Ravana
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In Hinduism, Ravana (Devanagari: रावण, IAST Rāvaṇa; sometimes transliterated Raavana and as Ravan or Revana) is the principal antagonist of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. According to Ramayana, he was a king of Lanka many thousands of years ago.
Ravana is depicted in art with up to ten heads, signifying that he had knowledge spanning all the ten directions. His ten heads also earned him the name "Dasamukha" (The ten-faced), "Dasagriva" (The ten-headed) and "DasaKanTa" (Ten Throats)
Taking into consideration, the thinking ability of the king, who is said to have made a prosperous land during his time. The myths tell of a wagon which flew by air, named "Dandu-Monara". Still, the location names in Sri Lanka match to the description of a landing zone of such a vehicle, "Wariyapola", (The place where airborne carriages land) is one such place, which has contours of a plateau, ideal for landing an airplane.
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[edit] Origin
Ravana was born to the sage known as Vishravasu. His mother was the Asura princess Kaikesi. Kaikesi's father, Sumali, king of the Daityas, wished her to marry the most powerful being in the mortal world, so as to produce an exceptional heir in order to capture the throneland of Lanka. He rejected the kings of the world, as their power was less than his. Kaikesi searched among the sages, and finally chose Vishrava. Vishrava warned her that as she approached him at an inappropriate time, their children would be evil, but accepted her nevertheless. As such, Ravana was partly Asura, and partly Brahmin.
Ravana was the eldest of Kaikesi's children, given the name Dashanana/Dasagriva at birth - he was born with ten heads. His brothers were Kumbhakarna and Vibheeshana. Through his mother, he was related to the demons Maricha and Subahu. Kaikesi also produced a daughter, Chandranakha (the one with the beautiful nose), although later she was dubbed the infamous Soorpanakha.
His father Vishrava noted that while he was aggressive and arrogant as an individual, he was also an exceptional and exemplary scholar. Under his (Vishrava's) tutelage, Ravana mastered the Vedas and the holy books and also the arts and ways of Kshatriyas. Sumali, his grandfather, worked ardently to ensure that he retained the ethics of the Daityas.
[edit] Tapas to Brahma
Following his initial training, Ravana performed an intense penance to Brahma, lasting several thousand years. Pleased with his tapas Brahma offered him a boon. Ravana asked for immortality, which Brahma refused. Ravana then asked for absolute invulnerability and supremacy before gods and heavenly spirits, other demons, serpents and wild beasts. Contemptuous of mortal men, he refused to ask for protection against them. Brahma granted him these boons, and additionally great strength by way of knowledge of divine weapons and sorcery.
[edit] King of Lanka
After winning these boons, Ravana sought out his grandfather, Sumali and assumed leadership over his army. He then set his sights on Lanka.
Lanka was an idyllic city, created by the celestial architect Vishwakarma. It originally belonged to Ravana's half-brother Kubera, the treasurer of the Gods. Kubera was the son of Vishrava, and had generously shared all that he owned with Kaikesi's children. Ravana however, demanded Lanka wholly from him, and threatened to take it by force. Vishrava advised Kubera to give it up to him, as he was now undefeatable.
While Ravana usurped Lanka to begin with, he was nevertheless regarded as a benevolent and effective ruler. Lanka flourished under his rule - it is said the poorest of houses had vessels of gold to eat and drink off, and hunger was unknown in the kingdom.
[edit] Devotee of Lord Shiva
Following his conquest of Lanka, Ravana encountered Lord Shiva at his abode in Kailash. Unknowingly, Ravana attempted to uproot and move the mountain on a whim. Shiva, annoyed by Ravana's arrogance, pressed his little toe on Kailash, pins him firmly (and painfully) under the same. His ganas informed Ravana of whom he had crossed, upon which Ravana became penitent. He composed and sang songs praising Shiva, and is said to have done so for several years, till Shiva released him from his bondage. Pleased with his bravery and devotion, Shiva granted him further strength, culminating in his gifting him the Chandrahas (Moon-blade), an immensely powerful sword. Ravana in turn became a lifelong devotee of Lord Shiva. Ravana is known for his dance worship Shiva Tandava Stotra (a form of Stuti) to Lord Shiva.
[edit] Emperor of the Three Worlds
His abilities now truly awe-inspiring, Ravana proceeds on a series of campaigns, conquering humans, celestials and other demons. Conquering the netherworld completely, he leaves his son Ahiravana as king. He becomes supreme overlord of all asuras in the three worlds, making an alliance with the Nivatakavachas and Kalakeyas (two clans he is unable to subdue). Conquering several kingdoms of the human world, he performs the suitable sacrifices and is crowned Emperor.
When his brother Kubera rebukes him for his cruelty Ravana is severely angered. Proceeding to the heavens, he fights and defeats the gods, singling Kubera out for particular humiliation. By force he gains command over the gods, celestials and the serpent races.
At the time of the Ramayana, several hundred years later, Ravana is shown as dominating all human and divine races - so much so that he can command the Sun as to his rising and setting.
[edit] Women
Ravana was known for his virility as well as his aggressive conquests of women. Ravana had several wives, foremost of whom was Mandodari - daughter of Mayasura and an apsara. Mandodari was renowned for her wisdom and grace as well as beauty. In addition to his wives, Ravana maintained a harem of incredible size, populated with women whom he captured in his many conquests. Ravana forced himself upon any woman who rejected his advances. Two significant encounters occurred that would shape the course of the Ramayana.
The first was the molestation of the sage-woman Vedavati. Vedavati had been performing penance with the intention of winning Lord Vishnu for a husband. Ravana met her at her hermitage, her beauty enhanced by the austerities she had performed. She, however, rejected his advances. Ravana proceeded to forcibly take her, upon which she prophesied that she would return to the mortal world as the cause of his death. She then created a pyre and let herself be consumed in it. She was re-born as Sita, thus becoming Vishnu's (as Rama) wife, and the cause of Ravana's defeat.
It is worth noting that in some stories, Sita is in fact Mandodari and Ravana's daughter, and thus his lusting after her (his own daughter) is one of the reasons for his downfall.
The other was the molestation of the apsara (celestial dancing girl) Rambha, who turned out to be betrothed to Kubera's son Nalakuvara. Rambha pleaded with him to let her go as she was almost like his daughter-in-law as Nalakuvara was his nephew through his half brother. Ravana was enamored of her, and not even this plea deterred him. Kuvera's son then cursed Ravana's heads to fall off, if ever he forced himself on any woman. This curse is said to have kept Sita chaste, while she was Ravana's captive for nearly a year.
[edit] Assessment
Ravana serves purely as an antagonist and villain in the Ramayana. Nevertheless, he is considered to have possessed several virtues, the foremost being his knowledge of the sacred books and sorcery. Ravana was a great devotee of Shiva and is supposed to have composed the Shiva Tandava Stotra.
His actions and behaviour, as told in the Ramayana, though, show that piety without virtue is useless. The poem's characterisation of Ravana serves as an example of the dangers of lust and ego.
[edit] In Scriptures
The Ramayana is not the only religious scripture that views Ravana as evil.
In the Bhagavata Purana, Ravana and his brother, Kumbakarna were said to be reincarnations of Jaya and Vijaya, gatekeepers at Vaikunta, the abode of Vishnu and were cursed to be born in Earth for their insolence.
These gatekeepers refused entry to the Sanatha Kumara monks, who, because of their powers and austerity appeared as young children. For their insolence, the monks cursed them to be expelled from Vaikunta and to be born in Earth. The all-merciful Vishnu agreed that they should be punished but agreed to mitigate their curse. He asked them whether they would want to be undergo seven births as devotees of Vishnu or three births as enemies of the Lord. Since they wanted to get back as soon as possible, they agreed to be born in three births as enemies of God.
In the first birth, Jaya and Vijaya were born as Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha. Vishnu incarnated as Varaha and Narasimha and killed them both. In Treta Yuga they were born as Ravana and Kumbhakarna and were killed by Rama. Then in Dwapara yuga, and in their final birth, Jaya and Vijaya they were born as Shishupala and Dantavakra and killed by Sri Krishna. After the end of three births, they returned to Vaikunta.
[edit] Ravana's family
This section deals with many members of Ravana's family. Since they are hardly mentioned outside the Ramayana, not much can be said about them. They are presented here as they are in the Ramayana, which is viewed by some as being only the point of view of Rama devotees, but is the most complete account of the story that is known.
Ravana was married to Mandodari, the daughter of the celestial architect Maya. He had seven sons:[Ravan has total 3 wives]
Ravana's paternal grandfather was Pulastya, son of Brahma. Ravana's maternal grandfather was Malyavan, who was against the war with Rama, and his maternal grandmother was Tataka. Ravana also had a maternal uncle, Maricha.
Ravana had six brothers and two sisters:
- Kubera - the King of Uttaradisha and the Guardian of Heavenly Wealth. He was an older step-brother of Ravana: they were born to the same father by different mothers. He gave a curse to Ravana, that if he raped another women, he would die that instant.
- Vibhishana - A great follower of Rama and one of the most important characters in the Ramayan. He was exiled by his brother, Ravana for supporting Rama and opposing the abduction of Sita. During the battle, he sided with Rama and provided him with insights which ultimately led Rama win the war.
- Kumbhakarna - one of the most jovial demons in Hindu mythology. When offered a boon by Brahma, he was tricked into asking for unending sleep! A horrified Ravana, who out of brotherly love, persuaded Brahma to amend the boon. Brhama granted Kumbhakarna a day of wakefulness every six months.
- Khara - King of Janasthan. He protected the northern kingdom of Lanka in the mainland and his kingdom bordered with the Kosala Kingdom, the kingdom of Rama. He was well-known for his superior skills in warfare.
- Dushana - Viceroy of Janasthan.
- Ahiravan - made king of the Underworld ruled by the rakshasas by Ravana and Demon King Maya.
- Kumbhini - the daughter of Ravana and the wife of the demon Madhu, King of Mathura, she was the mother of Lavanasura. She was renowned for her beauty and later retired to the sea for penance.
- Surpanakha - the evil sister of Ravana. She was the ultimate root of the kidnapping of Sita Devi. She was the one who instigated her brothers to wage a war against Rama.
| The Rāmāyaņa by Valmiki |
|---|
| Characters |
| Dasaratha | Kausalya | Sumitra | Kaikeyi | Janaka | Manthara | Rama | Bharata | Lakshmana | Shatrughna | Sita | Urmila | Mandavi | Shrutakirti | Viswamitra | Ahalya | Jatayu | Sampati | Hanuman | Sugriva | Vali | Angada | Jambavantha | Vibhishana | Tataka | Surpanakha | Maricha | Subahu | Khara | Ravana | Kumbhakarna | Mandodari | Mayasura | Indrajit | Prahasta | Akshayakumara | Atikaya | Lava | Kusha |
| Other |
| Ayodhya | Mithila | Lanka | Sarayu | Treta Yuga | Raghuvamsa | Lakshman Rekha | Aditya Hridayam | Oshadhiparvata | Sundara Kanda | Pushpaka Vimana | Vedavati | Vanara |
| Hinduism | Hindu mythology | Indian epic poetry |  |
|---|---|
| Female Deities: Saraswati | Mariamman | Lakshmi | Dakshayani | Gayatri | Parvati | Durga | Shakti | Kali | Sita | Devi | Radha | Mahavidya | more... | |
| Male Deities: Brahma | Vishnu | Shiva | Rama | Krishna | Ganesha | Murugan | Hanuman | Ayyanar | Indra | Surya | more... | |
| Texts: Vedas | Upanishads | Puranas | Ramayana | Mahabharata | Rigveda | |
