Question: The 1st demon killed by both Krsna and Rama was a woman. Is there some significance to this?
Answer: Sri Harisuri’s commentary offers the following explanation:
The first obstacle that any sādhaka comes across in his spiritual life is his desires (āshā) for various material objects viz. association of opposite gender etc. This term — āshā — is feminine in gender. It is a feminine entity, and it is the root of all other anarthas in spiritual life. For this reason, the destruction of this inauspicious feminine entity is needed at the very beginning.
