Ravana's Advices to Lord Sri Rama

EMPEROR RAVANA’S

VALUABLE ADVICES TO SRI RAMA.

The great emperor of Sri Lanka was defeated in the fierce battle; he was fatally wounded and was on his death-bed. Lord Sri Rama wanted to visit Ravana and console him. He went to Ravana’s death bed. On seeing Lord Sri Rama, the great Ravana folded his hands with devotion and saluted him worshipfully. After consoling Emperor Ravana, Lord Sri Rama asked: “O noble Emeperor! You are a great and scholar “Brahmajnani (who had God-realisation and knew thorughly vedic scriptures)”. You ruled Lanka kingdom for a thousand years & won the love and admiration of all the people. You defeated Devatas and Kingdom of heaven. You are highly experienced king and ruler. After returning to Ayodhya, I shall be coronated as the Emperor. I want to get some useful advices from you, what are the best deeds I shall do to win the hearts of my people and to become a worthy person.”

Emperor Ravan replied with all-humility; “ O Rama! You are the God Sri Narayana, ominscent,omnipotent & omnipresent. I get mokasha-padam (freedom from the cycle of birth & death) because I was killed by you. I am not competent to give you any advices. But you asked me; I take it as your order. I offer humbly you two advices; these are valuable lessons I learnt from my own life.

1) NEVER POSTPONE ANY GOOD DEED TO A LATER DAY. DO IT IMMEDIATELY.
After defeating the kingdom of heaven and dethroning Emperor Devendra, I visited that place; I found the heaven with all pleasures, solely occupied by persons loyal to Devendra; I visited hell and saw millions of people suffering ghastly punishments, like fried in boiling oil, baked in flames. I felt very much distressed. So I took two decisions; (1) to close hell, sending my army. (2) to built stairs from Sri Lanka to heaven, so that every person of this earth can walk up to heaven and enjoy there. As a conqueror of heaven these two plans are very easy for me to implement. But I postponed them several times; finally the opportunity is lost. Now I am defeated and on my death-bed. Now these good plans cannot be implemented by me. So hell continues to exist; heaven is out-of-reach for ever.

2) NEVER LISTEN BAD ADVICES & NEVER HASTEN TO DO BAD DEEDS; AVOID FOREVER.

I know you are Lord Sri Narayana; due to curse given to Sunda, Upasunda, the watchmen of the Vaikuntham, the abode of Lord Sri Narayana, I and my brother Kumbhakarna were born as demons.
I always wanted to avoid confrontation with you. My sister, Soorphanakha, was insulted by you and your brother Lord Sri Lakshmana punished her by cutting her nose and ears for her devil—actions. She advised me to steal mother Sita and bring her to Sri Lanka and marry her, to take revenge on you two brothers, for refusing the accept her proposal for marriage, and for cutting her ears and nose. She entreated me a hundred times again and again. At last, I obeyed her bad advice; I acted on her plan to steal Sita when you two are away, chasing golden deer, and to bring her to Sri Lanka.
This evil action, brought doom to my family, to my country Sri Lanka and its people and death to me.
Lord Sri Rama thanked emperor Ravana for his good advices. These are invaluable advices even now.