Jaya & Vijaya

What would you answer if someone asked you, if you'd like to be born as a good human being for 7 lives or a baddie for 3 lives. Depends on person to person right?? This question was asked by Lord Vishnu to his door-keepers (dwara-palakas). Lets get to know the true story behind this and the answer they gave.

Jaya and Vijaya were the dwara-palakas for Lord Vishnu.They are known to be guarding at the last door to Vishnu's abode. On a particular day, the Lord instructed them to not allow anyone inside. They were very sincere and obedient. Narada came along singing and  requested to meet the Lord, but they objected from opening the door for him. In this fashion, they restricted everyone and anyone who came. A few of them returned angry while few didn't bother.

Meanwhile, the 4 brothers (sons of Brahma) called the Sanath Kumaras came to pay their respects and  requested for entry. Sanath Kumaras were 4 young men but with a child-like appearance (They looked like 10 year olds). They were a symbol of knowledge and were known to be supreme beings. They urged them to open the door. The keepers denied and also teased them for their appearance. They couldn't withstand continuous denial and mockery and they cursed the door-keepers, to be born as humans for 3 births who were against Lord Vishnu himself and would resort to insulting and killing Lord's devotees.

Jaya and Vijay fell to their feet to take the curse back. Curses were very powerful and once cursed they could not be taken back but effects could be minimized. In the meanwhile Lord comes and the door keepers fall to his feet explaining what happened. They also add saying that, they can never imagine themselves against Vishnu and would never want to be born like that. Since Lord had ordered them to do this and he was partially responsible for this curse, he gives them an option of being born 7 times as devotees or 3 times as dians. The door keepers were in a fix  now. They couldn't imagine even being 1 minute away from his holy abode and now 7 lives was too much to think about. More over if they are born as enemies then its the Lord who himself will kill and conquer over them. Keeping all these in mind they chose to be born as enemies for 3 lives.

They were none other than:

1. Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu who were by Vishnu in the Varaha and Narasimha avatar respectively.
2. Ravana and Kumbhakarana who were killed by Lord Rama an incarnation of Vishnu.
3. Sishupala and Danthavakra who were killed by the Lord in Krishna avatar.

P.S: How Shishupala was killed is also nice story will post it sometime.