A Delayed Woman’s After-Death real Story
Stories from the Khuddaka Nikaya are more than ancient narratives. They are mirrors that reflect our own moral struggles, our choices, and the karmic results we create through them. Among these compelling stories, the tale of Revati stands out. It is dramatic, terrifying, inspiring, and unforgettable. It shows the consequences of stinginess, deception, and anger while also reminding us that transformation is always possible if we choose the right path.
This long form article breaks down the entire Revati Vimana story from the Vimanavatthu into a clear, modern, and engaging explanation. Everything is written in simple English suitable for a Grade 9 reader while maintaining depth, emotional weight, and spiritual insight.
Let’s walk through this powerful journey step by step.
The Return of a Traveler and the Symbol of Merit
The story begins with a beautiful comparison. When someone lives abroad for many years and finally returns home, their family welcomes them with excitement and love. The feeling is warm, joyful, and comforting.
Similarly, when a person who has done good deeds leaves the human world and is reborn, their own merit welcomes them. Just like a relative greeting someone arriving from far away, merit comes forward and embraces the doer of good. This sets the tone of the entire story and shows a universal truth. What we do follows us. Not our money, property, clothing, or status. Only merit and demerit travel with us.
Revati’s Sinner Life and the Arrival of the Yama Messengers
Revati was not a kind woman. She was known for being extremely stingy. She never offered alms, never shared, and lived a life full of anger and ego. She refused to help monks, brahmins, or anyone in need. Because of this lack of generosity, her life created heavy negative karma.
When her time in the human world ended, she faced the results.
Two terrifying Yama messengers appeared. Their eyes were blood red. Their presence alone could freeze the heart of anyone. They looked at her and said:
“You are a sinner who never gave alms. The gates of hell have opened for you. Get up now. The beings in hell are waiting to drag you to your place.”
These messengers were not ordinary beings. They represented the results of her own actions. The life she lived created these frightening guides.
Each messenger grabbed one of her hands and pulled her away. This moment shows how no one can escape their own karma. When the time comes, the result appears exactly the way it was created.
The Contrast of Beauty: A Glimpse of the Divine Realms
As Revati was being dragged toward hell, she suddenly saw something bright, beautiful, and divine. A heavenly Vimana appeared. It glowed like the sun. It was made of a net of gold. Its beauty was beyond imagination.
Inside and outside the Vimana were divine Apsaras. Their bodies were covered in fragrant sandalwood paste, and they made the entire Vimana shine even more.
Revati asked:
“Whose Vimana is this? Who is lucky enough to enter this heavenly palace?”
In the heavenly realm, the messengers explained that this heavenly mansion belonged to a man named Nandiya. He lived in Benares and was known for his generosity and pure heart. He offered alms joyfully and without pride. He lived a life worthy of respect.
This Vimana, shining like the morning sun, was the karmic result of Nandiya’s goodness.
Revati’s Jealous Wishes and Her Harsh Reality
Revati suddenly felt jealous. She said:
“I am Nandiya’s wife. I lived with him. Now I want to enter his Vimana. I don’t want to even look at hell.”
Her words show a deeper human weakness. People sometimes believe they deserve the rewards of others simply due to relationships. But karma doesn’t work that way. It is personal. No husband, wife, sibling, or parent can give their merit to another. Only one’s own actions matter.
The Yama messengers replied:
“That is your hell. You did no good deeds in the human world. People who are greedy, angry, and harmful do not get to enjoy heavenly company.”
This was the hard truth she had ignored her entire life.
The Horrors of Samsavaka Hell
Then Revati noticed a terrible smell. A mixture of excrement and urine filled the air. She asked what the stench was.
The messengers replied:
“This is the Samsavaka hell. It is extremely crowded. More than a hundred beings are inside. You will stay here for a thousand years.”
She was shocked and asked why she deserved such suffering. After all, she had not thought her actions were so serious.
The messengers reminded her:
“You deceived monks, brahmins, and ascetics. You lied, cheated, and insulted virtuous people. That karma has now become this hell.”
This is a strong reminder that verbal karma is also powerful. Speech can create heavy negative results, especially when directed at innocent or spiritual people.
The Extreme Punishments of Hell
Revati then saw the horrors clearly. Hands were cut. Feet were hacked off. Ears and noses were sliced. Crows flocked around, pecking flesh from the suffering beings.
This kind of imagery is symbolic and teaches a deeper truth. The mind that is filled with cruelty, jealousy, stinginess, and anger tears itself apart. The external hells represent internal mental hells. A life lived without virtue becomes a life that is tortured by its own negative states.
Revati, terrified, begged:
“Please take me back to the human world. I will do merit, give alms, keep the precepts, control my senses, and practice virtue. If I do good, I will be happy. If I fail, I will try again.”
But the messengers told her she was too late. She had already wasted her human opportunity.
Revati’s Regret and Realization
She cried:
“If I return to the human world, I will give generously. I will build bridges, plant trees, dig wells, and create ponds. I will observe precepts. I will offer food and clothing. Who will teach people that stingy and angry people never reach heaven if I don’t?”
Her regret shows a truth many people realize only at the end of life. The human world is a rare opportunity. A place where merit can be created easily. But many waste it chasing temporary pleasures.
In her vision, she imagined building public works, helping travelers, creating shade, and spreading kindness. She wanted to be someone who lived with compassion and generosity.
But karma had already taken its course.
The Final Fall into Hell
As she cried and trembled with fear, the Yamapāla grabbed her feet, lifted her upside down, and threw her into hell with a loud, painful noise.
Revati finally understood the truth:
“I used to be stingy. I insulted monks. I lied. I deceived people. I harmed others with speech. Now I fall into this dangerous hell.”
This is the raw message of the story. Not meant to frighten, but to awaken.
Human life is short, uncertain, and extremely valuable. It offers a chance to build one’s future with actions grounded in kindness, generosity, morality, and compassion.
Lessons from Revati’s Story for Modern Readers
Revati’s journey is not just ancient storytelling. It is a powerful guide for anyone living today.
1. Generosity Protects the Mind
Holding tightly to wealth never brings true security. Giving freely creates inner strength and deep peace.
2. Speech Matters
Insulting virtuous people creates heavy negative karma. Use words to uplift, not to harm.
3. Merit is Personal
We cannot inherit merit from relatives. We must build our own.
4. Karma Never Forgets
Every action, small or big, shapes our next life and our next moment.
5. Regret Comes Too Late
Do not wait until the end to choose goodness. Start now.
6. Heaven and Hell Begin in the Mind
Mental states become experiences. A hateful mind becomes hell. A generous mind becomes heaven.
7. Transformation Is Always Possible
Even though Revati realized her mistakes too late, her regret teaches us to awaken early.
Conclusion
Revati’s story from the Khuddaka Nikaya is a timeless reminder of the law of karma, the importance of generosity, and the dangers of a selfish life. Her rise, fall, and awakening hold a mirror to our own choices. Human life is precious because it gives us the power to shape our destiny. Just like Nandiya created a golden Vimana through kindness, we too can build our future through good deeds.
Choose generosity. Choose virtue. Choose compassion. The results will follow you like a loving relative welcoming you home after a long journey.
FAQs
1. Who was Revati in the Vimanavatthu?
Revati was a woman who lived a life of stinginess, anger, and deception, eventually facing hellish results due to her actions.
2. What is the main lesson from Revati’s story?
The story teaches the importance of generosity, moral discipline, and the personal responsibility of karma.
3. Who owned the shining Vimana?
The Vimana belonged to Nandiya, a generous and virtuous man from Benares.
4. Why was Revati thrown into hell?
She refused to give alms, insulted monks and ascetics, and lived a selfish life without merit.
5. What does the story teach about karma?
Karma is personal, precise, and unavoidable. Only our actions follow us beyond death.
Namo Buddhaya!
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