Ravana

Ravana (IAST: Rāvaṇa; /ˈrɑːvənə/;[1]) is described in the Hindu epic

Ravana
Ramayana as the great king of Lanka.[a][2][3]

Ravana is described as having been as a follower of Shiva, a great scholar, a

capable ruler and a maestro of the Veena, but someone who wished to
overpower the Devas. He is a Chackrawarthi king. His ten heads represent
his knowledge of the six shastras and the four Vedas. In the Ramayana,
ravana kidnaps Sita, who is the wife of Rama to exact vengeance on Rama
and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister
Shurpanakha.

Ravana is worshiped by Hindus of Bisrakh, who claim their town to be his

birthplace.[4][5][6] He is considered to be the most revered devotee of
Shiva. Images of Ravana are seen associated with Shiva at some places. He
also appears in the Buddhist Mahayana text Laṅkāvatāra Sūtra, in
Buddhist Ramayanas and Jatakas, as well as in Jain Ramayanas.

Statue of Ravana from the 18th

century CE
Contents Raja of Lanka
Predecessor Kubera
Etymology
Iconography
Successor Vibhishana

Depiction in the Ramayana Spouse Vidyadhara Maya

Birth
Family Mandodari
Devotee of Shiva Dhanyamalini
Priestly ministers
Issue Sita
Depiction in other scriptures
Indrajit
As Vishnu's cursed doorkeeper
Atikaya
Conflict with other kings and Asuras
Akshayakumara
Historicity
Narantaka
Modern descendants of Ravana
Devantaka
Temples built by Ravana Trishira
Himachal Pradesh
Prahasta
Andhra Pradesh
Sri Lanka Father Vishrava
Ravana-Dahan (burning effigy of Ravana) Mother Kaikesi
Ravanahatha Religion Hinduism , Jainism
Influence on Indian culture and art
Texts attributed to Ravana
Astronomy
Medicine
Linguistics
Spirituality

Alternate Ramayanas
 Buddhist versions
Jain version
In Ayyavazhi religion
Dravidian movement
Related TV series
See also
References
External links

Etymology
The word Rāvaṇa (Tamil:இராவணன்/ Sinhalese: රාවණ / Sanskrit: रावण) means
roaring opposite of Vaiśravaṇa meaning "hear distinctly" (passive).[7][8] Both Ravana
and Vaiśravaṇa, who is popularly known as Kubera, are considered to be patronymics
derived as "sons of Vishrava".[7][8][9][10]

Rāvana was a title taken on later by Dashananda, and it means "screamer" in Sanskrit
(Ravana would sing hymns).[11] Further, roravana is Sanskrit for "loud roaring." In
Abhinava Gupta's Krama Shaiva scripture, yāsām rāvanam is used as an expression to
mean people who are truly aware in terms of the materialism of their environment.

According to F. E. Pargiter, the word may originally have been a Sanskritisation of

Iraivan, the Tamil name for a lord or king.[12]
Statue of Ravana at
Koneswaram Hindu
According to Devaneya Pavanar, the word has come from combination of Tamil words
Temple, Sri Lanka
Ira and vannan, meaning night (dark or black) coloured.[13]

Ravana has many other popular names, such as Dasis Ravana, Dasis Sakvithi Maha
Ravana, Dashaanan, Ravula, Lankeshwar, Lankeshwaran, Ravanasura, Ravanaeshwaran, and Eela Vendhar.

Iconography
Ravana is depicted and described as having ten heads, although sometimes
he is shown with only nine heads because he has sacrificed a head to
convince Shiva. He is described as a devout follower of Shiva, a great
scholar, a capable ruler and a maestro of the Veena (pronounced veh-nah;
a chordophone instrument). Ravana is also depicted as the author of the
Ravana Samhita, a book on Hindu astrology, and the Arka Prakasham, a
book on Siddha medicine and treatment. Ravana possessed a thorough
knowledge of Siddha and political science. He is said to have possessed the
Ravana is thought to be a maestro
nectar of immortality, which was stored inside his belly, thanks to a
of the veena.
celestial boon by Brahma.[14]

Depiction in the Ramayana

Birth
Ravana was born to great sage Vishrava (or Vesamuni), and his wife, the daitya princess Kaikeshi in Krita Yuga. People
of Bisrakh village in Uttar Pradesh claim that Bisrakh was named after Vishrava, and that Ravana was born there. But
according to Hela historical sources and folklore, Ravana was born in Lanka, where he later became king.
Ravana's grandfather on his father's side, the sage Pulastya,[15] was one of the ten
Prajapatis or mind-born sons of Brahma and one of the Saptarishi (Seven Great
Sages Rishi) in the first Manvantara (age of Manu). His grandfather on his
mother's side, Sumali (or Sumalaya), king of the Raksasas, was the son of Sukesha.
Sukesha's parents were King Vidyutkesa, who had married Salakantankata
(daughter of Sandhya), who had abandoned Sukesha, but by the grace of Shiva he
survived. Sumali had wished her to marry the most powerful being in the mortal
world, so as to produce an exceptional heir. He rejected the kings of the world, as
they were less powerful than him. Kaikesi searched among the sages and finally
chose Vishrava, the father of Kubera. Ravana and his siblings were born to the
couple. They completed their education from their father, with Ravana being a
great scholar of the Vedas. The brothers performed penances on Mt Gokarna for
11,000 years and won boons from Brahma. Ravana was blessed with a boon that Kubera Ravana's Half-
Brother, Lord of Wealth and
would make him invincible to the creation of Brahma, except for humans. He also
the North-direction
received weapons, chariot as well as the ability to shapeshift from Brahma. Ravana
later usurped Lanka from his half-brother Kubera and became the King of Lanka.
He appointed Shukracharya as his priest and learnt the Arthashastra (Science of
Politics) from him. Rama once addressed Ravana as a "Maha Brahman" ("Great
Brahman" in the context of his education).

After worshiping Shiva on the banks of the Narmada, in the more central Yadu
region, Ravana was captured and held under the control of king Kartavirya Arjuna,
one of the greatest Yadu kings. It is clear from the references in the Ramayana
that Ravana was no commoner among the Humans or Asuras, but a great chanter
of the Sama Veda.

Family
Ravana's family are hardly mentioned outside the Ramayana, which is viewed by
some as being only the point of view of Rama devotees. According to that: Brahma, Ravana's great-
grandfather
Ravana's grandfather was Malyavan, who was against the war with Rama and
Lakshmana.
Ravana's parents were Vishravamuni (son of Pulastya) and Pushpothkatha
(daughter of Sumali and Kethumathi). Pushpothkatha had three brothers,
Dhumarakkah, Prahastha and Kalanemih, which would effectively make them
Ravana's uncles and three aunties named Kaikesi(twin of Poshpothkatha),
Kumbinasih and Rakkah.
Ravana had six brothers and two sisters:

1. Kuberan – the King of North direction and the Guardian of Heavenly Wealth.
He was an older half-brother of Ravana: they were born to the same father by
different mothers.
2. Vibhishana – A follower of Rama and one of the most important characters in
the Ramayana. As a minister and brother of Ravana, he spoke the truth
without fear and advised Ravana to return the kidnapped Sita and uphold
Dharma. Ravana not only rejected this sane advice, but also banished him
from his kingdom. Vibhishana sought protection from Rama, which was
granted without hesitation. Vibhishana (right-brother of
3. Kumbhakarna – One of the most jovial demons in Hindu history. When offered Ravana), SriRama and Sita
a boon by Brahma, he was tricked into asking for eternal sleep. A horrified
worship god Shiva at
Ravana, out of brotherly love, persuaded Brahma to amend the boon. Brahma
mitigated the power of the boon by making Kumbhakarna sleep for six months Rameshwaram; looks on
and being awake for the rest six months of a year (in some versions, he is with Lakshmana, Tumburu
awake for one day out of the year). During the war with Rama, Kumbhakarna and Narada
was untimely awakened from his sleep. He tried to persuade Ravana to open
negotiations with Rama and return Sita to him. But he too failed to mend the