RAVANA: UNKNOWN FACTS ABOUT RAVANA

Very few know that one of the most knowledgeable and witty of all was this famous demon “Ravana”. We all know him as a villain of Ramayana where he abducted Sita Mata. But as they say, there are 2 sides to a coin. So, let's explore the other side of Lankadhipati Ravana!

1. The Great Sage Vishrava and Daitya Princess Kaikesi gave birth to Ravana, who made him partly Brahmin and partly Daitya.

2. Ravana is Lord Bramha’s Great-grandson

The father of Ravana was a prominent rishi, Visravas, who was the son of Prajapati Pulastya himself, one of the ten 'mind-born' sons of Brahma.

3. Ravana was half-Brahmin and half-demon

4. Sri Lankans worship Ravana as a great king

5. What do the 10 heads of Ravana depict?

The 6 Shastras and 4 Vedas signify Ravana's 10 heads, making him one of the most intelligent men of his time. He was a master of 64 different kinds of knowledge, art, and all kinds of weapons, Ayurveda, politics.

6. Who built Lanka?

The divine kingdom of Lanka was built by the architect of all gods, Vishwakarma.

7. Ravana is a great devotee of Shiva and obtained the Moon sword/Chandrahas from him

8. Why did Ravana never touch Sita?

Ravana had been cursed by an apsara named Rambha who was his to be daughter-in-law. Ravana was very attracted to this celestial woman which irked her, and she gave him a curse that if Ravana tries to establish any physical contact with a woman forcefully, his head would burst into 1000 fragments. Hence approaching any woman without her will would result in Ravana's death. Hence Ravana pursued Sita but Sita did not consent, despite many proposals and persuasions, so he could not touch her, fearing his own death.

9. Ravana was an excellent Veena player

10. How many types/versions of Ramayana exist?

There are more than a hundred versions of Ramayana where the original Valmiki Ramayana has been adopted by various regional languages and authors. Listing some versions/types of the great epic below

· Giridhar Ramayana of Gujarat

· Valmiki Ramayana

· Baiga Ramayana – Here Lakshman is the one who gives Agnipariksha!

· Tulsidas Ramayana

· Bhavartha Ramayana

· Katha Ramayana of Assam

· Krittivasi Ramayan of Bengal

· Kambaramayanam Ramayana from Tamil Nadu

· Bhaskar Ramayana

· Ramayenu of Goa

· Agastya Ramayana

· Ananda Ramayana

Versions of Ramayana from outside India:

· Philippines – Rajah Magandiri

· Cambodia – Reamker

· Burma (Myanmar) – Yama Zatdaw

· Malaysia – Hikayat Seri Rama

· Java, Indonesia – Kakawin Ramayana

· Thailand – Ramakien

· Laos – Phra Lak Phra Lam

11. According to Jain Ramayan Sita was the daughter of Ravana and Mandodari

12. Ravana has said to authored 2 wisest books named “Ravana-Samhita” a book on Hindu Astrology and “Arka Prakasham” a book on Arka Shastra

13. He is known to be the world’s first Pediatrician because of his study in “Ravanaproktabalacikitsasutra” where he talks about curing children’s disease with his pregnant wife Mandodari

14. Shurpankha cursed Ravana because he had killed her husband “Vidyutjinn” in a battle

15. Ravana is also the composer of “Shiva Tandava Stotram”

16. Ravana Temple in Madhya Pradesh – Mandasur

This town is believed to be Mandodari’s maternal residence and hence the people of this town worship Ravana as their son-in-law.

Hindu gods are appealing, and the teachings that can be embraced in our everyday lives are still offered by the mythological tales associated with them. Ravana was a great king but he got carried away by his ego which ultimately led to his destruction.

Our mythology is rich with numerous characters that teach us the way to live a meaningful life. Do let us know which character you would like us to cover in our next blog!