Why viradha said that he should be buried in a Pit?

Question

I was reading bengali ramayan by parashuram and came accross this .

ramayan aranya kand , viradh vadh

this says that it is the customary for rakshasas to get buried after death.

अवटे च अपि माम् राम निक्षिप्य कुशली व्रज | रक्षसाम् गत सत्त्वानाम् एष धर्मः सनातनः || ३-४-२२ अवटे ये निधीयन्ते तेषाम् लोकाः सनातनाः |

Then i checked the sanskrit version it also says the same .

My question is why is maharshi valmiki saying so ? What is happening to all those who are getting buried after death? Is it happening because they were rakshasas and their time is ending?

And since paganism is taking pace all over the world and they are burning their dead ,does that mean that reign of rakshasas is ending over the world.

Please make an informed comment .

Answer 1

The OP mentioned correct sloka, but did not give full meaning of the sloka.

अवटे च अपि माम् राम निक्षिप्य कुशली व्रज | रक्षसाम् गत सत्त्वानाम् एष धर्मः सनातनः || ३-४-२२ अवटे ये निधीयन्ते तेषाम् लोकाः सनातनाः |

Rama you go safely on burying me in a pit... this is the age-old custom for those demons that lost vitality... those that are inhumed in pit, to them there will be the worlds of manes..."

This was said by Viradha himself.

Please note the words that lost vitality. This is not the custom for dead demons because after his death, Ravana's body was cremated.

स ददौ पावकन् तस्य विधियुक्तन् विभीषणः | स्नात्वा चैवार्द्रवस्त्रेण तिलान् दर्भविमिश्रितान् || ६-१११-१२३

That Vibhishana set fire to Ravana, according to the rules in the scriptures.

However, much before that Sri Rama says to Lakshmana :

तपसा पुरुषव्याघ्र राक्षसोऽयं न शक्यते।

शस्त्रेण युधि निर्जेतुं राक्षसं निखनावहे।।3.4.10।।

O Lakshmana, best among men, this demon by virtue of his penance cannot be killed with any weapon in war. Therefore, let us bury him.

As Viradha did penance and invincible with any weapon, Sri Rama decided to bury him alive.