Canto 3: Araṇya-kāṇḍa ()Chapter 39: Mārīca Describes his Second Encounter with Lord RāmaText 3.39.23
Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 39: Mārīca Describes his Second Encounter with Lord Rāma
Text 3.39.23
रामश्च हि महातेजा महासत्त्वो महाबलः।
अपि राक्षसलोकस्य न भवेदन्तकोऽपि सः॥
rāmaś ca hi mahā-tejā mahā-sattvo mahā-balaḥ
api rākṣasa-lokasya na bhaved antako ’pi saḥ
rāmaḥ ca = Rāma; hi = it is well known that; mahā-tejāḥ = is full of great prowess; mahā-sattvaḥ = great intelligence; mahā-balaḥ = and great strength; api = wish to 1; rākṣasa-lokasya = for the [entire] community of rākṣasas; na bhavet = wouldn’t become; antakaḥ = the god of death; api = certainly; saḥ = He.
It is well known that Rāma is full of great prowess, great intelligence and great strength. Wouldn’t He certainly wish to become the god of death for the [entire] community of rākṣasas?
Mārīca then states in his next verse that [Rāvaṇa] shouldn’t become eager [to enter into a fight with Rāma] because Khara was killed.
NOTE. Rāvaṇa is a typical demon because he is whimsical and indifferent to Vedic scriptural injunctions. Prabhupāda notes this in his purport to Bhagavad-gītā 16.6:
The conditioned living entities are divided into two classes in this world. Those who are born with divine qualities follow a regulated life; that is to say they abide by the injunctions in scriptures and by the authorities. One should perform duties in the light of authoritative scripture. This mentality is called divine. One who does not follow the regulative principles as they are laid down in the scriptures and who acts according to his whims is called demoniac or asuric. There is no other criterion but obedience to the regulative principles of scriptures. It is mentioned in Vedic literature that both the demigods and the demons are born of the Prajāpati; the only difference is that one class obeys the Vedic injunctions and the other does not.