We are looking at Ravana's unyielding ambition driving him to challenge powerful deities and kings in pursuit of dominance. Ravana travels to Mount Sumeru to confront Surya, the Sun God, demanding either combat or surrender. Surya, in his wisdom, offers a symbolic victory rather than direct battle, recognizing Ravana’s pride but refusing to lower himself. Ravana, accepting the acknowledgment of his might, departs satisfied. Ravana then encounters King Mandhata, a powerful conqueror. Their fierce battle tests both warriors, with Ravana initially overpowered but quickly retaliating. As their clash escalates, threatening cosmic order, the sages Paulastya and Galava intervene, urging restraint. Heeding their counsel, Ravana and Mandhata reconcile, respecting each other’s strength. Ravana’s ascent to the Moon region can be seen next where he faces overwhelming cold and prepares to strike at the Moon. Brahma intervenes, offering Ravana a powerful boon: a mantra of invincibility, recitable only with Rudraksha beads in times of mortal danger. Ravana accepts this gift with reverence, recognizing both its immense power and the conditions that temper its use. We can look at the further exploits of Ravana in the following chapters.
In chaper 23f, an encounter between Ravana and the Maha-Purusha can be seen.
After receiving a boon from Brahma that granted him invincibility in most circumstances, Ravana, the mighty Rakshasa king, set out to extend his dominance over all beings. His journey brought him and his counselors to the western ocean's shores, where they encountered a powerful being named Mahajambunada, who blazed with fiery intensity and exhibited a terrifyingly divine form. Standing on an island, Mahajambunada resembled celestial deities and great cosmic forces in grandeur and strength. When Ravana, proud and determined, challenged him to combat, Mahajambunada remained unmoved by the Rakshasa’s bravado. His warning to Ravana was stern, promising to cure him of his desire for conflict.
With overwhelming strength, Mahajambunada effortlessly struck Ravana, sending him crashing to the ground. Despite this humiliation, Ravana’s pride and determination to conquer remained unshaken, bolstered by the protective boon of Brahma. He quickly recovered, determined to press on.
Ravana’s subsequent journey led him to a hidden realm where he witnessed three warriors, dark-skinned and formidable, performing an energetic dance alongside an assembly of radiant beings. Each figure in this ethereal space resembled the Maha Purusha—an immensely powerful and enlightened being who had previously bested Ravana. Intrigued but undeterred, Ravana ventured further into the depths of this realm, coming upon the Maha Purusha himself, resting within a luminous chamber. This magnificent deity, encircled by an aura of flames, was attended by the beautiful goddess Lakshmi, who exuded celestial grace and charm.
In a reckless display of hubris, Ravana, captivated by Lakshmi’s beauty, approached her with desire. This act provoked the deity’s fiery rage, and in an instant, Ravana was struck down by an eruption of flames. Though his body was pierced and he fell as if mortally wounded, Ravana was spared from death by the boon granted by Brahma. The Maha Purusha mocked Ravana’s arrogance and pride, informing him that his fate would eventually bring him death, but that the time was not yet upon him.
When Ravana regained his senses, he questioned the identity of the being who had bested him. The Maha Purusha, with a voice deep and resonant as a storm, declared that Ravana would soon meet his destined end, a fate that would bring him no glory despite his grandiose claims of invincibility. Yet, Ravana, bound by his belief in the infallibility of Brahma’s boon, responded with defiance, declaring himself immune to mortal harm.
In response, the Maha Purusha revealed his cosmic form, embodying every aspect of creation, from the Adityas and Rudras to the Maruts, Pitris, and even celestial rivers and mountains. Within his form, Ravana saw the entirety of the universe and all its divine forces—an overwhelming revelation that further humbled him, though his arrogance persisted.
Eventually, Ravana departed, shaken but alive. Upon returning to his counselors, he described the profound and awe-inspiring encounter. Agastya, the sage who later recounted this story to Rama, identified the Maha Purusha as the sage Kapila, an enlightened being of immense power and wisdom. Kapila had refrained from reducing Ravana to ashes out of mercy and restraint, unlike other celestial or divine figures who might have acted with immediate wrath.
This experience momentarily tempered Ravana’s pride, but his ambition to dominate the Three Worlds remained unshaken. The encounter served as a foreshadowing of the inevitable downfall of Ravana, highlighting that even the mightiest of beings, protected by boons and cosmic blessings, cannot escape the consequences of hubris, unchecked ambition, and moral transgressions.
In chapter 24, Ravana carries off a number of women and is cursed by them.
While Ravana, the Rakshasa king, was traveling triumphantly, he continued his campaign of terror by abducting numerous young women of exceptional beauty, including the daughters of kings, sages, gods, and other celestial beings. During his journey, Ravana mercilessly killed the families and protectors of these women and forcibly took them into his chariot, leaving them no choice but to succumb to his power out of fear. The Pushpaka Chariot, filled with these grieving captives, echoed with their sorrowful cries. These women, adorned with radiant beauty and elegance, wept in anguish, recalling their lost families, husbands, and lives. Their sighs of despair and suffering turned the atmosphere of the chariot into a fiery scene of sorrow.
The captive women, including the daughters of Nagas, Gandharvas, sages, and Danavas, lamented their fate. Each feared for her life, likening herself to prey caught by a lion. Many voiced their misery, bemoaning the fate of their children and families left behind and questioning their past deeds that may have led to such misfortune. Collectively, they cursed Ravana, declaring him the vilest of beings for violating the sanctity of other men’s wives. They foresaw that his downfall would come through a woman, expressing hope that his misdeeds would eventually be avenged.
In response to the women's lamentations, celestial signs appeared—gongs resounded, and a shower of blossoms fell—symbolizing divine condemnation of Ravana’s actions. His captives’ curse momentarily weakened his power, causing him to lose some of his glory and composure. Nevertheless, Ravana continued onward, eventually returning to Lanka, where he was greeted with acclaim by his fellow Rakshasas. However, as he entered the city, he encountered his sister, Shurpanakha, who collapsed before him in grief.
With her eyes red and brimming with tears, Shurpanakha confronted Ravana, accusing him of making her a widow. She bitterly recounted how Ravana, in his ruthless pursuit of power, had slain her husband during a battle against the Daityas known as the Kalakeyas. Her husband, a valiant warrior and Ravana’s brother-in-law, had fallen victim to Ravana’s relentless assault, which spared neither kin nor foe in its indiscriminate ferocity. Shurpanakha expressed her sorrow and indignation, mourning both her husband’s death and her own fate as a widow caused by her brother’s actions.
In an effort to console her, Ravana admitted that, in the heat of battle, he had been unable to distinguish friend from foe and thus unintentionally killed her husband. Seeking to make amends, he offered her gifts and promised protection. Ravana assured Shurpanakha that she would be honored and cared for, and he proposed that she reside near their kinsman Khara, who commanded a powerful contingent of Rakshasas. Khara, a skilled warrior and Shurpanakha’s cousin, would lead fourteen thousand Rakshasas and rule over the Dandaka Forest. Dushana, another formidable commander, would assist him in this task.
Following Ravana’s orders, Khara set out for the Dandaka Forest, accompanied by his army of Rakshasas. There, he quickly established his authority, and Shurpanakha took up residence near him, secure under her cousin’s protection. Despite his efforts to appease Shurpanakha, the shadows of his misdeeds continued to loom over him, foreshadowing the challenges and eventual downfall that awaited him.
In chapter 25, Dashagriva or Ravana allies himself to Madhu
Having handed over a formidable army to his kinsman Khara and reassured his grieving sister, Ravana regained his composure and felt a sense of relief. Shortly afterward, the mighty Rakshasa lord entered the sacred Nikumbhila Grove, where he witnessed his son Meghanada, also known as Indrajita, engaged in a powerful sacrificial ritual. Meghanada, clad in a black antelope skin and wielding a coconut loshta and staff, was performing an intricate ceremony. Ravana, moved by fatherly affection, embraced his son and asked him about the ritual.
Before Meghanada could respond, the sage Ushanas, also known as Sukra, intervened to explain the significance of the rites. He revealed that Meghanada had undertaken seven grand sacrifices, including the Agnisthoma, Ashvamedha, and Rajasuya. His dedication earned him celestial gifts from the Lord of Creatures, including a magical chariot that could fly, two inexhaustible quivers, a powerful bow, and an illusionary power to create darkness in battle. These divine gifts empowered Meghanada to face even gods and Asuras. Ushanas assured Ravana that Meghanada would soon join him after completing the ritual.
Ravana, though impressed by his son's accomplishments, disapproved of offerings made to their enemy Indra. He dismissed his concerns, however, and returned home with Meghanada and his brother Vibishana. Back in Lanka, Ravana's thoughts turned to his captives—noblewomen abducted from various realms. Observing Ravana's intentions Vibishana, his virtuous brother, warned him against such acts, condemning the mistreatment of their families and the dishonor brought upon their lineage. Vibishana also informed Ravana of another troubling matter: their sister Kumbhinasi had been abducted by a powerful Rakshasa named Madhu while Ravana and the others were preoccupied.
Ravana, who was unaware of this, demanded to know more about Madhu. Vibishana explained that Kumbhinasi was their maternal relative and that Madhu had forcefully taken her while the rest were engaged elsewhere. Despite their anger, they refrained from attacking Madhu, as tradition dictated that a young woman’s marriage should be facilitated by her brothers. Vibishana lamented that Ravana's ruthless actions had brought these troubles upon their family.
Ravana, seething with rage, ordered his chariot prepared for battle and summoned his forces, including his formidable brother Kumbhakarna. An immense army of four thousand Akshauhinis assembled, armed for combat. Indrajita led the advance guard, while Ravana commanded the center and Kumbhakarna held the rear. Vibishana, however, chose to remain in Lanka, loyal to his duties.
The Rakshasa host advanced toward Madhu's city, their numbers filling the skies, accompanied by Daityas eager to support Ravana. Upon arrival, Ravana did not find Madhu but instead encountered Kumbhinasi, who prostrated herself at his feet. She begged him not to harm her husband, arguing that widowhood was a grave misfortune. Touched by her plea, Ravana assured her that he would spare Madhu’s life out of respect for her.
Kumbhinasi then roused Madhu, who had been asleep. She informed him of Ravana’s desire to conquer the heavens and urged Madhu to ally with her brother. Madhu agreed, pledging his support to Ravana. The two Rakshasa leaders exchanged formalities, and Ravana spent the night in Madhu’s abode before resuming his journey. Together, they set off for the sacred mountain Kailasha, where Ravana, like a thunderous storm, prepared his forces for the next stage of his quest for supremacy.
This concludes chapters 23f, 24 and 25 of Uttara Kanda where we had seen Ravana continue his quest and lust for supreme power taking him to places which challenged every higher being. He challenged Maha-Purusha or the supreme being where he was humbled by the mighty and showed that his downfall shall soon befall upon him. Though his body was pierced and he fell as if mortally wounded, Ravana was spared from death by the boon granted by Brahma. He has abducted many a beautiful women and killed their families who came in between. Ravana’s chariot was filled with these women and resounded with their cries for help. They collectively cursed that his downfall will come in the form of a woman, which later became true. Unable to distinguish, he even killed his sister Shurpanakha’s husband and kept her in the residence of Khara in Dandaka forest. As we can see, Rama and Lakshmana encounters Shurpanakha and Khara first which led them to Ravana. Going back, Ravana also allies with another demon Madhu before continuing his march ahead. We can see the further encounters of Ravana in subsequent chapters.
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