Ravana's Contributions

[Co-written by Sreenadh OG & Shankar Bharadwaj, S.C. Kursija and Chakraborty P]

[Eai!" Sreeso#$yahoo.%o, shankarabharadwaj$yahoo.%o,
Chakraborty2@iocl.co.in , sckursija@yahoo.com]
&a'ana the an%ient kin# o( )anka was we!! known (or his know!ed#e and
%ontributions. *he Sri )ankans ha'e a hi#h re#ard (or &a'ana, and the ar%haeo!o#i%a!
e'iden%es thou#ht to be su++ortin# the e,isten%e o( &a'ana in Sri )anka is sti!! a'ai!ab!e. -n
that an%ient +ast -ndia, Pakistan, Sri )anka, Centra! &ussia, .(#hanistan, Sin#a+ore,
Cabodia, /a!esia, -ndonesia, Ba!i et% were a!! +art o( the sin#!e 0indu %u!ture with inor
di((eren%es on!y. *he *antri% and 1edi% re!i#ions where kee+in# their head hi#h with their
%ontributions. 2on3t ask e whi%h is this an%ient +ast you are s+eakin# about - - don3t ha'e
a date to s+e%i(y. *he on!y thin# - know is that this +eriod was a(ter the ad'ent o( Sanskrit
!an#ua#e and !iterature, a(ter the ad'ent o( 1edas.
E'en thou#h a *antri%, and a su++orter o( .sura re!i#ion 4-ranian .hur
/a5da6.sura /edha tradition78, &a'ana knew the 1edas and was ardent worshi+er o( God
Si'a. 0e was obsessed with the de'otion towards Si'a 4!ord /ahaka!a8 that in e'ery work o(
his 4i.e &a'ana3s8 we %an (ind the sta+s o( his de'otion to Si'a. 0is %ontribution to both
1edi% and *antri% re!i#ion was e,%e!!ent and shou!d be reebered e'en (or the
#enerations to %oe. *he sae shou!d be to!d about his %ontribution to /usi%, .yur'eda and
.stro!o#y as we!!. - wi!! try to +ro'ide a brie( in(o about his a'ai!ab!e %ontributions.
1) Pada Padha of Rigveda (Vedic)
-t is be!ie'ed that it was &a'ana who +re+ared the Pada +adha o( &i#'eda. Considerin# the
%o+!e,ity o( 9ada +adha et% it shou!d be said that in the absen%e o( +ro+er Pada Padha the
who!e o( &i#'edi% know!ed#e wou!d ha'e been !ost. -( the &i#'edi% te,t and know!ed#e is
sti!! a'ai!ab!e today, then de(inite!y it is indebted to :Pada +adha o( &i#'eda: su++osed to
ha'e been +re+ared by &a'ana. - wonder whether the ardent o++osers o( &a'ana and the
Sai'a and .sura traditions he stood (or, know this or not. *hese are the 1edi% su++orters,
the su++orters o( &aa and 1aishna'ite tradition who (ind +!easure in abusin# &a'ana and
the Sai'a, .sura traditions. -( they were aware o( &a'ana3s %ontribution to the +resent
sur'i'a! o( e'en the 1edi% brahani%a! re!i#ion, they wou!d not ha'e abused hi this u%h;
/any be!ie'e that it is 9ata Pada that is %reated by &a'ana and not Pada +adha. .s
+er this 'iew Ghana and Pada are not his, but on!y 9ata +adha.
2) Uddisa Mahatantra (Tantric)
Sii!ar!y 'a!uab!e is &a'ana3s %ontribution to *antri% re!i#ion, as e'ident (ro
<ddisa ahatantra whi%h is now bein# so!d with the nae 3&a'ana Sahita3. *his is a book
that dea!s with *antri% know!ed#e and Shadkara sadhana. 2on3t #et %heated by the new
nae i.e. &a'ana Sahita #i'en to it by soe +ub!ishers to in%rease its sa!e. *his books is
=O* about astro!o#y and not about Sahita bran%h o( astro!o#y 4i.e. edini jyotisha a!ias
undane astro!o#y8 at a!!, but about *antra. *his is a we!! known book in *antri% !iterature
known (ro an%ient +ast itse!(. -( on!y you are interested in an%ient *antri% systes and
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Shadkara, then on!y buy this book> otherwise it won3t be o( u%h use to you. .nyway,
<ddisa /aha *antra is a #ood book on *antra and Shadkara sadhana.
3) Arka Prakasham (Astrology)
&a'ana3s %ontribution to astro!o#y 4or &a'ana3s tradition o( astro!o#y8 is 'isib!e in
the an%ient te,t 3.rka Prakasha3 written as a %on'ersation between &a'ana and /andodari.
-t is written as a ?uestion-answer between Kin# &a'ana and his re'ered wi(e /andodari.
*his te,t is a'ai!ab!e and %an #i'e a #ood idea about the astro!o#i%a! de'e!o+ent durin# the
+eriod o( &a'ana. *his te,t ain!y dea!s with 0orory astro!o#y.
4) adi Pareeksha (Ay!rveda)
*here is a we!! known book in .yur'dea that dea!s with =adi +ariksha
4easureent o( heartbeat and breath +attern and thus jud#in# the diseases8. - a yet to
see this book, but it is said that this book is a'ai!ab!e e'en today.
") #iva Tandava #totra (Tantric $evotion)
Si'a *anda'a Stotra is 'ery +o+u!ar. *his #reat rhythi% +rayer to Si'a is
a'ai!ab!e in the (i!es se%tion o( this #rou+ as we!!. *his sin#!e ost !iterary %ontribution is
enou#h to kee+ &a'ana in +o+u!ar eory (or !on#. - !o'e this +oe - it is so beauti(u! and
sou! enri%hin#;
%) M!sic (&arnatic M!sic)
-n Karnati% usi%, &a'ana is treated as the ori#inator o( soe &a#as. -t is
%ertain that &a'ana3s know!ed#e about /usi% and its te%hni%a!ities was e,%e!!ent. -t is said
the @A heads +ortrayed to &a'ana is sybo!i% o( his 'ersati!ity in any (ie!ds o( know!ed#e
and ay be es+e%ia!!y usi% 42as kandha B the one with @A ty+es o( 'oi%es8.
') (riginator of Mahanyasa
&a'ana arran#ed one o( the di((erent 'ersions (o /ahannyasa 4the other (aous one
is by Baudhayana8.
/ahannyasa is an e!aborate +ro%edure o( in'okin# Si'a in the body. Basi%a!!y it is !ike
.n#anyasa and Karanyasa done be(ore antra ja+a, but a thorou#h one in'o!'in# the entire
+hi!oso+hy o( Sai'a and its 'idyas. -t has (i'e ain se%tions o( :&audreekarana: or akin#
onese!( &udra. -n the idd!e it says :naa rudro rudra ar%ayet: - one who is not &udra
%annot worshi+ &udra. *his +re%edes the (aous ar%ana6snana6abhisheka. *he (u!!est
essen%e o( Si'a worshi+in# 0ise!( or the %osi% e%hanis, in that worshi+, is a%hie'ed by
the /ahannyasa +re%edin# it.
/ahanyasa a++!ies the 1edi% antras throu#hout, (or the &audreekarana. -t in'o!'es 'arious
antra 'idyas !ike .ja+a, =ishka!a, Pasu+ata. *hese 'idyas a!so (or the %ru, o( Sai'a
dis%i+!ines. Cor instan%e the naaka antra 4whi%h is (ound in the idd!e o( Dajur'eda8 is
the %entra! antra o( Pasu+ata. *he EF !etters o( naaka antra (or the EF %osi% tat'as
o( Sai'a re!i#ion 4just the way GH !etters o( Gayatri (or the GH tat'as o( Sankhya
darsana8. .ja+a and =ishka!a are known as ad'an%ed 'idyas in Sai'a. Si'a Pan%akshari itse!(,
the ost (aou Sai'a 'idya, is an e,tra%t (ro naaka. *he (i'e +rin%i+!es, (i'e a%ti'ities
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that are 'aried!y %a!!ed, are (ro Pan%akshari. Ie!! it #oes on and on, but in short one %an
understand the entire Sai'a wor!d 'iew throu#h /ahannyasa.
*here are u!ti+!e 'ersions o( /ahannyasa %o+ositions. One o( the is #i'en by
&a'ana. One o( the is #i'en by Baudhayana.
)) Astrology of Ravana *an!man and #!greeva
S.C Kursija ji states that J&a'ana ade nine +!anets his s!a'e: eans that &a'ana has the
know!ed#e o( astronoy to su%h an e,tent that he knows a!! the %a!%u!ations o(
o'eents o( +!anets and u+-+!aners and its in(!uen%e on the huan and uni'erse as
i( they were his s!a'es. K!iberation o( nine +!anets (ro the s!a'ery o( &a'anaL eans
that 0anuan %on(used &a'ana in its %a!%u!ations o( o'eents and in(!uen%e o(
+!anets that he ade wron# %a!%u!ations and de%isions and !ost the war. *he
reainin# +ortion o( +ro+itiate the 0anuan and ha'e the b!essin# o( a!! nine +!anets
is trade #ii%ks o( +andits (or their business.M
-t is interestin# to note that N
*here is a syste o( astro!o#y %onne%ted with the nae o( &a'ana N a tradition that is
re+resented by the te,ts !ike &a'ana Sahita.
*here is a syste o( astro!o#y %onne%ted with the nae o( 0anuan N a tradition that
is re+resented by the systes su%h as 0anuan 9yotisha. [=o %onso!idated book
%urrent!y a'ai!ab!e (or the sae, but on!y a s%attered tradition o( soe !one ?uotes]
*here is a syste o( astro!o#y %onne%ted with the nae o( Su#ree'a N a tradition that
is re+resented by the syste su%h as Su#ree'a 9yotisha. [=o %onso!idated book
%urrent!y a'ai!ab!e (or the sae, but on!y a s%attered tradition o( soe !one ?uotes]
*rue - it sees that they were a!! asters o( soe uni?ue tradition o(
astronoy6astro!o#y in soe reote +ast.
Chakraborty ji states that N J*he 'erna%u!ar &aayana - studied !on# ba%k entions
that a!! +!anets were in %a+ti'ity and Shani was e'en tied u+ with a %hain ;
*he on!y other +!ausib!e e,+!anation %ou!d be that .........
*he o'eent o( a!! +!anets were tra%ked by soe syste and the ean +osition o(
+!anets were within a 'ery %!ose ran#e (ro the re(eren%e +oints ... 4whi%h ay #i'e the
i+ression o( !iited obi!ity o( +!anets - to the uninitiated8.
On%e that syste was ade dys(un%tiona! by 0anuan, it was di((i%u!t
(or &a'ana to re%ti(y it within short s+an o( tie.M
*his %ou!d ean - &a'ana i#ht ha'e (o!!owed =irayana syste o( astro!o#y and
0anuan i#ht ha'e (o!!owed Sayana syste o( astro!o#y and a!so that 0anuan
su%%eeded in errin# &a'ana in his +redi%ti'e syste, .n inter+retation that is ?uite
+ossib!e;
.s +er %hakraboty ji N Jit is wi!d #uess on!y. But ore +!ausib!e than :kee+in# the +!anets
as s!a'es: and 0anuan :!iberatin# the +!anets:.
+) Valmiki Ramayana a,o!t Ravana
.t the end 1a!iki &aayana ?uotes about &a'ana and the words and +hi!oso+hy o(
&a'ana as ?uoted in 1a!iki &aayana be%oes another e,%e!!ent sour%e o( study the
e,%e!!ent %ontributions to art, %u!ture, and know!ed#e by this #reat sou! who wa!ked this
'ery earth.
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-.) Ravana is Anti/Vedic or not0
Ie!! &a'ana was not at a!! anti-1edi%, as he used the 1edi% antras these!'es (or
the /ahanyasa. 0e e'en ade an arran#eent (or 1edi% re%ension, so how %ou!d he be anti-
1edi% at a!!; 0e was 1eda-!earnt and 1eda-!o'in# too.
-ndra-yajna et% are one (a%e o( the 1eda. *here is a (aous s!oka that says 1ishnu
is best worshi+ed in Krita yu#a, /aheswara in *reta, -ndra-yajna in 2wa+ara and Candi-
1inayaka in Ka!i. =one o( these are non-1edi% or anti-1edi%, a!! o( these are 'ery u%h 1edi%
and a!so *antri% 4yes, in%!udin# -ndra .#ni et%8. -( we !ook at the 1edi% %or+us, it s+eaks o(
so any a++roa%hes and 'idyas, and not just the Dajna as+e%t. Kara /iasa is the on!y
2arsana out o( the any, that ta!ks o( Dajna et%. So yajna as . sybo! o( 1edi% a++roa%h is
ri#ht, but as *0E de(inin# sybo! is si+!isti%. -ndra-1ishnu-Dajna are dhara %entri% and
&a'ana as an .sura was Sakti %entri%, not dhara %entri%. *hat is the a,ioati% di((eren%e
between hi and &aa. *hat %annot be #enera!i5ed as a 1edi%6non-1edi% di((eren%e.
0owe'er there is no ?uestion in that &a'ana was uni?ue and a %reator. .nd the 'i!!ian
ia#e o( &a'ana is ore sentienta! than (a%tua!. 0e was a i#hty and a #rand +ersona!ity
with a #!arin# (!aw. *he !esson is that su%h (!aw in 2hara is enou#h to take one o((
+er(e%tion and %ause his down(a!!. *hat does not howe'er ne#ate his #reatness or
%ontribution in any way.
. systeati% study o( a!! the abo'e ateria! %o!!e%ted to#ether and +resented we!!
in a systeati% anner wou!d be a #reat %ontribution not on!y to the authenti% %ontributions
o( this #reat sou!, but a!so u%h use(u! to astro!o#y. )et us ho+e that soe body wi!! do it in
near (uture.
- 0 -
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