Introduction

Ravana was the mythical multi-headed demon-king of Lanka in Hindu mythology, with ten heads and twenty arms. He could change into any appearance he wished, representing the very soul of evil. Ravana, the king of Lanka was the principal adversary of Rama in the great epic Ramayana. Ravana was also the king of rakshasas or demons. Ravana, a follower of Lord Shiva, has been depicted and illustrated as a great intellectual, an able ruler and a maestro of veena. His supreme ambition was to dominate the devatas. His ten heads stand for his knowledge of the six shastras and the four Vedas.

Etymology of Ravana

The word "Rava?a" means the thriving conflicting of "Vaisrava?a" meaning "hear clearly". Both Ravana and Vaisrava?a, who are popularly known as "Kubera", considered to be patronymics derived as sons of Vishrava.

Birth of Ravana

Ravana"s father was a famous rishi, Vishrava, who himself was a son of Prajapati Pulastya, one of Brahma"s ten "mind-born" sons. He was born in "Devagana", as his grandfather Pulastya was one of the ten Prajapatis of Brahma. Ravana"s siblings include Vibhishana, Kumbhakarna and Ahiravana and a step brother Kubera, from whom he seized the Kingdom of Lanka.

Legend of Ravana

Legend of Ravana, Shiva and Parvati states about the story where Ravana was punished by Lord Shiva for uprooting Kailasa. According to the legend once Ravana, the king of Lanka went for a battle to defeat Lord Kuber, the god of wealth. He succeeded in his mission and won the battle. During his return Ravana approached a place called Sravana, where Kartikeya was born. He climbed upon a hill from where he could enjoy the imposing sight of the beautiful garden. The Puspaka plane was diverted towards it. However, when he reached closed to the garden the plane could not move further after certain limit. At that place he met with a tawny coloured, monkey faced and powerful dwarf known as Nandikesvara. He was an attendant of Lord Shiva. Ravana asked him about the reason for the non-movement of the plane. Nandikesvara told him that when Lord Siva and Goddess Uma were engaged in conjugal pleasure no one was allowed to entry to the place. Hearing this Ravana was enraged and he laughed mockingly at Nandikesvara who in returned cursed him that Ravana`s abode would be destroyed by the monkeys. Ravana became enraged and tried to uproot Kailasa Mountain. He opened his arms and began lifting the mountain and was somewhat successful in his mission. Goddess Uma out of fear clung to Shiva. The Lord soon realised the reason and pressed the mountain firmly thus, pressing him down beneath it.

Ravana soon realised his mistake and began adorning Shiva. For thousand years he kept on weeping and recited hymns in honour of the Lord. He prayed to him incessantly. Finally Lord Shiva was pleased with his devotion. He thus, pardoned him and released him.

Iconography of Ravana, Shiva and Parvati : The scene of Ravana lifting Kailasa has been beautifully depicted in the Kailasa temple at Ellora in a panel. It depicts the king of Lanka putting all his efforts to lift Kailasa Mountain and Lord Shiva, Goddess Uma and other attendants on it. Another such depiction can be seen in Belur in Karnataka. The Kailasa Mountain here has been intricately carved with a large number of deities and other animals from the elephants down to the snake on it. On the apex of the beautifully carved mandapa Shiva and Parvati have been portrayed seating with several deities singing hymns in praise of the divine couple. Ravana is depicted kneeling down below the mountain in an effort to lift it.

War of Rama with Ravana

Rama spares Ravana in a battle while he found Ravana fainting and told him to return to Lanka and also informed the demon king that he would experience the power of Rama in another battle. After Rama and Lakshmana came into their senses with the healing touch of Garuda, the monkey host started a fresh attack on Lanka. Seeing this, Ravana dispatched Dhumraksha to fight and the rakshasa was ultimately killed by Hanuman in a heavy fighting. After the death of Dhumraksha there was peace in Lanka for a while, but again the war was commenced from the side of Ravana who started sending his rakshasa generals one after the other to kill Rama and Lakshmana.

Death of Prahasta : Ravana again sent out another leader of the rakshasas, the deadly Thunder-tooth who was confronted by Angada as he drove the monkey host before him, piercing five and nine with every shaft, and engaged in a heavy combat, till at last he severed the neck of the demon and killed him. Then Ravana sent Akampana or the Unconquerable, and he was slain by Hanuman along with his entire host. Then Ravana got utterly shocked and sent Prahasta or the Long-hand, his foremost general to the battle field. Prahasta gathered another host, and marched forward upon a splendid car by the eastern gate, accompanied by his counselors, Man-slayer and Noisy-throat and Tall. That encounter witnessed the death of thousands of rakshasas and monkeys, and also witnessed some of the best deeds of heroism. Prahasta sped thousands of monkey-slaying shafts from his shining car, and a river of blood flowed between the opposing hosts. Then Nila, the son of Agni, brandishing an uptorn tree, rushed on Prahasta; but the demon wounded the monkey with showers of arrows. At last Prahasta`s bow was shattered in the conflict, and the twain fought hand to hand, with tooth and nail. Then Prahasta struck Nila a deadly blow with his mace, and Nila flung a tall tree at the breast of Prahasta; but he lightly avoided that and rushed on Nila. Then Nila threw a mighty crag at the rakshasa and shattered his head and killed him. The rakshasa host drew back as water rushes through a broken dyke, and melted away and entered Lanka, stricken with fear and grief.

Ravana grew very angry after hearing about the death of Prahasta, and his heart sank, but he decided to destroy Rama and Lakshmana himself with a thousand shafts, and mounted his shining car, led by a rakshasa host and moved towards the monkeys. Ravana seemed like the Destroyer himself, attended by ghosts and flesh-devouring monsters with burning eyes. Goblin and Big-belly and Man-destroyer and Three-heads, fighters with mountain-peaks and flaming maces, were with Ravana. But he, when they were face to face with the besiegers, dismissed the host to take their ease, and he advanced to fight alone. First Sugriva hurled a mountain-top at him and Ravana severed it with his golden shafts and he loosed a deadly flaming shaft at the monkey-king that bore him to the ground with pain. Then other monkey-chiefs rushed at Ravana, but he destroyed them with ease, so that they cried to Rama for help.

Lakshmana wounded by Ravana : Lakshmana requested for that battle, and Rama granted him. Then Lakshmana took the field, while Hanuman was pressing Ravana hard in the battle. Ravana struck Hanuman a heavy blow and the great monkey shuddered and fell back and Ravana turned to fight with Nila. But Nila, flaming with anger, sprang on to the car of Ravana and darted like fire from point to point. Ravana`s heart sank, but he took a deadly shaft and aimed at Nila, and also laid Nila down. Then Lakshmana took up the battle, and showers of arrows were loosed by both of them and both were wounded. Meanwhile, a flaming dart from Ravana struck down Lakshmana to the ground. Ravana seized him; but he was unable to lift Lakshmana from the ground. Then Hanuman came back and struck the rakshasa king a heavy by which Ravana fell back, bleeding and senseless on the platform of his car. Hanuman lifted Lakshmana and took him away to Rama.

Very soon Lakshmana and Ravana came to sense and Rama, mounted Hanuman`s back, started a dreadful battle with Ravana. Rama destroyed Ravana`s car, and wounded him with bolts, and cut his crown, and struck him with an arrow. Ravana became very weak and started to faint. Thus, sparing his life, Rama sent the demon king back to Lanka and told him that Ravana had accomplished the deeds of heroism, and since he was fainting, he should return to Lanka and told him that he would taste the power of Rama in another battle.

Depiction of Ravana

In Valmiki"s Ramayana, Ravana has been depicted as a dictator of powerful powers and he continues to be treated as a blackguard in India even now. Ravana is generally depicted multi-headed and multi-armed, carrying all manner of deadly weapons. His body was covered in scars, won in infinite battles with the gods. Three wounds were from of Vishnu, the thunderbolt of Indra, and the tusk of Airavata, the elephant of Indra. In Bhagavata Purana, Ravana and his brother Kumbhakarna were mentioned as the incarnations of Jaya and Vijaya, the two gatekeepers of Vaikuntha, abode of Vishnu. In Buddhism, Ravana is a major character in Buddhist texts such as the "Lankavatara Sutra" and the "Gathering of Intentions", a text of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. In the Thai text "Ramakien", an epic influenced by the Ramayana, Ravana is a "yaksa" or a "rakshasa". According to the Jain description, both Rama and Ravana were religious Jains.

Ravana in Art

Ravana appears in the attractive sculpture of Hindu temples. In a famous relief scene on the 8th century Kailasanatha temple at Ellora, Ravana is revealed shaking the sacred Kailasa Mountain. Scenes from the Ramayana relating Ravana were also very popular from the 16th century in Indian watercolours, particularly esteemed are those from Udaipur and the Pahari paintings.

Death of Ravana

Death of Ravana forms a part of the Yuddha Kanda in the great epic of Ramayana written my Valmiki. After the death of Indrajit, Ravana became very angry and with the last demon army he came to fight against Rama and Lakshmana. While fighting, he loosed a Rudra shaft at Vibhishana but Lakshmana came before him and saved the brother of Ravana. Thus Lakshmana was severely wounded and looking at his brother thus wounded Rama vowed to end the life of Ravana the very day. Meanwhile, Hanuman went to the Himalaya and brought the healing herbs and cured Lakshmana. Then Rama and Lakshmana both promised to end the war that very day by killing the demon king Ravana.

While a furious battle between Rama and Ravana was under way, the great rishi Agastya came close to Rama and told him about the secret as to how Ravana would be killed and told Rama to pray the Sun in order to kill the demon king of Lanka. Then Rama prayed the Sun, and purified himself with water-sipping, and was glad; and then he turned towards Ravana for a deal, since the rakshasa again became ready and was eager for the battle. Each like a flaming lion fought the other; head after head of the Ten-necked One did Rama cut away with his deadly arrows, but new heads ever rose in place of those cut off, and the death of Ravana seemed nowhere nearer than before. The arrows that had slain Maricha and Khara and Bali could not take away the life of the king of Lanka.

Then Rama took up the Brahma weapon which was presented to him by Agastya. The wind lay in its wings, the Sun and Fire in its head, in its mass the weight of Meru and with the chanting of Vedic mantras, Rama set it on his bow and loosed it, and it sped to its target and cleft the breast of Ravana, and, bathed in blood, returned and entered the quiver of Rama humbly. Thus, the lord of the rakshasas, the king of Lanka was slain, and the gods rained flowers on the car of Rama and chanted hymns of praise since their desired end was then accomplished. For that end Lord Vishnu had taken human form by taking birth as Rama in the kingdom of Ayodhya and as the son of Dasaratha and Kaushalya. Then the heaven became peaceful, the air became clear and bright, and the sun shone cloudless on the battlefield.

Temples of Ravana

There are several temples in India where Ravana is worshipped. These are Ravana Mandir Bisrakh (Uttar Pradesh), Koteshwar Temple Gujarat, Dashanan Ravana Temple (Kanpur), Jodhpur Ravan Mandir (Rajasthan), Ravangram Ravana Temple (Madhya Pradesh) and Kakinada Ravana Temple (Andhra Pradesh).

Worship of Ravana

According to Ramayana, Ravana was the son-in-law of Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh. He is worshipped for his supreme knowledge and religious dedication to Lord Shiva. The place also has a 35 feet tall statue of Ravana. On Dussehra, people express grief for the death of Ravana and hold prayers. Bisrakh, Uttar Pradesh is the birthplace of Ravana and he is considered as maha-brahman here. People perform "yagnas" and prayers for Ravana"s death in the Navratri festival. Gond Tribals of Maharashtra worship Ravana and his son Meghnada as Gods during a tribal festival - Falgun. Ravana is worshipped at Kangra, Himachal Pradesh also as it is believed that Lord Shiva granted him his boon here. In Lankadipathi festival, Ravana is worshipped by people of Kolar District in Karnataka. Maudgil Brahmans of Jodhpur, Rajasthan worship Ravana as Ravana"s marriage performed at Ravan Kin Chanwari at Mandore.