait or documentary evidence.
कामरूप जानहिं सब माया। सपनेहुँ जिन्ह कें धरम न दाया।। दसमुख बैठ सभाँ एक बारा। देखि अमित आपन परिवारा।। सुत समूह जन परिजन नाती। गे को पार निसाचर जाती।। सेन बिलोकि सहज अभिमानी। बोला बचन क्रोध मद सानी।। सुनहु सकल रजनीचर जूथा। हमरे बैरी बिबुध बरूथा।। ते सनमुख नहिं करही लराई। देखि सबल रिपु जाहिं पराई।। तेन्ह कर मरन एक बिधि होई। कहउँ बुझाइ सुनहु अब सोई।। द्विजभोजन मख होम सराधा।।सब कै जाइ करहु तुम्ह बाधा।।
They could assume any form at will and knew every art of maya. Not even in dreams did they possess dharma or compassion. One day, the ten-faced Ravana sat in his court, surveying his immense household and kin.