Indrajit, Atikaya, Akshayakumara, Narantaka-Devantaka>Narantaka, Devantaka, Trishira| abode = Lanka| mount = Pushpaka Vimana| affiliation = Lanka, RakshasaRamayana and Ramayana versions>its versions| Devanagari = à¤°à¤¾à¤µà¤£| Sanskrit_transliteration = RÄvaá¹‡a}}{{Use Indian English|date=July 2013}}{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}{{Hinduism}}Ravana ({{IPAc-en|Ëˆ|r|É‘Ë|v|É™|n|É™}};ENCYCLOPEDIA, Ravana, Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary,weblink , {{IAST3|RÄvaá¹‡a}}, {{IPA-sa|ËˆraËÊ‹ÉÉ³É|pron}}) was a multi-headed rakshasa kingENCYCLOPEDIA, Cartwright, Mark, Ravana, World History Encyclopedia,weblink 26 February 2021, of the island of Lanka, and the chief antagonist in the Hindu epic Ramayana.BOOK, Wheeler, James Talboys, 1869, The History of India from the Earliest Ages, II The RÃ¡mÃ¡yana and the Vedic period, N. Trubner & Co., 281,weblink BOOK, Brown, Nathan Robert, The Mythology of Supernatural: The signs and symbols behind the popular TV show,weblink 2 August 2011, Berkley Boulevard books, Newwork, 9781101517529, 12 May 2020, In the Ramayana, Ravana is described as the eldest son of sage Vishrava and Kaikasi. He abducted Prince Rama's wife, Sita, and took her to his kingdom of Lanka, where he held her in the Ashoka Vatika.WEB, Sunderkand explanation, sunderkandsatsangsamuh.org,weblink 12 May 2020, 18 July 2021,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20210718071828weblink">weblink dead, Rama, with the support of vanara King Sugriva and his army of vanaras, launched an invasion against Ravana in Lanka. Ravana was subsequently slain, and Rama rescued his beloved wife Sita.WEB, Das, Subhamoy, The Ramayana, Summary by Stephen Knapp, Learn Religions,weblink 12 May 2020, ENCYCLOPEDIA, Ravana, EncyclopÃ¦dia Britannica,weblink 12 May 2020, Ravana is widely portrayed as being an evil character, though he is also a learned scholar. He was well-versed in the six shastras and the four Vedas, including the Shiva Tandava Stotra.BOOK, VÄlmÄ«ki,weblink The Ramayana: A Modern Retelling of the Great Indian Epic, Menon, Ramesh, 2004-05-26, Macmillan, 978-0-86547-695-0, en, Ravana is also considered to be the most revered devotee of Shiva. Images of Ravana are often seen associated with Shiva at temples. He also appears in the Buddhist Mahayana text Laá¹…kÄvatÄra SÅ«tra, in Buddhist Jatakas, as well as in Jain Ramayanas. In some scriptures, he is depicted as one of Vishnu's cursed doorkeepers.

Etymology

File:Ravanan - King of Lanka.jpg|thumbnail|left|150px|Statue of Ravana at Koneswaram Hindu Temple, Sri Lanka Sri LankaThe word RÄvaá¹‡a (Sanskrit: à¤°à¤¾à¤µà¤£) means "roaring" (active), the opposite of VaiÅ›ravaá¹‡a which means to "hear distinctly" (passive).Aiyangar Narayan (1909) "Essays On Indo-Aryan Mythology-Vol.", p.413WEB,weblink Cologne Scan, sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de, Both Ravana and VaiÅ›ravaá¹‡a, who is commonly known as Kubera, are considered to be patronymics derived from "sons of Vishrava".BOOK, The RÄmÄyaá¹‡a of VÄlmÄ«ki: An Epic of Ancient India. AyodhyÄkÄá¹‡á¸a, 25 April 2007, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, 9788120831636, 30,weblink Google Books, BOOK, Hopkins, Edward Washburn, Edward Washburn Hopkins, 1915, Epic Mythology, Strassburg, DE, K.J. TrÃ¼bner, 142,weblink Ravana was a title later taken on by DashÄnana, and it means "the one with ten (dasha) faces (anana)". Further, roravana is Sanskrit for "loud roaring." In Abhinava Gupta's Krama Shaiva scripture, yÄsÄm rÄvanam is used as an expression to mean people who are truly aware of the materialism of their environment.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}}Ravana has many other popular names such as Dasis Ravana, Dasis Sakvithi Maha Ravana, Dashaanan, Ravula, Lankapati, Lankeshwar, Lankeshwaran, Ravanasura and Ravanaeshwaran.WEB, 10 Names of Ravana, LifeStalker, 6 October 2014,weblink 2021-05-18, en,

Iconography

Ravana is depicted and described as having ten heads, although he is sometimes shown with only nine heads since he cut one off to convince Shiva.WEB, 2015-10-26, When Ravana tore his head and a hand to apologize to Lord Shiva,weblink 2022-05-05, www.mensxp.com, en-IN, He is described as a devout follower of Shiva, a great scholar, a capable ruler, and a maestro of the Veena. 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 nectar of immortality, which was stored inside his belly thanks to a celestial boon from Brahma.BOOK, Ramayana, Valmiki, BOOK, Ramcharitmanas, Tulsidas, Vibhishana, Lanka Kanda, Samvaad, Rama, {{page needed|date=July 2020}}

Life and legends

Birth

(File:Ravi Varma-Ravana Sita Jathayu.jpg|thumb|The abduction of Sita)Ravana was born to the sage Vishrava and the Rakshasa princess Kaikasi in Treta Yuga. Villagers from Bisrakh in Uttar Pradesh claim that Bisrakh was named after Vishrava, and that Ravana was born there.MAGAZINE, Dutta, Prabhash K., 10 October 2016, Did you know? Ravana was born in Greater Noida West, India Today,weblink 2 July 2020, en, Ravana's paternal grandfather, the sage Pulastya,JOURNAL, Rajarajan, R.K.K., 2018, Woven Threads of the RÄmÄyaá¹‡a The Early Ä€á¸»vÄrs on BrahmÄ and RÄvaá¹‡a,weblink Romanian Journal of Indian Studies, 2, 9â€“45, was one of the ten Prajapatis, or mind-born sons of Brahma, and one of the Saptarishi (seven great sages) in the first Manvantara (age of Manu). His maternal grandfather was Sumali (or Sumalaya), the king of the Rakshasas and the son of Sukesha. Sumali had ten sons and four daughters. Sumali wished for Kaikasi 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. Kaikasi searched among the sages and finally chose Vishrava, the father of Kubera. Ravana and his siblings were born to the couple and they completed their education from their father, with Ravana being a great scholar of the Vedas.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}

Boon from Brahma

Ravana and his two brothers, Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana, performed penance on Mount Gokarna for 11,000 years and won boons from Brahma. Ravana was blessed with a boon that would make him invincible to all the creations of Brahma, except for humans.WEB, Manglik, Reshu, 29 September 2017, Happy Dussehra 2017: 11 important facts to know about Ravana, primary antagonist of epic Ramayana, indiatvnews.com,weblink 14 July 2020, en, He also received weapons, a chariot, as well as the ability to shapeshift from Brahma.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}} According to the Ramayana, demigods approached Brahma since Ravana was causing harm on Earth. Lord Vishnu appeared and gave blessings that he will incarnate as a human (Rama) and kill Ravana since his invincibility boon did not include humans.BOOK, Rosen, Steven,weblink Essential Hinduism, 2006, Praeger, 0-275-99006-0, Westport, Conn., 68â€“69, 70775665,

Devotee of Shiva

{{See also|Ravananugraha}}(File:RavanKailashAndolan.jpg|left|thumb|255x255px|Ravananugraha theme)One of the most popular images of Shiva is called "Ravananugraha", which was popular in the Gupta era. It depicts Ravana beneath Mount Kailash playing a veena made out of his head and hands, and strings made out of his tendons, while Shiva and Parvati sit on top of the mountain.Kala pp. 38â€“42{{full citation needed|date=July 2022|reason=no such ref "Kala"}} According to scriptures, Ravana once tried to lift Mount Kailash, but Shiva pushed the mountain into place and trapped Ravana beneath it. For a thousand years, the imprisoned Ravana sang Shiva Tandava Stotra, a hymn in praise of Shiva, who finally blessed him and granted him an invincible sword and a powerful linga (Shiva's iconic symbol, Atmalinga) to worship.WEB, Rathore, Vinod, 29 June 2020, Know the unique story of Ravana's devotion to Shiva, News Track,weblink 14 July 2020, en, {{clear left}}

Family

File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM ReliÃ«f op de aan Brahma gewijde tempel op de Candi Lara Jonggrang oftewel het Prambanan tempelcomplex TMnr 10016175.jpg|thumb|right|Queen Mandodari and the women of Lanka mourning the death of Ravana. Bas-relief of 9th century Prambanan PrambananRavana's parents were the sage Vishrava (son of Pulastya) and Kaikesi (daughter of Sumali and Tataka or Ketumati). Ravana had ten maternal uncles and three maternal aunts. Dhumraksha, Prahastha, Akampana, Maricha, and Subahu, a few of his maternal uncles, were generals in the Lanka army. Kaikesi's father, Sumali, was instrumental in making Ravana the king of Lanka by advising him to receive boons from Brahma, defeat Kubera, and establish rakshasa rule in the three worlds.BOOK, Mittal, J.P.,weblink History of Ancient India (a new version: From 7300 BC to 4250 BC, 2006, Atlantic Publishers & Dist, 978-81-269-0615-4, 200, en, Ravana's granduncle was Malyavan, who opposed the war with Rama and Lakshmana. He also had another granduncle named Mali who was killed by Vishnu.Ravana had seven brothers and two sisters, named Kubera, Kumbhakarna, Vibhishana, Khara, Dushana, Ahiravan, Kumbhini, Sahastra Ravana, and Shurpanakha.Ravana had three wives, Mandodari, the daughter of the celestial architect Maya, Dhanyamalini, and a third wife. His sons from his three wives were Meghanada, Atikaya, Akshayakumara, Narantaka, Devantaka, Trishira, and Prahasta.

Priestly ministers

In some accounts, Ravana is said to have had Shukracharya, the priest of the Asuras, as his minister, and in other accounts, Brihaspati, the priest of the Devas.{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}One account narrates how Ravana ordered Brihaspati to recite the Chandi stava (mantras of Chandi), more specifically the Devi Mahatmya, in order to stave off defeat. According to the Krttivasa text, Ravana arranged for a peaceful yajna, and invited Brihaspati to start the recitation of Chandi.BOOK, Shanti Lal, Nagar, Genesis and Evolution of the RÄma KathÄ in Indian Art, Thought, Literature, and Culture: From the earliest period to modern times, 2, {{full citation needed|date=July 2022|reason=publisher, date, page}}File:Mani Madhava Chakyar as Ravana.jpg|Ravana in Sanskrit drama of Kerala, India- Kutiyattam. Artist: Guru NÄtyÄchÄrya MÄni MÄdhava ChÄkyÄrBOOK

, ChÄkyÄr, MÄni MÄdhava, MÄni MÄdhava ChÄkyÄr
, 1996
, NÄtyakalpadrumam, NÄtyakalpadrumam
, New Delhi, IN
, Sangeet Natak Akademi
, 6 MÄni MÄdhava ChÄkyÄr

Other legends

Vishnu's cursed doorkeeper

In the Bhagavata Purana, Ravana and his brother Kumbhakarna are said to be reincarnations of Jaya and Vijaya, gatekeepers at Vaikuntha (the abode of Vishnu), and were cursed to be born on Earth for their insolence.BOOK, Ninan, M.M., 2008-06-23, dmy-all, The Development of Hinduism, Madathil Mammen Ninan, 978-1-4382-2820-4, 241, en,weblink 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 Vaikuntha and to be born on Earth.Vishnu agreed that they should be punished and gave them two options. First, that they could be born seven times as normal mortals and devotees of Vishnu, or strong and three times as powerful, but as enemies of Vishnu. Eager to be back with the Lord, they chose the latter option. The curse of the first birth was fulfilled by Hiranyakashipu and his brother Hiranyaksha in Satya Yuga, when they were both vanquished by earlier avatars of Vishnu (Hiranyaksha by Varaha, and Hiranyakashipu by Narasimha). Ravana and his brother Kumbhakarna were born to fulfill the curse in their second birth as enemies of Vishnu in Treta Yuga. The curse of the third birth was fulfilled by Dantavakra and Shishupala in the Dvapara Yuga, when they both were slain by Krishna, the eighth avatar.NEWS, Pankaj, Bhavana, 31 July 2019, Where Ravana is Vishnu's true Bhakta, The Statesman,weblink 1 July 2020, en,

Other Conflicts

In Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh, Ravana is said to have fought and lost to Kartavirya Arjuna. Ravana was vanquished by the Ikshvaku King Mandhata, an ancestor of Rama, as well as by the sage Kapila. In the Ramayana, he fought Vali, the Kishkindha king, but was defeated by him because of his boon to obtain half the strength of anyone he fought.BOOK, VÄlmÄ«ki,weblink The Concise RÄmÄyaá¹‡a of VÄlmÄ«ki, January 1988, SUNY Press, 978-0-88706-862-1, Venkatesananda, Swami, en, He also fought with the Nivatakavachas, descendants of Prahlada, but struck an alliance with them after being unable to defeat them.Once, upon hearing a discourse from Sage Sanatkumara, Ravana attempted to invade Vaikuntha. Only Ravana managed to enter Vaikuntha's capital, Shwetadwipa, where he was hopelessly outmatched by the inhabitants and was forced to retreat.He killed Anaranya, the king of Ayodhya, although he cursed Ravana to be slain by Rama.Ravana had wrestled his brother Kubera for the Pushpaka Vimana.He also fought Marutta (Chakravarti King of Ushiraviga), Gadhi (Vishwamitra's father), Dushyanta (Bharata's father), Suratha (King of Vidarbha), Gaya (Chakravarti king of Dharmaranya), and Paurava (King of Anga).

Rape of Rambha

Ravana is regarded to have once caught sight of the apsara Rambha and was filled with lust. Even as the apsara resisted his advances by asserting that she was his daughter-in-law, he raped her. When she reported this to her husband, Nalakuvara, he cursed Ravana to be unable to cause violence to any woman who did not consent to being with him, his head splitting into a number of pieces if he did so. This incident is stated to explain why Ravana could not force the abducted Sita to submit to his desire.BOOK, Doniger, Wendy,weblink On Hinduism, March 2014, OUP USA, 978-0-19-936007-9, 535, en, BOOK, VÄlmÄ«ki,weblink The RÄmÄyaá¹‡a of VÄlmÄ«ki: An Epic of Ancient India. Araá¹‡yakÄá¹‡á¸a, 2007, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, 978-81-208-3164-3, 393, en,

Worship and temples

File:Phu Yak.jpg|thumb|150px|Thotsakan (Ravana)'s sculpture as a guardian of Wat Phra Kaew, Thailand Thailand

Worship

Ravana is worshipped as one of Shiva's most revered followers, and he is even worshipped in some Shiva temples.NEWS,weblink Ravana has his temples, too, The Sunday Tribune, Spectrum, 21 October 2007, BOOK, Vachaspati, S., Ravana Brahma, 2005, Rudrakavi Sahitya Peetham, Gandhi Nagar, Tenali, India, English, BOOK, Dave, Kamalesh Kumar, 2008, Dashanan, Akshaya Jyotish Anusandan Kendra, Jodhpur, India, Hindi, Ravana is worshipped by the Kanyakubja Brahmins of the Vidisha region, who see him as a savior and a sign of prosperity, claiming Ravana was also a Kanyakubja Brahmin. Thousands of Kanyakubja Brahmins of the village Ravangram of Netaran, in the Vidisha District of Madhya Pradesh, perform daily puja in the Ravana temple and offer naivedyam or bhog (a ritual of sacrifice to the gods).King Shiv Shankar built a Ravana temple in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. The Ravana temple is open once a year, on the day of Dashera, to perform puja for the welfare of Ravana.NEWS, Faiz, Siddiqui, 10 October 2016, A temple where demon king has his day, The Times of India,weblink 14 September 2018, Ravana is also worshipped by Hindus of Bisrakh, who claim their town to be his birthplace.NEWS, Only the elderly come to mourn Ravana in 'birthplace' Bisrakh, 4 October 2014, The Indian Express,weblink 14 June 2016, The Sachora Brahmins of Gujarat claim to be descendants of Ravana, and sometimes have "Ravan" as their surnames.BOOK, People of India, 4: Aâ€“G, Oxford University Press, 3061, Saraswat Brahmins from Mathura claim Ravana as a saraswat Brahmin as per his lineage.NEWS, Mathura lawyer seeks ban on burning of Ravana effigies, 26 September 2017, The Indian Express,weblink MAGAZINE, Qureshi, Siraj, 12 October 2016, A Dussehra without burning Ravana: This Brahmin community in Agra wants an end to practice, India Today,weblink There has also been reference to "Ravani", the lineage of Upadhyaya Yasastrata II, who was of the Gautama gotra and Acharya Vasudatta's son, and described as "born of Ravani".JOURNAL, {{grey, [no title cited], |journal=Indian Culture: Journal of the Indian Research Institute |volume=15 |publisher=I.B. Corporation}}{{full citation needed|date=July 2022|reason=author, title, issue, page(s)}}The Gondi people of central India claim to be descendants of Ravana, and have temples for him, his wife Mandodari, and their son Meghnad. They also state that Ravana was an ancient Gond king, the tenth dharmaguru of their tribe, and the eighteenth lingo (divine teacher). Annually on Dussehra, the Gondis from the village of Paraswadi carry an image of Ravana riding on an elephant in a procession.NEWS, Rashid, Omar, 24 October 2015, Celebrating Ravan, The Hindu,weblink

Temples

The following temples in India are for Ravana as a Shiva Bhakta.

Dashanan Temple, Kanpur, Uttar PradeshNEWS, Five temples of Ravana in India where demon king is worshipped, 11 October 2016, India TV,weblink
Ravana Temple, Bisrakh, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh
Kakinada Ravana Temple, Andhra Pradesh
Ravangram Ravana Temple, Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh
Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh
Mandore Ravan Temple, JodhpurWEB, Unique Ravana temples in India, 27 April 2018, Native Planet, Travel guide,weblink
Baijanath Temple, Kangra District, Himachal Pradesh

Influence on culture and art

Ravana-Dahan (burning effigy of Ravana)

File:Ravana_fizzles.jpg|thumb|An effigy of Ravana with burning sparklers on Dusshera DussheraEffigies of Ravana are burned on Vijayadashami in many places throughout India to symbolize Rama's triumph over evil.NEWS, Dussehra 2018: What is the significance Of Ravana Dahan?, NDTV.com, Dehli news,weblink 1 July 2020,

Ravanahatha

According to mythology, the ravanahatha, an ancient bowed string instrument, was created by Ravana and is still used as a Rajasthani folk instrument.NEWS, Sri Lankan revives Ravana's musical instrument, 9 March 2008, The Island (Sri Lanka), The Island, Sri Lanka,weblink

In other religions

In the Rin-spuns-pa Tibetan Ramayana, it is prophesied that Ravana will return as the Buddha incarnation of Vishnu in Kali Yuga.

The Arunachal Pradesh Tai Khamti Ramayana (Phra Chow Lamang) shows Rama as a Bodhisattva who was reborn so Ravana could torture him.

In the Laotian Buddhist text Phra Lak Phra Lam, Rama is a Bodhisattva and the embodiment of virtues, while Ravana is a Brahmin ("mahabrahma") son of Virulaha who is highly materialistic.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}}

In the Cambodian Buddhist text Preah Ream, Buddha is an incarnation of Rama and Ravana is a rakshasa.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}}

In the Thai Buddhist text Ramakien, Ravana is a rakshasaBOOK, Prachi Darshan, Vyas, Lallan Prasad, 98, known as "Thotsakan" (à¸—à¸¨à¸à¸±à¸“à¸à¹Œ, from Sanskrit à¤¦à¤¶à¤•à¤£à¥à¤ , DaÅ›akaá¹‡á¹ha, "ten necks"), and is depicted with green skin.{{Citation needed|date=February 2022}}

In the Karandavyuha Sutra, Yama asks if the visitor in hell (Avalokitesvara), whom he hasn't seen yet, is a god or a demon, and whether he is Vishnu, Mahesvara, or the rakshasa Ravana.

Jainism

{{Further|Salakapurusa}}(File:Jain Universal History Diorama in Jain Museum of Madhuban 44.jpg|thumb|A diorama in Jain Museum of Madhuban depicting Ravana)Jain accounts vary from the traditional Hindu accounts of the Ramayana. The incidents are placed at the time of the 20th Tirthankara, Munisuvrata. In Jainism, both Rama and Ravana were devout Jains.BOOK, Sharma, S.R., 1940, Jainism and Karnataka Culture, Karnatak Historical Research Society, Dharwar, IN, 76, Ravana was a Vidyadhara king who had magical powers,BOOK, Dalal, Roshen, 2010, Hinduism: An alphabetical guide, Penguin Books India, 338, 9780143414216,weblink and Lakshmana, not Rama, was the one who ultimately killed Ravana.BOOK, Ramanujan, A.K., 1991, Paula Richman, Many RÄmÄyaá¹‡as: The diversity of a narrative tradition in south Asia, 35, University of California Press, 978-0-520-07589-4, Three hundred RÄmÄyaá¹‡as: Five examples and Three thoughts on Translation,weblink

Dravidian movement

Pulavar Kuzhanthai's Ravana Kaaviyam is a panegyric on Ravana that is made up of 3,100 poetic stanzas in which Ravana is the hero. The book was released in 1946, and was subsequently banned by India's Congress led government. The ban was later lifted in 1971.MAGAZINE, Pandian, M.S.S., 2 November 1998, Ravana as antidote, Outlook India,weblink 20 June 2019,weblink 2018-01-16, MAGAZINE, Nalankilli, Thanjai, April 2006, Censorship of Dravidian voices in Tamil Nadu (India) in 1948, 1949, Tamil Tribune,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20180108182839weblink">weblink 8 January 2018, WEB, Sivapriyan, E.T.B., Ram Temple: Tamilians praise Ravana on Twitter, Deccan Herald, 5 August 2020,weblink 21 November 2021,

In popular culture

Sri Lanka named its first satellite Raavana 1 after Ravana.WEB, Yamunan, Sruthisagar, 6 July 2019, Why Sri Lanka named its first-ever satellite after Ravana, Scroll.in,weblink 2 July 2020, en-US, Ravana appears as the primary antagonist in films and television series based on the Ramayana. Movies like Bhakta Ravana (1938) and its Telugu (1940 and 1958) and Kannada (1958) adaptations as well as television series Raavan (2006-2008)WEB,weblink Zee TV enters new genre with 'Ravan' on Saturdays at 9, Indiantelevision.com, 16 November 2006, are focused on the tale on Ravana. The Tamil film Raavanan (2010) and its Hindi counterpart Raavan (2010) narrate the epic from Ravana's perspective in a modern setting.

References

Bibliography

BOOK, Doniger, Wendy, Wendy Doniger, 1993, Purana Perennis: Reciprocity and transformation in Hindu and Jaina texts, SUNY Press, 9780791413814,weblink Google Books,
BOOK, Udayakumar, S.P., 2005, Presenting the Past: Anxious history and ancient future in Hindutva India, Greenwood Publishing Group,

External links

WEB, Rawana the Historical King of Heladiwa, Ramayana Research,weblink weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130708195310weblink">weblink 2013-07-08,

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