Previous Stories of Ravana -5

Previous Stories of Ravana-5

Penance of Ravana and others

Dashagriva and Kumbhakarna, having taken birth, grew up in the forest being terrific to the world. Kumbhakarna especially was highly intoxicated, and would eat up great sages! And he was always dissatisfied even after eating too much! Vibheeshana, however,was always righteous, and self controlled.

      One day, Kubera came to see his father Vishravas in his Pushpaka Vimana plane. Seeing him shine with effulgence, Kaikasi went upto Ravana and said," O son! See your brother who is so effulgent! You being his brother are equal to him! But just look at your state now! You too are equally powerful like him! Hence,try to become as great as him!"

     Hearing his mother's words, Ravana became very intolerant and said,"O mother! I hereby make an oath that I shall become equal to or even greater than my brother! You don't worry!"

     So saying, Ravana in anger, decided to do a severe penance along with his brothers! He thus went to a pilgrimage place called Gokarna with his brothers to do penance. 

     All the three brothers began severe penance following holy rites. Kumbhakarna during summer, established four fires at four corners, with sun as the fifth fire and thus did penance sitting between five fires. In the rainy season,he sat below the showers of rain and did penance. And in the winter,he stood in cold water and did penance. In this way,he did penance for 10,000 years! 

    Vibheeshana did penance for five thousand years standing on one leg! His penance completed with this, the apsaras danced in joy and Devas praised him! They showered flowers on him from the sky! Vibheeshana then again continued penance on Lord Surya for another five thousand years! Thus,he did penance for ten thousand years!

    Ravana did penance for ten thousand years without taking any food! As he completed one thousandth year of penance,he sacrificed his one head in the fire! In this way,he did penance for nine thousand years and sacrificed his nine heads! After finishing his ten thousandth year of penance,he got ready to sacrifice his tenth head too! And Lord Brahma appeared along with gods immediately! 

     Lord Brahma said,"I am happy with your penance! Ask for any boon! Let your efforts not go wasted!"

     Ravana felt happy at this and said folding his hands,"O Lord! There is no other fear apart from death for all living entities! Hence I wish for immortality!"

    At this Brahma said,"Immortality is not for you! Hence ask for some other boon!"

         Ravana then said,"O Lord! I would then desire to be free of death from the hands of Nagas,Yakshas,Daityas,Danavas, Rakshasas, and Devas! I am not worried of other animals and humans! They are just like grass for me!"

        At this,Lord Brahma said,"O best among Rakshasas! It shall be as you said! I shall also grant you another boon! All your heads you have sacrificed in the fire shall sprout back! I shall grant you another rare boon! You shall be able to take the form you wish!"

       As Brahma said so,all the heads of Ravana came back to him!

      After granting boons to Ravana, Brahma went upto Vibheeshana and told him to ask boon. Vibheeshana, folding his hands,said,"O Lord! If you are pleased I am satisfied! The boon I seek is that, even if I am struck in the greatest misery my mind should be situated in Dharma! Let me get the knowledge of Brahmastra even without being taught! Let me follow the dharma of any stage of life I get into!"

      Lord Brahma felt very happy with him and said,"O son! You are indeed righteous!It shall happen as you said! Though you have obtained rakshasa life, your mind shall not get into adharma! Hence I shall grant you immortality!"

        Thus granting boons to Vibheeshana, Brahma then went upto Kumbhakarna to grant him boon. At that time,all the gods folded their hands and said to him,"O Lord! Please don't grant any boon to Kumbhakarna! You know how much he is tormenting the world! He has already eaten seven apsaras in Nandana garden ,ten servants of Lord Indra and many sages and men! He has done so much havoc even without getting any boon! He shall eat up all the three worlds if he gets any boon! O Lord! Somehow bewilder him in the form of a boon so that all the three worlds shall be benefited also!"

       As the gods requested Lord Brahma like this,he remembered his wife Saraswati. She immediately appeared and folding her hands asked for any service. And Lord Brahma said,"O Saraswati! Stay in the tongue of Lord Brahma and fulfill the task of gods!"

     Agreeing to this, Saraswati entered Kumbhakarna's tongue. When Brahma asked him to beg a boon, Kumbhakarna said,"O Lord! It is my desire to be sleeping for many years!"

    "So be it!" Brahma said and left for his abode with the gods. Goddess Saraswati also left. Now Kumbhakarna got back his intelligence and chastised himself,"O! What mistake did I do? Why did I say so? Surely I must have been mesmerized by the gods!"

     Thus,all the three brothers took boons and went to a forest called Shleshmataka and lived there happily.

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