Ravana

A dipiction of Ravana, Hindu rakshasa King of Lanka

In Hindu mythology, Ravana (Devanagari: रावण, IAST Rāvaṇa; sometimes transliterated Raavana and as Ravan) 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.

Birth and Early Life

Ravana was born Dasagriva (One with Ten Heads) the son of the sage Visrawasa by his wife Kaikasi, a rakshasa princess. Thus he is thought to have been either a brahmin or a mix of the brahmin and kshatriya castes. The name Ravana (One of Terrifying Roar) was given to him by Lord Shiva.

While it is impossible to corellate the names of places mentioned in the ancient legends of India with modern-day towns and villages, the entirely obscure village of 'Bisrakh' in northern India claims to be the birth-place of Dasagriva.

Despite possessing aggressive tendencies as a young man, Dasagriva becomes an exemplary scholar of the Vedas and religious knowledge under the coaching of his pious father.

As a young man, Ravana proceeds to perform a terrible tapas to Brahma, the Creator, lasting several thousand years. Upon Brahma's appearance, he asks a boon of him, namely, immortality. Brahma refuses him this boon, upon which he asks for supreme invulnerability when facing gods, demons, serpents and wild beasts. In his contempt for mortal men, he refuses to ask for protection from them. Brahma grants him the same, and additionally, great power by way of knowledge of divine weaponry AND sorcery.

Emperor of the World, and Evil

After winning these boons, Ravana seeks out his grandfather, Sumali the Demon king of the Netherworld, and assumes leadership over his army. He then sets his sights on Lanka.

Conquest of Lanka

Lanka originally belonged to Ravana's half-brother Kubera, the Lord of the Treasures of Swarga. Ravana demands Lanka from him, and Ravana and Kubera's father Visrawas advises Kubera to give it up as Ravana cannot be killed by any celestial being. Ravana is thus made king of Lanka.

Following his conquest of Lanka, Ravana encounters Lord Shiva at his abode in Kailash. Unknowingly, Ravana attempts to move the mountain on a whim. Shiva, pressing his toe on the same, pins him firmly under the same. His ganas inform Ravana of whom he has crossed, upon which Ravana becomes penitent. He sings songs praising Shiva, and is said to have done so for years, till Shiva releases him from his bondage. Pleased with his bravery and devotion, Shiva grants him further strength, culminating in handing him the Chandrahas (Moon-blade), an immensely powerful sword.

Emperor of the Three Worlds

Using his now awe-inspiring powers and strength, Ravana conquers and humiliates thousands of kings across India, building Lanka's empire and dominion over the rest of the world.

Ravana also conquers the Yakshas led by Yama and his half-brother Kubera. Ravana invades the netherworlds, conquering many daitya, danava and asura races and making an alliance with the powerful Nivatakavachas.

He then takes an army of millions of rakshasas to conquer Swarga. Even the devas, headed by Indra, Agni, Vayu and Surya are forced to submit to the power of Ravana's army.

Violations of Women

Ravana's sexual prowess is important to note as it plays a critical part in his legacy and downfall. Even as a young man he shamelessly violates women, and blessed with awesome strength, becomes an immensely virile rakshasa. He is a master of tantric vidya, or magical sexual arts.

Although Ravana is married to Mandodari, the daughter of Asura Maya, he captures thousands of women from his conquests and maintains a harem of unparalleled size.

Ravana also violates Rambha, the queen of the Apsaras. He is thereby cursed that if he ever forces himself on a woman again, his heads will burst. This curse protects the chastity of Sita when she is his captive.

There is also a discussed prophesy in the Ramayana that Ravana had violated Vedavati, a young ascetic who was performing tapasya to win Vishnu as her husband. Ravana's actions cause Vedavati to immolate herself, but she pledges to return in another age to be his destruction. The Rishi Agastya explains that Vedavati was born as Sita, and she is the wife of Vishnu's Avatara, Rama, and the cause of Ravana's death.

Downfall

After gaining such immense powers Ravana became corrupt and selfish; it was soon deemed necessary to rid the world of his tyranny. Since the boon granted by Brahma prevented him from being slain by anyone but a human being, it became necessary for the God Vishnu to assume human form. He incarnated himself in his seventh avatar, Rama, a prince of Ayodhya. The story of the life and exploits of Rama (and indeed of Ravana) forms the operative part of the Ramayana. The story is too complex to be detailed in full here. Suffice it to say that Ravana was slain by Rama, an event celebrated as the triumph of good over evil, and commemorated in north India by the Dussehra festival.

Assessment

Some, however, regard Ravana as having been a wise and benevolent ruler. Another opposing argument can also state that even tyrants may have some good qualities but their overall character is bad. The notion of Ravana as good is a contested argument. In fact, the view of him as good may only be a recent movement, for political reasons. Nevertheless, from puranic sources, 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.

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.

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:

1. Indrajit
2. Prahasta
3. Atikaya
4. Akshayakumara
5. Devantaka
6. Narantaka
7. Trishira

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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 wanted to be able to avail of Kumbakarna's immense strength, persuaded Brahma to amend the so-called boon and grant that Kumbhakarna be granted a day of wakefulness every six months.
4. Khara - King of Janasthan. He protected the southern 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.
5. Dushana - co-King of Janasthan.
6. Ahiravan - made king of the Underworld ruled by the rakshasas by Ravana and Demon King Maya.
7. Kumbhini - the sister 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.
8. 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.