Ravan in the Ramayana: His Story and Defeat
Ravan is the powerful demon ruler of Lanka who abducts Mata Sita and fights Shri Ram in Goswami Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas. He has ten heads and twenty arms, noble ancestry and boons obtained through worship. Yet pride governs his actions. His story teaches that strength and learning cannot protect a person who turns against dharma.
Ravan's strength and the misuse of power
Power brings responsibility, yet Ravan uses his growing strength to torment others. In Bal Kand, Doha 176, Goswami Tulsidas describes him as a formidable hero with ten heads and twenty arms. Kumbhkaran is his brother, while Vibhishan, his younger half-brother, is a devotee of God Vishnu and a repository of wisdom.
Bal Kand, Doha 180, describes Ravan's increasing prosperity, armies, victories and fame. These gains do not restrain his desires. His growth is compared with greed, which increases whenever it acquires something more.
The consequence appears in Bal Kand, Doha 183. Ravan obstructs worship, penance and sacrifice, and persecutes those who recite the Vedas and Puranas. His failure lies in how he uses his gifts. We must therefore examine the purpose our abilities serve.
The abduction of Mata Sita
Ravan's outward might does not give him inner courage. Aranya Kand, Doha 28, shows him carrying Mata Sita away in his flying chariot. He is enraged, yet so frightened that he can scarcely drive it. The contrast exposes the weakness beneath his display of force.
In Sunderkand, Doha 10, Ravan returns to his palace after issuing instructions. The demonesses in the Ashok Vatika then assume frightening forms and intimidate Mata Sita. His power is being used to threaten someone he has carried away.
These passages teach us to distinguish force from righteousness. The ability to overpower another person gives no moral authority over them. Ravan can command a chariot, a palace and attendants, yet none of these makes his conduct right.
Angad's counsel and the battle with Shri Ram
Even after the abduction, Ravan receives an opportunity to change his course. In Lanka Kand, Doha 20, Angad acknowledges his noble ancestry, worship and boons, then urges him to seek Shri Ram's forgiveness. His past wrongdoing need not determine his next action.
Ravan answers with contempt in Lanka Kand, Doha 25. Pride makes him dismiss the counsel that could help him. Later, Lanka Kand, Doha 81, shows him taking up ten bows as his troops retreat. He continues to rely on force.
In Lanka Kand, Doha 95, Ravan creates illusions to overwhelm his opponents. Shri Ram destroys the illusory host in Doha 96. Ravan is eventually slain, as the account of Lanka Kand establishes. His story asks us to receive truthful counsel and correct our conduct before pride carries us further into wrongdoing.
Verses
कह दसकंठ कवन तैं बंदर। मैं रघुबीर दूत दसकंधर॥ मम जनकहि तोहि रही मिताई। तव हित कारन आयउँ भाई॥१॥
“Monkey, who are you?” Rāvaṇa asked. “I am an ambassador from Śrī Raghuvīra, O Rāvaṇa. There was friendship between you and my father; hence it is in your interest, brother, that I have come. (1)
Lanka Kand, Doha 20काल पाइ मुनि सुनु सोइ राजा। भयउ निसाचर सहित समाजा॥ दस सिर ताहि बीस भुजदंडा। रावन नाम बीर बरिबंडा॥१॥
O sage, in due time, I tell you, this king, with his family, was born as a demon. He had ten heads and twenty arms. His name was Rāvaṇa; he was a formidable hero. (1)
Bal Kand, Doha 176क्रोधवंत तब रावन लीन्हिसि रथ बैठाइ। चला गगनपथ आतुर भयँ रथ हाँकि न जाइ॥२८॥
Full of rage, Rāvaṇa now seated Her in his chariot and drove through the air in great flurry: he was so much frightened that he was scarcely able to drive the chariot. (28)
Aranya Kand, Doha 28सुर बानर देखे बिकल हँस्यो कोसलाधीस। सजि सारंग एक सर हते सकल दससीस॥९६॥
The Lord of Kosala, Śrī Rāma, smiled to see the dismay of the gods and the monkeys. He set an arrow to His famous Sārṅga bow and wiped out the whole host of illusive Rāvaṇas. (96)
Lanka Kand, Doha 96
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Did Ravan really have ten heads?
The Ramcharitmanas describes Ravan as having ten heads and twenty arms in Bal Kand, Doha 176. Lanka Kand, Doha 81, again presents him drawing ten bows with his twenty arms. These passages describe his form directly. They do not give a symbolic explanation for each head, so we should not assign one here.
Was Ravan a devotee of Shiva?
Yes. In Lanka Kand, Doha 20, Angad recalls that Ravan worshipped Shiva and Brahma in various ways and obtained boons from them. Angad also condemns his abduction of Mata Sita and urges him to seek Shri Ram's forgiveness. Worship does not excuse wrongdoing. Its gifts must be accompanied by humility and righteous conduct.
Could Ravan have asked Shri Ram for forgiveness?
Yes. In Lanka Kand, Doha 20, Angad tells Ravan that Shri Ram will forgive his offence if he accepts the counsel offered to him. Ravan responds with contempt in Doha 25. The opportunity is present, but pride prevents him from receiving it. We should accept truthful correction while we have the chance to act upon it.