Previous Stories of Ravana-2

Previous Stories of Ravana-2 

 The Origin of Rakshasas 

 Lord Rama,who was hearing the narration of Sage Agastya got surprised that there were Rakshasas even before in Lanka and wanted to know their history. Hence Sage Agastya narrated the story of the origin of Rakshasas. Long ago, Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe, created a large amount of water and created certain living beings to protect it. Those living entities, tormented by hunger and thirst,bowed to Lord Brahma and asked him what they had to do. Brahma told them to protect the water. Some of them said,"Rakshama(We shall protect)" and some of them said,"Yakshama(We shall worship)"! At this,Lord Brahma said,"Those of you who said Rakshama shall become Rakshasas! Those of you who said Yakshama shall become Yakshas!" Thus, the Rakshasas and Yakshas were born. Among the Rakshasas,there were two brothers called Heti and Praheti who were very strong. They became the leaders of Rakshasas. But Praheti became more righteous and reluctant and retired to forest to do penance. Heti, however, searched a lot for a bride to get married. Finally he married a terrific lady called Bhaya,who was the daughter of Kalapurusha, the time deity. He then begot from her a son called Vidyutkesha, radiant as the sun. As he grew up into a young man, his father Heti requested Sandhya to give her daughter Salakatankata in marriage to him. Sandhya agreed and gave her daughter in marriage to Vidyutkesha. Vidyutkesha enjoyed time with her like how Lord Indra enjoys with his wife Shachi. In due course of time, Salakatankata became pregnant and after nine months,she gave birth to a baby boy at the base of Mount Mandara. In fact, at that time she had come with her husband there to enjoy when she delivered the baby. But unable to control her lust,she left the baby there and went to her husband to enjoy romance with him! And the helpless baby began crying loudly like thunder and then started sucking his own finger! At that time,Lord Shiva was riding on his bull along with Parvati in the sky Hearing the cry of a baby,he went to that place along with Parvati and saw.Parvati felt very compassionate towards the baby and told Shiva to do some favour for the baby.And Lord Shiva immediately made the baby a grown up man being the age of his mother! He also bestowed immortality (long life) to him, and to please Parvati,he also gifted him a city which could move in the sky! Parvati too bestowed a boon to rakshasis,"Hereafter the rakshasis shall become pregnant immediately after contact with men and give birth to baby immediately! And the baby shall grow up into adulthood immediately getting the age of the mother!" Thus, the son of Vidyutkesha,who got benedicted by Lord Shiva, became known as Sukesha. He also got lot of wealth by Lord Shiva's grace and became prideful. He would wander everywhere like Lord Indra as he liked in his airplane city. But he was quite righteous. Having come to know of his greatness,a Gandharva by name Gramani gave his daughter Devavati in marriage to him. Sukesha enjoyed life with Devavati and in due course of time begot three powerful sons from her by name Malyavan, Sumali, and Mali. They were effulgent like three fires! As they grew up into adulthood they understood that their father obtained rare boons from the power of penance and they too thought of doing penance. They went to Mount Meru and performed severe penance. The three worlds along with all the gods, demons and men got heated up by their penance! And then,Lord Brahma, pleased by their penance appeared before them and told them to ask boons. The three demons folded their hands and requested,"O Lord! If you have been pleased by our penance,please grant us the boon that we become invincible, immortal, powerful and vanquishers of enemies! We should also remain with love and affection towards each other!" Lord Brahma bestowed those boons and left for his abode. Happy with this, the three Rakshasas became very powerful and began torturing the gods and sages! They felt they had no protection at all! The three Rakshasas then asked Vishvakarma, the architect of gods to build grand houses for them just as he had built for the gods. Accordingly, Vishvakarma built the golden city called Lanka with many grand palaces on the Mount Trikuta on the outer banks of the southern ocean which was impenetrable by anyone. Happy at this, the three Rakshasas went to Lanka and settled there along with many rakshasa followers. Now,a Gandharva lady by name Narmada brought her three beautiful daughters and gave them in marriage to the three Rakshasas. Having obtained nice wives, they enjoyed life with them and begot many children from them. 

 To continue

Previous Stories of Ravana

Previous Stories of Ravana

1.Sage Pulastya and his family 

 The previous Stories of Ravana are narrated in the Uttarakanda of Ramayana. They were narrated by Sage Agastya to Lord Rama. Once Lord Rama came back to Ayodhya after his exile, many sages came headed by Sage Agastya and appreciated him for killing the terrific demon king Ravana and his sons. At that time,they appreciated Lakshmana's prowess too for killing Indrajit, the son of Ravana who was more powerful than him.Rama wondered and asked how Indrajit was more powerful than Ravana. Agastya agreed to tell him but he first narrated Ravana's origin and exploits. These stories are very interesting. It starts from the story of Sage Pulastya, for Ravana was his grandson. Sage Pulastya was the son of Lord Brahma himself, and one of the Saptarshis. Once Pulastya on searching a calm place for meditation came to the ashram of King Trinabindu. Trinabindu was a Rajarshi,a king and a sage. Finding this ashram very peaceful he began meditating there along with studying the Vedas. Now, finding this ashram very peaceful and the garden surrounding it to be very pleasent,many apsaras would come here and enjoy their day, singing and dancing. This disturbed the penance of Sage Pulastya. So,to be free from them he gave a curse to the place itself. He cursed that any girl who would come there would become pregnant! From then onwards the apsaras didn't come there.Now,one day,Trinabindu's daughter,not knowing this,came strolling with her friends,and slowly separating from them came here alone. Hearing the sage chanting Vedas she came near him. And lo! She suddenly turned pregnant! Noticing the changes in herself and unable to understand how it happened she ran crying to her father. She told about the changes in her and her father too wondered. He then went into a trance and came to know that it was due to the curse of Sage Pulastya. Not knowing what to do,he took his daughter to Sage Pulastya and telling him what had happened, requested him to marry his daughter. Pulastya agreed and married her. In due course of time,she gave birth to a radiant son. Sage Pulastya was very happy and named him Vishravas, since he was borne in his mother's womb when she had shravana,or heard him (shravana meaning hearing) chanting Vedas. Vishravas grew up to be a very wise and knowledgeable boy interested in penance, Vedic studies and holy rites. As Vishravas grew up into a young man, Sage Bharadwaja brought his daughter Devavarnini and married her to him. In due course of time,Sage Vishravas begot a virtuous son from her. Sage Pulastya named him as Vaishravana,being the son of Vishravas.He predicted that he would become the treasurer of gods. Vaishravana in future became known as Kubera. As Kubera grew up into a young man,he engaged himself in a long penance. Lord Brahma,pleased by his penance,appeared before him and told him to ask for a boon. And Kubera asked for the post of the lokapalatva, guardian deity of the world. Brahma bestowed him that boon and also bestowed him a boon that he would become the treasurer of gods. He also gifted him an airplane called Pushpaka Vimana and then disappeared. Feeling happy,Kubera then went to his father Vishravas and told him about his achievement of boons. He then asked him for a place to stay. Sage Vishravas told him to go to a city called Lanka which was situated on the Mountain Trikuta beyond the southern ocean. That city which was built by Vishvakarma, the architect of gods was a powerful golden city impenetrable by anyone. Kubera agreed and went to Lanka in his Pushpaka Vimana. Seeing that he came to Lanka,many rakshasas who had earlier lived in Lanka and had forsaken it,now came to Lanka to live under him Thus,Kubera lived in Lanka ruling upon the rakshasas.

 To continue