Tale Of JAYA-VIJAYA - The Gate Keepers of Lord Vishnu

The unique aspect about the legends of Hindu mythology is that, no matter how fantastic and impossible they may seem, they all serve a purpose. They are there for a reason – many of these stories come packaged with a hidden lesson as well, that we could all learn from. 


According to the Bhagavata Purana, the Four Kumaras, namely, Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana and Sanatkumara were manasaputras of Lord Brahma. They once visited Vishnu at Vaikuntha. Though they were quite old chronologically, they looked like small children, due to the power of their tapas (penance). They were embodiments of the purest qualities and completely lacked any negative quality such as anger, pride, greed, attachment, lust or other material desires. 

Brahma had originally created the Four Kumaras so that they could assist him in creating the Universe. However, they refused to participate in the process of procreation and, instead, chose to take the path of Brahmacharya (celibacy). They requested their divine father to bestow upon them the boon that they would eternally remain five years old. 

Thinking that they were a bunch of mischievous children, Vishnu's gatekeepers, Jaya and Vijaya, stopped them from entering the gates of Vaikuntha. They also told them that Vishnu was resting and so, they would not be able to see him at that point of time. Angered by this, the Kumaras retorted that Vishnu is always available to his devotees, at whatever time they call him. They then cursed Jaya and Vijaya that they would have to forfeit their divine status and be born on Earth, in order to wipe off their sins.  

At that moment, Vishnu appeared before them. Repenting their ignorance and arrogance, Jaya and Vijaya beseeched Vishnu to free them of the curse. The Lord said he could not undo a curse, but could reduce its intensity. He gave them two options they could choose from. The first option was to take seven births on Earth as devotees of Vishnu. The second was to take three births as his enemies. The Lord told them that after serving either of these two sentences, they would be able to come back to Vaikuntha and permanently reclaim their original position as his dwarapalas. 

Jaya and Vijaya could not even imagine being away from Vishnu for seven whole lives on earth. Hence, they chose to be his enemies for three lives. That way, they thought they would also be able to attain moksha at the hands of their beloved Lord.

The Three Reincarnations of Jaya and Vijaya

1. In their first life, Jaya and Vijaya were born as brothers, Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha, during the Krita Yuga. Hiranyaksha was killed by Varaha, the third avatara of Vishnu, whereas Hiranyakashipu was killed by Narasimha. 

2. In their second life, they were born as Ravana and Kumbhakarna. Here too, they were brothers. Ravana was killed during the Treta Yuga by Rama, the seventh avatara of Lord Vishnu, while Kumbhakarna was killed by Lakshmana, Rama's brother, who was also considered an extension of his own divinity.

3. In their third life, they were born as Dantavakra and Shishupala. In some versions, Dantavakra is replaced by Kamsa, the cruel brother of Devaki, Krishna's mother. Krishna is the eighth avatara of Sri Maha Vishnu – he manifested during the Dwapara Yuga and killed Shishupala, Dantavakra and his own uncle, Kamsa. 

With the slaying of Dantavakra, the prophecy of Jaya-Vijaya had been fulfilled and their curse, broken. Now they were free to return to Vaikuntha and serve their Lord as his dwarapalas for all time to come. Through their journey of three human lives, they had also learnt to give up their arrogance and ego and completely surrender themselves to their Lord. 

It is worth noting here that, with each subsequent reincarnation, Jaya and Vijaya gradually lost their strength and level of evil. It was most necessary for Vishnu to kill Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu. Later, Vishnu took the Rama avatara because the mighty Ravana had to be felled. Kumbhakarna played only a small role in the entire drama. In the Krishna avatara though, the main focus of the Lord was not to kill Shishupala and Dantavakra (or even Kamsa). He only did so to reduce the burden of Mother Earth; also freeing his dwarapalas of their curse in the process. 

Now, statues of Jaya-Vijaya stand prominently in the temple of Lord Venkateshwara in Tirumala, the temple of Lord Ranganatha in Srirangam and the temple of Lord Jagannatha in Puri.


-Taken from different Sources