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Rakshasas

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Rakshasas

For more see : http://ancientindians.net


This document is being continually updated with articles that I have previously published
on that site. Satya Sarada Kandula

Table of Contents
Rakshasas.............................................................................................................................1
Table of Contents.................................................................................................................1
Rakshasa Lineage as per Uttarakanda..............................................................................2
Rakshasa fight with Vishnu.............................................................................................4
Sri Lanka from Kubera to Ravana...................................................................................5
Cannibals in Germany 7000 years ago!...........................................................................8
Vanara Rakshasa Conflicts............................................................................................10
A Rakshasa from Tenkathittu Yakshagana....................................................................10
Ravana रावण......................................................................................................................13
Ravana was an uncle to Veda Vyasa.............................................................................14
Both Hanuman and Ravana were great musicians.........................................................14
Sri Lanka from Kubera to Ravana.................................................................................14
Ravana had very little Rakshasa Genes.........................................................................14
Ravana was not a brahman by behaviour......................................................................15
Ravana is a respected hero in Sri Lanka........................................................................15
Ravana as described in Balakanda, Valmiki Ramayanam 15th Sarga (Reference).......15
Ravana’s 1 year wait for Sita.........................................................................................16
Ravana’s Tapas on Siva (Bhukailas: Gokarna).............................................................17
Ravana as a handsome, scholarly and devoted brahmana.............................................17
Method of worship from Puja, to Japam to Tapas.........................................................17
Impression of Indra from a Heroic Protector to a Position Preserver............................17
एषः रावणः.....................................................................................................................19

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Rakshasas
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The Rakshasas are one of the tribes of Sri Lanka., today. They look exactly like
you or me. So do the Yakkas (Yakshas) and the Veddhas. So if you were
looking for strange teeth and many heads and magical powers, they do not
exist now-a-days. Valmiki described Ravana as Dasanana or Dasagreeva,
which literally means one with 10 heads or 10 throats. This has been
interpreted by some as meaning that he knew the 4 vedas and 6 sastras, and
by others as meaning that he had 10 crowns, one for each place that he ruled.

Rakshasa Lineage as per Uttarakanda

The word Raksha means to protect. In the Uttarakanda of the Valmiki Ramayana, it is
said that the tribes who agreed to protect the waters, at Brahma’s request were the
Rakshasas and the those who wanted to eat (yaksha) became the Yakshas. The
story of the Rakshasas that follows, is what Agastya and other rishis told Rama after
his coronation.
Heti and Praheti were two Rakshasas who were as strong as Madhu and Kaitabha.
Praheti was into Tapas and Dharma. Heti wanted a good wife. Yama was a king of the
South. He had a sister called Bhaya (which means fear). Heti married Bhaya and they
had a son called Vidyutkesa (lightning hair)! Heti got Vidyutkesa married to
Salakatankata, the daughter of Sandhya (twilight, Surya’s wife).
They had a son called Sukesa (good-haired), whom they happily neglected, while
they had a good time. Sivaand Parvati saw the neglected child and blessed him with
quick growth, long life, wealth and a city that could fly though the air.
A gandharva called Gramani, gave his daughter Devavati in marriage to Sukesa.

Sukesa had three strong and powerful sons called Mali, Sumali
and Malyavan. Vidyutkesa himself was half Rakshasa and half Deva. (Remember that
Bhaya was Yama Deva’s sister). Sukesa was therefore one fourth rakshasa and
3/4ths Deva. (His mother was Sandhya’s daughter). So Mali, Sumali and Malyavan
were 1/8 rakshasa, 3/8 deva and half gandharva. Look at the racket that people
today make of jathis – when the sources were so mixed up!
The three brothers were learned, handsome, powerful, united and devout. They did
Tapas to please Brahma. Then they went about attacking and defeating the devas

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Rakshasas
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and the asuras. They askedViswakarma to build a city for them. He asked them to
occupy the city of Lanka, that he had already built out of gold, at the command
of Indra. It was situated on the central peak of the Trikuta hill. It was 30 yojanas wide
and 100 yojanas long. 3000 sq yojanas could be 192000 sq miles or 18750 sq miles,
depending on whether a yojana means 8 miles or 2.5 miles. Modern Sri Lanka is
25000 sq. miles in area.
A gandharva lady called Narmada had three beautiful daughters and she gave them
in marriage to the three brothers. So now, they had many children and they were
1/16 rakshasa, 3/16 deva, 12/16 gandharva. The lady we are interested in is Kaikasi
the daughter of Sumali and his wife Ketumati (because she is Ravana’s mother).

They continued to trouble the Devas, Nagas, Yakshas and the


Rishis. The Devas and Rishis begged Siva to help them, but he had a soft spot for
Sukesa and his children. So they turned to Vishnu. Vishnu is also called Upendra or
the younger brother of Indra. Vishnu was always on the side of the Devas and
the Brahmanas and helped them without any hesitation.
The Manavas (ordinary humans without any magical powers), always looked to the
Devas (who represent light) and Brahmans (who represent knowledge) to bless and
protect them. So manavas too, were always on the side of the Devas and the
Brahmanas.

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Rakshasa fight with Vishnu.

Malyavan, told his brothers, that the Devas now had Vishnu, the slayer
of Hiranyakasipu, on their side and he was prepared to fight for them. But his
brothers would not be dissuaded. They decided to carry the war into the enemy camp
and along with Jambha, Vrtra and other powerful Rakshasas, they
attacked Amaravathi the capital of the Devas.

Vishnu mounted Garuda, his vahana, and there was


a terrible battle. Garuda also fought bravely in the battle. The dark Vishnu wielded
his bow, which was called the Saranga and killed the Rakshasas in thousands. Then
he blew his mighty conch, the Panchajanya. (Yes, it is the same one, that Sri Krishna
blew in the Mahabharata war.) He killed Mali with his discus. (Yes, again, it was the
same Sudarshana Chakra). Sumali and Malyavan retreated to Lanka, with such forces
as they had left with them. Then, out of fear of Vishnu, Sumali and the other
Rakshasas abondoned Lanka and went to Rasatala. (Is Rasatala a magical world or
is it someplace in Africa (Somalia) or Thailand or Assam or Malaysia., we do not know
at this time. We know for certain that the had boats, and we know by Valmiki’s
Ramayanam., that they had planes (vimanas) as well. So we will just take rasatala as
rasatala and we will suspend our judgements about its location for now).

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Sri Lanka from Kubera to Ravana

Lanka was now given to Vaisravana, Kubera to live in and rule and he lived there with
the Yakshas. Kubera himself is often described as a Yaksha, but his

father Visrava was a brahman and his maternal


grandfather Bharadwaja was a Brahman Rishi. Kubera had not a drop of Yaksha
blood, he was merely the ruler of the Yakshas. Visrava was the son of Rishi Pulastya
who was the son of Brahma. In Sri Lanka there is a place called Polonnaruwa where
there is a statue of Rishi Pulastya. There is also a cave of Visravas’s great-grandson
with a Brahmi Inscription.
Sumali wondered what he could do to improve the future of his race. At that time he
saw Vaisravana, the son of Visrava, whom we now know as Kubera, the lord of North
and the lord of wealth. Kubera was flying in the Pushpaka Vimana and had come to
visit his father. Sumali thought that if his beautiful daughter married Visrava, then he
would also have such wonderful grandsons. So he asked his daughter Kaikasi to
approach Visrava. It is said that Kaikasi was as beautiful as Lakshmi and devoted to
her father.

Visrava blessed Kaikasi with 3 sons, Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana and 1
daughter, Soorpanakha. Visrava was a brahman and the son of Pulastya and the
grandson of Brahma. So Ravana and the other were half brahman, 1/32 rakshasa,
3/32 deva, 3/8 gandharva. So they were more brahmana than they were rakshasa
genetically, anyway. It is said that Ravana was made ambitious by his mother, that
Kumbhakarna was cannibalistic and that Vibhishana was pious. But all of them did
learn the Vedic rituals and did perform yajnas and other such practices when they
ruled Lanka later.
Ravana and his brothers did tapas to please Brahma, their great grand father, at
Gokarna, which is on the west coast (near modern Mangalore). Brahma ruled other
than manavas and vanaras no one would kill Ravana.
With that boon, Ravana asked Kubera to leave Lanka and took his Pushpaka Vimana.
(Kubera resettled in Alakapuri, modern Nepal). Ravana defeated the Devas, including
Yama, who was held back by Brahma’s word. At a later time, his son Meghanatha
defeated Indra and became Indrajit.

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Ravana’s father as a brahmana did yajnas and


offered havis to the Devas. Ravana fought with the Devas and won. His father
married women who had been given to him by their fathers. Ravana was
disrespectful of the wishes of women and attempted to force his attentions on them,
even when they did not like him. Ravana specifically earned the dislike of Valmiki and
of thousands of generations of Indians because he carried our gentle mother Sita
Devi away by force and made her life miserable. Even though Sri Rama forgave him
at the time of Ravana’s death, the rest of India still does not and his effigy is still
burnt every year. In India, it is still common to call someone Rakshasa or Rakshasi if
they do something bad. At one time, though, they could fly planes, sail boats
and create music and beautiful literature.
Sri Lankans, then and now respect him as a good ruler and king, who made one
mistake and even name children after him. There are some Sri Lankan groups who
believe that Ravana was a student of Kapila, an incarnation of Buddha, and that he
never carried Sita away. They maintain that Sita’s proven chastity also proves that
Ravana was innocent. They hold a low opinion of Vibhishana and see him as a traitor
who invited invaders. The ten heads are considered 10 crowns of Ravana. Children in
Lanka (Sinhala) are named after Ravana, but not after Vibhishana. Some Sri Lankans
hold Ravana lived 5000 years ago. Other sources say that there were 3 Ravanas in
Lanka, all at different times.
Apocalypto – a clue to rakshasas?

Son of Bhima and Hidimbaa: from Mayabazaar (Telugu, 1957)

Ravana as portrayed by N.T. Rama Rao in Bhukailas (Telugu 1958)

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Drawings of Rakshasas on the houses are used to ward off the evil eye. The
Ganesha idol to the side is for good fortune.

Many houses have a idol or picture of a rakshasa in front of them. It is


beleived to ward of the evil eye. These rakshasas look pretty fierce.

Notes:
1. rakSasa raakSasa rakSaka on Existence
2. Sri Lankans say that Rakshasas and Yakshas came there from Nepal
along the east coast. But Uttarakanda of Ramayana indicates that Yakshas
went to Nepal from Sri Lanka and that Rakshasas went to Rasatala when
defeated by Vishnu. This supports the “Out of India” theory of human
migration.
3. “In India, the origin of Violin is traced into the Ravanastrom.This
instrument is said to have belonged to a sovereign of India 5000 BC. Again, it
also replicates the ancient instrument called Ravan Hatta which is found even
today in Rajasthan. Mythology credits this creation to the Rakshasa king
Ravana from Ramayana. The Ravan Hatta was played on one string which was
22 inches long encompassing the 3 Octaves. Whereas the Violin encompasses
the 3 octaves on 4 strings with a finger board which is 5 1/4th inches long. This
5 1/4th when multiplied by 4 is 22 inches which was the size of the Ravan
Hatta. Both are played with a bow.” (Source)
4. Apocalypto – a clue to rakshasas?
5. Kaikasi is a place in Latvia, not far from Scandinavia.

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6. Cannibals in Germany 7000 years ago!

Many houses have a idol or picture of


a rakshasa in front of them. It is beleived to ward of the evil eye. These rakshasas
look pretty fierce.

Compare the head gear worn by this person of an Indian Tribe with horns on
the rakshasa image in the previous photograph

Written by satyask December 24, 2008 at 11:40 am

Cannibals in Germany 7000 years ago!

At one place in the Valmiki Ramayana, Sita is afraid that the rakshasas will carry her
away and eat her. She least expects that she will be asked to be a bride. The
Uttarakanda of the Ramayana indicates that the Rakshasas are exogenous – not from
India – and that they came to Sri Lanka from an “elsewhere called rasatala.” There
are many theories as to where rasatala may have really been.
In the referenced article below, we see that evidence has been found of human
cannibalism and sacrifice in Europe (In France and Germany), 6000 to 7500 years
ago, during Europe’s early Neolithic period when farming was just beginning
Source and Reference for points below :

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http://news.discovery.com/archaeology/mass-cannibalism-german-village.html

A new study suggests that mass cannibalism was practiced in south Germany in a
village now called Herxheim.

1. “Cannibalism at the village, now called Herxheim, may have occurred


during ceremonies in which people from near and far brought slaves, war
prisoners or other dependents for ritual sacrifice, propose anthropologist Bruno
Boulestin of the University of Bordeaux 1 in France and his colleagues.”
2. “Human sacrifice at Herxheim is a hypothesis that’s difficult to prove
right now, but we have evidence that several hundred people were eaten over
a brief period,” Boulestin says.
3. Skeletal markings indicate that human bodies were butchered in the
same way as animals.
4. Herxheim offers rare evidence of cannibalism during Europe’s early
Neolithic period, when farming first spread, the researchers report in the
December Antiquity.
5. Artifacts found at Herxheim come from the Linear Pottery Culture,
which flourished in western and central Europe from about 7,500 to 7,000
years ago.
6. Until now, the only convincing evidence of Neolithic cannibalism came
from 6,000-year-old bones in a French cave, Boulestin holds. A 1986 report
concluded that the remains of various animals and at least six people were
butchered and discarded there.
7. Orschiedt and Haidle say, reburial rather than cannibalism may explain
those findings.
8. Herxheim was first excavated from 1996 to 1999, yielding remains of a
large structure, pottery and what appeared to be two parallel ditches encircling
the settlement.
9. Boulestin’s notion of a Neolithic social and political crisis rests
on generally accepted evidence of massacres of dozens of people at
three central European sites approximately 7,000 years ago. Other
regional settlements, including Herxheim, were abandoned around that time.”

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=====

Authorship and Copyright Notice : All Rights Reserved : Satya Sarada Kandula
All Rights to the sourced material vests with the source.
Written by satyask
December 16, 2009 at 6:56 pm

Vanara Rakshasa Conflicts

Posted by satyask on June 29, 2009

The Rama Ravana war over Sita was not the first conflict between the Vanaras and the Rakshasas.

The Vanaras were fast and strong and had won over technically sound Rakshasas many times

before the Ramayana war.

1. Vali defeated Ravana


2. Vali defeated and killed Dundhubhi and Mayavi, the sons of Maya Danava, the father-in-
law of Ravana and Maya ran away to Patala.
3. Under the leadership of Sri Rama and Sugriva, the Vanara Armies defeated
the Rakshasas of Sri Lanka.

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A Rakshasa from Tenkathittu Yakshagana

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Tenkathittu Yakshagana : Rakshasa : Photo Credit : Satya Sarada Kandula : All Rights
Reserved
Perhaps no one tribe has captured the imagination of indigenous people of India as
much as the giant, highly technical, exogenous Rakshasas.
While the white-washed version of our culture tries to tell us that Rakshasas were
dark, the fact remains that our heroes and heroines, Sri Rama, Sri
Krishna, Vishnu, Siva, Draupadi, Parvathi, Tara and so on were dark.
In one conversation actually Chandra demands of Brahma, why the dark and
beautiful Tara, should remain married to Brihaspati, instead of to a handsome fellow
like himself!
After reading about cannibalism in pre-historic germany, the idea keeps recurring in
my head, as to whether the tall and cannibalistic rakshasas could not in fact have
been europeans.
The people to the east of India are typically shorter and it is the people to the west
who are taller..!

Wherever they were from originally, rakshasas tend be favorites of small and
mischievous children, thanks particularly to wonderful movies like mayabazaar.

It is incorrect to translate hindu rakshasas as christian demons., these 2 concepts


have nothing in common. Ours are fun-loving and frequently intermarried
with gandharvas (Afganisthan and Pakisthan) as well as Indians. Bhima’s son
Ghatotkacha is a case in point. They lived, fought in battles and were killed by
arrows. Some were devout and some were wicked. They were bigger, stronger,
technical, musical, magical and often good looking. But had unfortunate dietary
habits. This led to a lot of conflicts with the Vanaras, and I am happy to report that
the Indian Vanaras won them all.

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Ravana रररर

Ravana’s
Ancestry – His Rakshasa grandfather and his brothers lost to Vishnu.
Ravana was a devotee of Siva. His Tapas for the Atmalingam.
Ravana was Hanuman’s cousin, his paternal great-grandfather was Hanuman’s
maternal great-grandfather.

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Ravana was an uncle to Veda Vyasa

Ravana was 4th in line from Brahma. (Brahma – Pulastya – Visravas – Ravana).
Vyasa was 5th in line from Brahma. (Brahma – Vasishtha – Sakthi – Parasara – Vyasa).
Ravana’s wife Mandodari was the daughter of Maya Danava, a great astronomer,
builder and creator of illusions.

Both Hanuman and Ravana were great musicians

”In India, the origin of Violin is traced into the Ravanastrom.This instrument is said to
have belonged to a sovereign of India 5000 BC. Again, it also replicates the ancient
instrument called Ravan Hatta which is found even today in Rajasthan. Mythology
credits this creation to the Rakshasa king Ravana from Ramayana. The Ravan Hatta
was played on one string which was 22 inches long encompassing the 3 Octaves.
Whereas the Violin encompasses the 3 octaves on 4 strings with a finger board which
is 5 1/4th inches long. This 5 1/4th when multiplied by 4 is 22 inches which was the
size of the Ravan Hatta. Both are played with a bow.” (Source)

Sri Lanka from Kubera to Ravana

Ravana’s Ancestry : ….”Lanka was now given to Vaisravana, Kubera to live in and
rule and he lived there with the Yakshas. Kubera himself is often described as a
Yaksha, but his father Visrava was a brahman and his maternal
grandfather Bharadwaja was a Brahman Rishi. Kubera had not a drop of Yaksha
blood, he was merely the ruler of the Yakshas.
The Rakshasa Sumali, was smarting from the defeat at Vishnu’s hands and
wondered what he could do to improve the future of his race. At that time he saw
Vaisravana, the son of Visrava, whom we now know as Kubera, the lord of North and
the lord of wealth. Kubera was flying in the Pushpaka Vimana and had come to visit
his father. Sumali thought that if his beautiful daughter married Visrava, then he
would also have such wonderful grandsons. So he asked his daughter Kaikasi to
approach Visrava. It is said that Kaikasi was as beautiful as Lakshmi and devoted to
her father.

Ravana had very little Rakshasa Genes

Visrava blessed Kaikasi with 3 sons, Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana and 1
daughter, Soorpanakha. Visrava was a brahman and the son of Pulastya and the
grandson of Brahma. So Ravana and the other were half brahman, 1/32 rakshasa,
3/32 deva, 3/8 gandharva. (See Ancestry) So they were more brahmana than they
were rakshasa genetically, anyway. It is said that Ravana was made ambitious by his
mother, that Kumbhakarna was cannibalistic and that Vibhishana was pious. But all
of them did learn the Vedic rituals and did perform yajnas and other such practices
when they ruled Lanka later.

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Ravana and his brothers did tapas to please Brahma, their great grand father, at
Gokarna, which is on the west coast (near modern Mangalore). Brahma ruled other
than manavas and vanaras no one would kill Ravana.
With that boon, Ravana asked Kubera to leave Lanka and took his Pushpaka Vimana.
(Kubera resettled in Alakapuri, modern Nepal). Ravana defeated the Devas, including
Yama, who was held back by Brahma’s word.At a later time, his son Meghanatha
defeated Indra and became Indrajit.

Ravana was not a brahman by behaviour

Ravana’s father as a brahmana did yajnas and offered havis to the Devas. Ravana
fought with the Devas and won. His father married women who had been given to
him by their fathers. Ravana was disrespectful of the wishes of women and
attempted to force his attentions on them, even when they did not like him. Ravana
specifically earned the dislike of Valmiki and of thousands of generations of Indians
because he carried our gentle mother Sita Devi away by force and made her life
miserable. Even though Sri Rama forgave him at the time of Ravana’s death, the rest
of India still does not and his effigy is still burnt every year. In India, it is still common
to call someone Rakshasa or Rakshasi if they do something bad. At one time,
though, they could fly planes, sail boats and create music and beautiful
literature.

Ravana is a respected hero in Sri Lanka

Sri Lankans, then and now respect him as a good ruler and king, who made one
mistake and even name children after him. There are some Sri Lankan groups who
believe that Ravana was a student of Kapila, an incarnation of Buddha, and that he
never carried Sita away. They maintain that Sita’s proven chastity also proves that
Ravana was innocent. They hold a low opinion of Vibhishana and see him as a traitor
who invited invaders. The ten heads are considered 10 crowns of Ravana. Children in
Lanka (Sinhala) are named after Ravana, but not after Vibhishana. Some Sri Lankans
hold Ravana lived 5000 years ago. Other sources say that there were 3 Ravanas in
Lanka, all at different times.”

Ravana as described in Balakanda, Valmiki


Ramayanam 15th Sarga (Reference)

RishyaSringa guided Dasaratha on the performance of the Putrakameshti Yagnyam.


At that time all the devas, gandharvas etc who assembled their on invitation,
discussed Ravana with Brahma.

O bhagavan! A rakshasa named Ravana, with your blessings, by his valour, is


troubling all of us. We are not able to control him. Out of regard for the boons that
you have given him we forgive all his actions. The sun cannot heat him, the winds
cannot move him and the ocean does not ‘tremble’ any waves. He wishes to show up
(pradarshayitum) Sakra (Indra) of the thirty kings (tridasa rajanaam). That bad
minded one is the hater of the three worlds (triin lokaan ucChitraan).

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(The Andhras had 30 walled cities prior to Megasthanes’ visit to India and he
mentioned them).

Ravana’s 1 year wait for Sita

Why?
Ravana is worshipped in some places in Madhya Pradesh. Ravana’s mother was
Kaikasi and her mother was Ketumati. Ketumati’s mother was a gandharva
lady called Narmada. “A small temple to Ravana in Vidisha district’s Ravangram
village will echoes with the prayer, “Ravana Baba Namah” at Dusera. The temple has
an ancient idol of Ravana in a reclining position believed to have been constructed
between the ninth and 14th century. The villagers believe it would be a bad omen to
have the 10-foot idol stand erect and say that whenever this was done, some
unexpected incident had occurred in the district. He has been worshipped as a
symbol of prosperity for over 600 years by Kanyakubja Brahmins, a Brahmin sub-sect
to which Ravana was believed to have belonged….Ravana is also worshiped in
Ravana Rundi in Mandsaur district and Shajapur district’s Bhadkhedi. In Mandsaur
town, members belonging to the Namdeo Vaishnav Samaj, a Hindu sect, who worship
the demon king on Dussehra, believe Ravana’s wife Mandodari belonged to the town
and they regard him as a son-in-law. A 35-foot high 10-headed Ravana statue was
installed in 2005 at Ravana Rundi in the Khanpur area of Mandsaur….A 25-foot high
lime and brick ancient idol of Ravana existed there till 1982. It developed cracks due
to lightning and was ultimately destroyed…. The idol is worshipped every year and
women in the area remain behind the veil on Dussehra since they regard Ravana as
their son-in-law, while men make offerings at his statue if their wishes came true…
Ravana and his son Meghnad are similarly worshipped at Bhadkhedi village in
Shajapur district of western Madhya Pradesh… In Rajasthan’s Hadauti village, while
Gond tribals of Chhattisgarh also have a tradition of worshipping ‘Lankapati (King of
Lanka)…” (Source)
Source : Himachal Pradesh Town: “Explaining the rationale for not celebrating
Dussehra in Baijnath, Prem Parshad Pandit, member secretary of the high-powered
committee of Himachal temples, told IANS that the residents of Baijnath believe that
participating in the celebrations means inviting the wrath of Lord Shiva. ..”People
believe that Baijnath is the place where Ravana meditated for years to appease Lord
Shiva. As a result, Lord Shiva does not want his devotees to burn Ravana’s effigy.”
“Ravan Samhita is an astrological text or scripture narrated by lord Shiva and written
by Ravana. Ravan Sanhita is the testimony to his great astrological knowledge and is
considered as the standard book of reference by astrologers even today.”
“Wikipedia: Ravana is said to have married Princess Mandodari at a place about 32
kilometers away from Jodhpur, which is now called Mandor. There is a mandap (altar
or pavilion) where Ravana is said to have married Mandodari, and which the local
people call Ravan Jee Ki Chanwari.. The Dave Brahmins of Mudgal
Gotra, Jodhpur/Mandor who were originally from Gujarat, claim to be the descendants
of Ravana. The say that since time immemorial they are performing
theshraddh (death anniversary) of Ravana on Dashehra Day every year. They offer
pind daan and take a bath after that ritual. They recently erected a Ravan temple
in Jodhpur, where daily puja is performed.”

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Rakshasas
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Authorship and Copyright Notice : All Rights Reserved : Satya Sarada


Kandula
Written by satyask
July 30, 2009 at 7:21 pm

Ravana’s Tapas on Siva (Bhukailas: Gokarna)

I have provided the link below to a short beautiful, musical, video (9 min) from the
movie Bhukailas.
Neelakandhara Video
As you enjoy this lovely video, you can make the following observations from this
video clip.

Ravana as a handsome, scholarly and devoted


brahmana.

• This video starts with Parvathi Devi, seeking Vishnu’s help, to prevent
Ravana from acquiring the Atma-Lingam or the Soul-Symbol of Siva himself.
• In it, you see Ravana in his Brahmana form worshipping SadaShiva with a
view to acquiring the Atma-Lingam. (Ravana’s father was Visravas, the son of
Pulastya Prajapathi. So Ravana was Brahma’s grandson and 50% brahmana).

Method of worship from Puja, to Japam to Tapas.

• The worship starts with Ravana singing a beautiful hymn (in Telugu –
subtitled in English – Some of the sub-titles are obviously not very apt).
• Ravana gradually moves from ‘Puja’ to ‘Japam’ (worship with thought, or by
repetition a single word orMantra) and then to ‘Tapas’ (intense
concentration). During his ‘Tapas’ he cannot be distracted at all by his
environment (anthills, bad weather) and attempts at “Tapobhangam”
by Indra are not successful.

Impression of Indra from a Heroic Protector to a


Position Preserver.

• Indra was the Hero that Valmiki used as a standard for comparing Sri
Rama to, and whom Sita Devireferred to as a protector like her father-
in-law. Indra was the greatest of heroes of the Kruta Yuga(Vedic Age).

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Rakshasas
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(Valmiki Ramayana and the Vedas) Even in the Dvapara Yuga Pandu,
asks Kunthi to meditate and purify herself for a year before invoking
Indra for a son (Arjuna) with a mantra. That was to be their best son (Nara).
(Mahabharata)
• The negative impression of Indra, in this videoclip as a position preserver and
not as a heroic protector is a Kaliyuga impression, since this is after all made
in the 20th century CE.
The wonderful meaning of the Hymn – the primary purpose of this video
clip. The Hymn itself is very beautiful.
(I know that I have done a better job of translation than the subtitler, but if
you know of any corrections I should make., please do share your
expertise. Also anyone with further knowledge on raga-tala composer-
author please do let me know).
“Jaya jaya mahaadEvaa SaMbhO sadaaSivaa
Victory to the Greatest Gods! Sambho! (means Sankara the creator of Sam – peace)!
SadaSiva (The Always good)!

aaSrita mandaara SRutiSikhara sanchaaraa


The protector of those who seek his refuge! The won who wanders on the peaks of
the Srutis (Vedas… etc)!

neelakandharaa dEvaa deena baandhavaa raaraa nanugaavaraa


One of the blue throat or (black Shoulders?), The relative of the weak, Please come
and protect me!

Satya Sundara Swami , Nitya Nirmala Pahi!


The true, beautiful Master, The Always Pure, Save Me!

anyadaivamu goluvaa aa, needupaadamu viDuvaa


I do not worship any other God, I shall never leave your feet!

darSanammu neeraa mangaLaanga gangaadharaa (2)


Give me your Darsan (a view of Siva), Auspicious Limbed One, Gangadhara (bearer of
Ganga)

dEhi ana varamulosagu daanaguNaseema


The one who gives anything if asked, the height (limit) of the virtue of charity,

paahiyannanu mrokki ninnu parandhaamaa


The final refuge (Param Dhama), I say Pahi (save me) and bow to you!

neemamuna nee divya naama samsmaraNa


As per the niyama (rules), I remember your divine name

Emaraka chEyudunu bhavataapa haraNa

(Emaraka=?) What must I do O destroyer of all suffering due to existence?

nee dayaamaya dRushTi duritammulaara

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Rakshasas
Authorship and Copyright Notice : All Rights Reserved : Satya Sarada Kandula
Show your mercy and (….. *I need help translating some words here)

varasudhahaavRushti naa vaanCha neevEraa


The downpour of the nectar of boons, you alone are my desire!

karuNinchu paramESa dharahaasa bhaasaa


Be compassionate, o great Lord, Dhara Hasa Bhaga (The distributor of fortune, who
wears a smile)

harahara mahaadEva kailaasavaasaa kailaasavaasaa


Hara Hara Mahadeva, The resident of Kailasa!

phaalalOchana naadu moravini jaalini boonavayaa


Phala locana! (one with an eye in his forehead), Hear my prayer and be merciful.

naagabhooshaNa nannukaavaga jaagunu sEyakayaa


Nagabhushana! (one with a snake as an ornament)! Don’t delay in protecting me!

kannulavindugaa bhaktavatsala kaanaga raavayyaa


Like a feast for the eyes, oh one who treats devotees like children, come and appear
before me!

prEmameera needu bhaktuni maaTanu nilpavayaa


Oh loving one! Please keep up this word given by your devotee!

Sankara SivaSankaraa abhayankaraa vijayamkaraa


Sankara (the one who causes Sam – peace) Siva Sankara, Abhayankara (who causes
lack of fear), Vijyamkara (one who causes Victory)!”

Authorship and Copyright Notice : All Rights Reserved: Satya Sarada


Kandula: Many thanks to Arun Pydimarri for the lyrics in Telugu-Roman
Script and for the suggested corrections.

एएए एएएएए

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Rakshasas
Authorship and Copyright Notice : All Rights Reserved : Satya Sarada Kandula

Ravana रावणः : Photo Credit : Satya Sarada Kandula : All Rights Reserved

das’akanTah rAvaNah nIlakanTasya mahAbhaktah. sah mAhA vidwAn api.


asya dOSam sItApaharaNam. sah s’rIrAmENa danditah AsIt.
strINAm rakSaNam gouravam ca karaNIyam. “yatra nArI pUjyatE tatra ramanti
dEvatah,” iti manuruvAca.
eSah kubEraAnujah, poulastyah.

eSah gOkarNakSEtrE mahAs’ivAtmalingam sthApitavAn.

sah viSNOh dwArapAlakasya jayasya avataarah.


s’Apagrasthah sah rAvanajanma prAptavan.
• Sanskrit, Sources, Dictionaries, Translations…
• Ramayanam
Photography, Authorship and Copyright Notice : Satya Sarada Kandula : All
Rights Reserved
Written by satyask
January 24, 2010 at 2:53 pm

Page 20 of 20

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