Story of Rāvaṇa

The Rākṣasa King of Laṅkā who had ten heads.

Genealogy.

Descended from Viṣṇu thus:—Brahmā—Pulastya—Viśravas—Rāvaṇa.

Birth.

Viśravas, grandson of Brahmā and son of Pulastya married Kaikasī, daughter of Sumālī. While Viśravas and Kaikasī were living in the forest Śleṣmātaka, Kaikasī became pregnant. She delivered four children in four Yāmas, with an interval of one yāma between them. The elder three were the famous Rākṣasas, Rāvaṇa, Kumbhakarṇa and Vibhīṣaṇa; the fourth one, a girl, was named Śūrpaṇakhā. (Kamba Rāmāyaṇa, Bālakāṇḍa).

Kubera was another son of Viśravas born of another wife called Devavarṇī alias Īlabilā. As soon as he came of age Kubera captured the Puṣpaka chariot and began ruling the kingdom with Laṅkā as capital. (Uttara Rāmāyaṇa).

Previous lives of Rāvaṇa.

See under Jaya XI.

Rāvaṇa secured boons.

Kaikasī (Rāvaṇa’s mother) who became envious of the pomp and prowess of Kubera advised her son to secure boons from Brahmā by tapas and become equal to Kubera. Accordingly he went to Gokarṇa with his brothers and began tapas. Kumbhakarṇa did tapas for 10,000 years; Vibhīṣaṇa also did tapas for 10,000 years standing on one foot. Rāvaṇa, standing in the middle of the five fires, meditated upon Brahmā. Though 10,000 years passed thus, Brahmā did not appear yet. Rāvaṇa then cut one of his ten heads and made an offering of it to Brahmā in the fire. Thus, within 9000 years he cut nine of his heads and offered them to Brahmā in the fire. Lastly when he was about to cut off his tenth head, Brahmā appeared and asked him to choose whatever boon he wanted. Rāvaṇa chose the boon that from none but men should he meet with his death. Kumbhakarṇa desired to secure the boon of 'nirdevatva' (Absence of the devas) but secured by a slip of the tongue 'nidrāvatvam' (sleep). Vibhīṣaṇa chose devotion to Viṣṇu. On his return after securing the boons, Rāvaṇa occupied Laṅkā, drove away Kubera and took his puṣpaka chariot. Rāvaṇa further declared Mahāviṣṇu to be his eternal enemy. Hearing about Rāvaṇa’s victory the Rākṣasas from Pātāla came to live in Laṅkā.

Family life.

Rāvana married Mandodarī, fosterdaughter of Mayāsura and three sons, Meghanāda, Atikāya and Akṣakumāra were born to the couple. He then conquered the whole world with the cooperation of his sons and other Rākṣasas. The Aṣṭadikpālakas (protectors of the eight regions) were subjugated. He attacked Devaloka, but was defeated and imprisoned. Meghanāda by magical trickery captured Indra and released Rāvaṇa from custody. Meghanāda came to be called Indrajit from that day onwards.

Kārtavīryārjuna and Rāvaṇa.

See under Kārtavīryārjuna, Para 6.

Curses heaped on Rāvaṇa.

As a result of ruling the land, as a terror to the whole world, for many years and of his triumphal journey Rāvaṇa had invited on his head eighteen śāpas (curses) as follows.

(i) Nalakūbara śāpa. Rāvaṇa once insulted Rambhā, the betrothed wife of Nalakūbara during her tour at a place near Alakā. On hearing about the insult Nalakūbara cursed that Rāvaṇa should die with his ten heads broken.

(ii) Vedavatīśāpa. While Vedavatī, the only daughter of sage Kuśadhvaja, was doing tapas to secure Śrī Mādhava as her husband. Rāvaṇa committed rape on her and she cursed him thus:—"You and your family will be ruined by Lord Nārāyaṇa on account of me."

(iii) Brāhmaṇaśāpa. He invited a Vedic brahmin to install the idol of Tripurasundarī given to him by Śiva. As the brahmin happened to be a bit late to come, Rāvaṇa imprisoned him for seven days, and the old brahmin cursed that Rāvaṇa would be imprisoned seven months by a man.

(iv) Nandikeśvaraśāpa. For calling him 'monkey' at Kailāsa, Nandikeśvara cursed that Rāvaṇa and his kingdom would be destroyed by monkeys.

(v) Vasiṣṭhaśāpa. As Vasiṣṭha refused Rāvaṇa’s invitation to teach the Vedas etc. he took the former captive. When he was released from captivity by the solar King Kuvalayāśva, Vasiṣṭha cursed that Rāvaṇa and his family would be destroyed by those born in the solar dynasty.

(vi) Aṣṭāvakraśāpa. Rāvaṇa once saw sage Aṣṭāvakra at Śleṣmātaka and gave him a kick saying, 'Oh! handsome fellow! I shall cure your eight hunches", and the sage cursed Rāvaṇa as follows:—For kicking me, a poor innocent sage, you will be kicked from head to foot and foot to head by monkeys."

(vii) Dattātreyaśāpa. Rāvaṇa once poured on his own head water kept purified by mantras by Dattātreya to bathe the head of his Guru, and the latter cursed that Rāvaṇa’s head would be polluted by the feet of monkeys.

(viii) Dvaipāyanaśāpa. When Rāvaṇa molested and wounded the lips of Dvaipāyana’s sister in his own presence he cursed that Rāvaṇa’s sister would be mutilated by a man and he would be humiliated by monkeys.

(ix) Māṇḍavyaśāpa. During a pleasure trip of his with Mandodarī Rāvaṇa cruelly manhandled Māṇḍavyamaharṣi, when the latter cursed that Rāvaṇa too would be roughly handled by a monkey.

(x) Atriśāpa. Rāvaṇa once dragged by hair the wife of Atri in his very presence, and Atri cursed that Rāvaṇa will have to witness his wife being denuded of her dress and dragged by the hair by monkeys.

(xi) Nāradaśāpa. Nārada refused to explain the meaning of 'Om' to Rāvaṇa and the latter threatened to cut the tongue of Nārada. Nārada then cursed that all the ten heads of Rāvaṇa would be cut by a man.

(xii) Ṛtuvarmaśāpa. Rāvaṇa once raped Madanamañjarī, wife of Ṛtuvarman, who lived as an anchorite in the marutta forest, and the latter cursed that Rāvaṇa would be killed by a man.

(xiii) Maudgalyaśāpa. Once maharṣi Maudgalya was sitting in the svastika pose resting his neck on the yogadaṇḍa (a short stick-like piece of wood with a handle) Rāvaṇa happened to come there and he cut into two the yogadaṇḍa with his Candrahāsa (sword) with the result that the maharṣi fell down with face upwards and broke his back-bone. The maharṣi then cursed that Rāvaṇa’s Candrahāsa would prove ineffective in future.

(xiv) Brāhmaṇajananīśāpa. Certain young brahmin girls who had gone for sea-bath were humiliated by Rāvaṇa in the presence of their mothers when they cursed that the wife of Rāvaṇa would be insulted in his very presence by monkeys.

(xv) Agniśāpa. Rāvaṇa once humiliated Svāhādevī, wife of Agni in his very presence and Agni cursed that Rāvaṇa’s wife would be humiliated by monkeys in his presence.

(xvi) Anaraṇyaśāpa. Rāvaṇa killed by one blow on his chest King Anaraṇya of the solar dynasty who sought refuge with him, and the King cursed that Rāvaṇa would die with all his ten heads cut by the arrows of a prince of the solar dynasty.

(xvii) Bṛhaspati śāpa. When Rāvaṇa was about to return after conquering Devaloka and taking the devas captives, Sulekhādevī, daughter of Bṛhaspati tried to take shelter somewhere when Rāvaṇa attempted to catch her by force. Then Bṛhaspati cursed that Rāvaṇa would die hit by the arrows of Rāma.

(xviii) Brahmadevaśāpa. Rāvaṇa tried to humiliate Puñjikādevī, daughter of Brahmā, and the latter cursed that Rāvaṇa would die with all his ten heads broken if he touched unwilling women.

Rāvaṇa got Candrahāsa.

See under Candrahāsa.

He threatened Devas.

Rāvaṇa, during his triumphal march with the armies, once came to the Uśīravīra mountain. Then the King called Marutta was performing Maheśvara yajña on the plains of the mountain. Indra and the other devas came to receive their portion of the offerings. But they ran away in fear on the arrival of Rāvaṇa. Indra assumed the form of a peacock, Yama that of a crow, Kubera that of a chameleon and Varuṇa that of a swan, and the devas, thus assuming various forms went away in different directions. Marutta got angry and got ready to fight Rāvaṇa. But, as the maharṣis prevented him from it no fighting took place. Rāvaṇa returned with the glories of victory.

He defeated Kāla.

Once Nārada felt the urge to witness a quarrel. He went to Laṅkā and told Rāvaṇa tales about Kāla, that Kāla was more powerful than Rāvaṇa, that Kāla would soon be causing Rāvaṇa’s death etc. These stories awakened the anger in Rāvaṇa against Kāla, and the former, with a strong army challenged Kāla, and war between the two started. Brahmā was in a fix, for he had given Rāvaṇa the boon that the latter would be killed only by a man. At the same time he had given the boon to Kāla that anybody thrashed with his (Kāla's) club would die. Brahmā, therefore, decided to end the fighting between Kāla and Rāvaṇa somehow, and he approached Kāla and requested him to withdraw from fighting. Accordingly Kāla acknowledged defeat and thus the fighting ended.

Rāvaṇa attacked Pātāla.

Afterwards Rāvaṇa marched with his army to Pātāla where he defeated Takṣaka, the nāga King and exacted tributes from him. Then he attacked Nivātakavacas. When the fighting became very fierce Brahmā intervened and brought about a compromise between the two. Next, Rāvaṇa attacked Surabhi in Varuṇa’s palace, but the Rākṣasas who emerged from the pores on Surabhi’s body drove away Rāvaṇa.

Raped Rambhā.

See under Nalakūbara.

His death.

Rāvaṇa’s sister, Śūrpaṇakhā met Śrī Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa at Pañcavaṭī and wanted first Rāma and then Lakṣmaṇa to marry her. But, Lakṣmaṇa cut away her nose, breasts etc. Enraged by this Rāvaṇa abducted Sītā. Śrī Rāma, with the help of the monkey-army, killed Rāvaṇa in war. (See under Rāma.

Synonyms of Rāvaṇa.

Daśakandhara, Daśānana, Daśāsya, Paulastya, Pulastyatanaya, Rakṣaḥpati, Rākṣasādhipa, Rākṣasamaheśvara. (Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa and Kamba Rāmāyaṇa).