On the Road

Things to do

See Also

Outside Links

Ravana

In Hindu mythology, Ravana is one of the principal antagonists of the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. According to Ramayana, he was a king of Lanka (now Sri Lanka) many thousands of years ago.

He is thought to have been a brahmin, the son of the sage Visrawasa by his wife Kaikasi, a rakshasa princess. While it is impossible to collate 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 Ravana.

Ravana is depicted in art with up to ten heads, signifying that he had knowledge spanning all the ten directions. He was an accomplished scholar and a Veena player. Ravana gained enormous powers when he prayed to Brahma, who granted him a boon: Ravana wished that his life be protected from Devas (divinities), Asuras (enemies of the Devas), Rakshasas (demons), Gandharvas (celestial musicians), Yakshas (demigods), and other celestial and magical beings. In his arrogance, Ravana forgot to ask for protection from man.

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 slayed 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 infull 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.

Some, however, regard Ravana as having been a wise and benevolent ruler, and view the version of events used in the Ramayana as propaganda. 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.

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.

The Ayya Vazhi religion, a sect in Tamil Nadu that is sometimes considered to be part of Hinduism believes that Ravana is indeed a manifiestation of evil and goes even further. First, the followers of Ayyavazhi differ from other iindus in that they recognise a Satan-like figure, Kroni, who is the primordial manifestation of evil in this world. This same Kroni manifests in various forms, for example, Ravana and Duryodhana, in different ages or yugas. In response to such manifestations of evil, God as Vishnu incarnates in his avatars, Rama, Krishna, etc., to destroy this evil. Kroni, the spirit of Kali Yuga is said to be omnipresent in this age and that is why one of the reasons, followers of Ayya Vazhi, like other Hindus, believe that the current yuga, Kali Yuga is so degraded.

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:

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 Tadka. Ravana also had a maternal uncle, Mareech.

Ravana had six brothers and two sisters:

Sources