Who was "that" Ravan?

[CHANDRU1849]

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I think men were jealous of Ravan..with his good looks..brains and strength..I am sure females were lining up in queue waiting to enter his harem.

So some lesser mortal males must have go real jealous and portrayed him as a womanizer etc.

After all Dasharatha himself had 364 wives!

So imagine..Dasharatha only got one day rest in a year but no one talks ill about Dasharatha when it comes to women.

Totally unfair..Ravana is always slandered.

Who is responsible?

 

[renuka]

Who is responsible?

Everyone one us who grew up believing this stories without questioning.

That may I admire kids these days who question whatever told.

I remember teaching my son many years ago about Ramayan and made him read a passage about Dasharatha where he is praised as a virtuous King.

Then when my son read the episode where Dasharatha goes hunting and mistakenly kills a man thinking it was an elephant..my son asked me "How come Dasharatha is praised as a virtuous King when he goes about killing elephants?"

See the difference..when I read Ramayan as child I never thought of questioning.

 

[CHANDRU1849]

Don't underestimate Dasaratha. It would have been 364 days for one year during his period.

Hence, there is no shortfall.

 

[renuka]

don't underestimate dasaratha. It would have been 364 days for one year during his period.

Hence, there is no shortfall.

lol!

 

[P.J.]

Mayil Ravanan

I ha e heard of atleast two more---- Mahiravan and Ahiravan......... They are mentioned in Krittivas Ramayana(Bengali Ramayana) translated by Shuja Majumdar, published by BVB.

In many south Tamilnadu folk songs, a mythological character of Mayil - Peacock in Tamil), who is considered as the ruler of the underworld (or Paatal). The character is also referred as Mahi Ravana in other places. What is the origin of this character ?


In the Krittivasi Ramayan, Ahiravan (Ahiravan or Mahiravan), brother of Ravana, was a rakshasa who secretly carried away Rama and his brother Lakshmana to the nether-world, consulted his friends and decided to sacrifice the life of the two divine brothers at the altar of his chosen deity, goddess Mahamaya. But Hanuman saved their life by killing Ahiravan and his army.[SUP]

[/SUP] In the Ramayana, during the battle between Rama and Ravana, when Ravana’s son Indrajit is killed, Ravana calls his brother Ahiravana for help. Ahiravana, the king of Patala (the Underworld), promises to help. Vibhishana somehow manages to hear about the plot and warns Rama about it. Hanuman is put on guard and told not to let anyone into the room where Rama and Lakshmana are. Ahiravana makes many attempts at entering the room but all of them are thwarted by Hanuman. Finally, Ahiravana takes the form of Vibhishana and Hanuman lets him enter. Ahiravana quickly enters and takes the “sleeping Rama and Lakshmana” away.


When Hanuman realizes what has happened, he goes to Vibhishana. Vibhishana says, "Alas! They have been abducted by Ahiravana. If Hanuman does not rescue them fairly quickly, Ahiravana will sacrifice both Rama and Lakshman to Chandi." Hanuman goes to Patala, the door to which is guarded by a creature, who is half Vanara and half reptile. Hanuman asks who he is and the creature says, "I am Makardhwaja, your son!" Hanuman is confused since he did not have any child, being an adept Brahmachari. The creature explains, "While you were jumping over the ocean, a drop of your semen(veeriya) fell to the ocean and into the mouth of a mighty crocodile. This is the origin of my birth."


After defeating his son, Hanuman enters Patala and encounters Ahiravana and Mahiravana. They have a strong army and Hanuman is told by Chandrasena that the only way to vanquish them is by blowing out five different candles located in five different directions, all at the same time in return for a promise to be Lord Rama's consort. Hanuman assumes his five-headed form (Panchmukhi Hanuman) and he quickly blows out the 5 different candles and thus kills Ahiravana and Mahiravana. Throughout the saga, both Rama and Lakshmana are rendered unconscious by a spell by the demons.

Mairavan charitra was written in Telugu in Kavya style in the 16th century by Madayya kavi


Please also read from this link

http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/fr/2003/03/07/stories/2003030701180600.htm

Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahiravan