Bliss of Ravana

 Someone pointed this out to me in DMs. bhIShmAchArya  refers to rAma as the delighter of pulastya’s lineage, 

रामो दशिरथिर्भूत्वा पुलस्त्यकुलनन्दनम् । जघान रावणं सङ्ख्ये तस्मै क्षत्रात्मने नमः (~ shAnti parva)+

[bhIShma: “You (Krishna) became rAma, son of daSharatha, delighter of the clan of pulastya. You killed rAvaNa in the battlefield - Salutations to you, whose form was that of a kShatriya as rAma.”]+

I had uploaded a document translating this stuti, but I had not explained “पुलस्त्यकुलनन्दनम्” there. Anyway, there are two meanings for this.

The first is that rAma installed vibhIShaNa as king and thus delighted pulastya’s lineage+

The second meaning however, is that rAma gave delight to rAvaNa himself!

When rAvaNa was knocked unconscious by rAma, his (rAvaNa’s) charioteer, fearing for his safety, turns away from battle and takes rAvaNa to a safe place. rAvaNa then tells the charioteer+

शत्रोः प्रख्यातवीर्यस्य रञ्जनीयस्य विक्रमैः | पश्यतो युद्धलुब्धोअहन् कृतः कापुरुषस्त्वया

[rAvaNa: “My enemy (rAma) has well-reputed valor & who delights all by his brave deeds which suit his valor. But I who desired to fight him, was made a coward by you, who retreated]+

rAvaNa says “प्रख्यातवीर्यस्य” - rAma’s valor is reputed even among his foes. And then says, “रञ्जनीयस्य विक्रमैः” - by acts that suit his majestic valor, he delights even me.

Ie, rAvaNa himself, despite his nature, was experiencing bliss by enjoying rAma’s vIrya+

bhagavAn’s guNAs are Anandamaya & so even the fear he causes is blissful, let alone valor. Thus, rAvaNa praised rAma’s valor.

rAvaNa also felt joy thinking, “By fighting him, my bravery will be reputed”. That is implied by “युद्धलुब्धो” - “I desire to fight him”+

This is explained by shrI periyavAcchAn pillai in the context of rAvaNa’s heads getting severed. 

AchArya says that as rAma severed each head, they fell down smiling, applauding rAma’s bravery & feeling that being severed by rAma, rAvaNa's bravery had become famous+

रावणस्य शिरो ऽच्छिन्दच् छ्रीमज् ज्वलितकुण्डलम् तच् छिरः पतितं भूमौ दृष्टं लोकैस् त्रिभिस् तदा

[rAvaNa’s head, beautiful and having effulgent earrings, was cut off by rAma. That head fell down on the ground and was seen by the three worlds]+

दृष्टं लोकैस् त्रिभिस् तदा” - the three worlds saw that head being cut off by rAma, which is a sign of recognition. 

It means rAvaNa was thinking, "all the worlds can see my head severed by rAma in direct battle, which attests to my bravery"+

Even rAvaNa was worthy of respect to a degree, since Hanuman himself exclaims in wonder, “अहो रूपम् अहो धैर्यम्…” at some of rAvaNa’s glorious attributes.

That is why bhIShma says, “पुलस्त्यकुलनन्दनम्” - rAma delighted the lineage of pulastya, like vibhIShaNa and rAvaNa+

Credit to http://koyil.org for uploading periyavAcchan pillai’s commentary. People can refer to that here - http://divyaprabandham.koyil.org/index.php/2020

from https://twitter.com/DefiledGod/status/1589861192067338240