Ravana Curse from Rambha

Dadi: "Guddu, do you know why Ravana, despite keeping Sita captive for so long, never truly harmed her?"

Guddu: "Because he was afraid of Rama?"

Dadi: "That's part of it. But there's a deeper reason - a curse that bound his hands. Let me tell you about the night Ravana's own actions sealed his doom."

Guddu: "A curse? What happened?"

Dadi: "Ravana was the most powerful being in the three worlds. He had conquered the gods, defeated death itself, and acquired enormous boons through his worship of Lord Shiva. But power without self-control is dangerous."

Guddu: "What did he do?"

Dadi: "One night, Ravana was camping on Mount Kailasa. The mountain was beautiful - flowers everywhere, gentle breezes, the moon shining bright. And among the celestial beings there, he saw Rambha - one of the most beautiful apsaras in heaven."

Guddu: "Who was she?"

Dadi: "Rambha was a divine dancer from Indra's court. But more importantly, she was the wife of Nalakuvara - who was the son of Kubera, Ravana's own half-brother. This made her Ravana's nephew's wife - practically his daughter-in-law!"

Guddu: "So she was family?"

Dadi: "Exactly. When Ravana approached her with lustful intentions, Rambha pushed back. She reminded him of her relationship to him. "By the laws of our tradition," she said, "I am like your daughter. Please respect me!""

Guddu: "Did Ravana listen?"

Dadi: "No, beta. Blinded by desire and drunk on his own power, he ignored her completely. He mocked her pleas and violated her."

Guddu: "That's terrible!"

Dadi: "It was a terrible sin. Rambha, shattered and disheveled, went straight to her husband Nalakuvara. When he saw her state and learned what happened, he burned with rage."

Guddu: "What did he do?"

Dadi: "Nalakuvara was a devotee of great spiritual power. He entered deep meditation to verify the truth, then he pronounced a curse: "Because Ravana took you against your will, he shall never again be able to approach any woman who does not desire him. If he ever forces himself on an unwilling woman, his head will split into seven pieces!""

Guddu: "His head would explode?!"

Dadi: "Into seven pieces! The moment this curse was spoken, celestial drums sounded and flowers rained from the sky. The gods themselves rejoiced, knowing this curse would lead to Ravana's eventual downfall."

Guddu: "How?"

Dadi: "Think about it, Guddu. Years later, when Ravana kidnapped Sita, what did he want?"

Guddu: "He wanted her to be his queen."

Dadi: "But Sita refused him completely. She never consented. And because of the curse, Ravana couldn't touch her. He could imprison her, he could threaten her, but he couldn't harm her directly."

Guddu: "The curse protected Sita!"

Dadi: "Yes! Without Nalakuvara's curse, Sita might have suffered much worse during her captivity. But Ravana's own past action - his assault on Rambha - created the very chain that bound his hands when he wanted to hurt Rama's wife."

Guddu: "So his evil came back to protect the good!"

Dadi: "That's karma, beta. Our actions create consequences that follow us, sometimes in ways we never expect. Ravana probably never imagined that violating one woman would lead to his ultimate defeat by protecting another."

Guddu: "Dadi, this makes me think... bad actions really do come back to us, don't they?"

Dadi: "Always. Maybe not immediately, maybe not obviously, but the universe keeps account. Ravana had many curses against him - from Vedavati who said a woman would cause his death, and from Rambha's family that made him powerless against unwilling women. Together, these curses ensured his downfall."

Guddu: "It's like he built his own trap."

Dadi: "Brick by brick, through his own choices. That's why our tradition teaches self-control so strongly. Power without restraint, desire without limits - they create the very situations that destroy us."

Guddu: "I'll remember this story when I'm tempted to do something wrong."

Dadi: "Good, beta. And remember - Ravana wasn't some simple monster. He was brilliant, powerful, devout to Shiva. But none of that saved him from his own unkind actions. We are ultimately accountable for how we treat others, especially those weaker than us. That's the true measure of character."