Photograph of Ravana's birth
The story of Ravana's birth is
horrifying and pulls at your heart strings. His father Vishrava
was a man who had taken a
second wife, Kaikasi. Kaikasi's father was Sumali. He was a
demon who lived in the netherworlds. One day Sumali looked up
through the ocean floor and saw Vishrava taking gold, silver, and
spices to Lanka. Sumali was very jealous of this. So he
deviced a plan. He sent his daughter Kaikasi to pursue
Vishrava. Kaikasi was not sure about the Idea, but out of fear
she obeyed what her father told her to do.
Kaikasi succesfully got her arms around Vishrava and the two became parents of one of the worst demons the world had ever seen, Ravana. The day that Ravana was born time stood still. He was the most hideous creature the world had ever seen. He had ten heads, twenty arms, his skin dark as coal, his face filled with hatred. When he was born every dog in the world barked uncontrollably. From birth Ravana was destined to be the most foul creature that had ever been on the face of this earth.
When people would see him they would run in terror. I mean if you saw someone with ten heads I'm sure that you would get away from them as fast as you could. Ravana was a poor boy who wanted power. His youth was spent mostly as a tame child. He would see things that others had and wonder about the things in life he did not have and what life really meant. He was a hideous child with no friends and lots of time on his hands to set and think about the way he was treated in life and the way his life would end up.
As a sacrifice to the gods Ravana decided to cut off one of his ten heads every thousand years and throw it into a lake of fire. Ravana was looking to die. When you would see his faces you could see just how unhappy he was. A man with no friends, no power, and no hope. Ravana had reached the point where nine of his heads had been cut off. Ravana had reached the point where he was ready to cut off his last head. Suddenly a sense of something new came over Ravana. It was fear. Ravana knew this was going to be it for him. He was ending a life of loneliness and sadness.
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The gods in heaven were watching the whole thing transpire. Brahma could not stand to watch any longer. Brahma came down and stood in front of Ravana. He told Ravana he could longer stand to watch him suffer. He said he would grant Ravana anything he wanted. Ravana requested to be made all powerful and to not be able to be killed by any of the gods. Brahma granted this wish to Ravana. Ravana now had achieved power that he had never seen before. Brahma also gave Ravana back his nine heads he had already cut off.
I chose this story because it really sets up the life of Ravana. You can usually go back and look at someone's child-hood and that is able to tell you why they are like what they are like as an adult. Ravana was someone who nothing, or no one in his life to lead him in the right direction. He was alone and contemplated life and what it means. Once he was given the chance to be the most powerful being in his dreams he jumped on it, and did what he had always wanted to.
Photos: 1. Ravana's birth: No title: Weblink
2. Brahma: No title: Weblink
1. Buck, William. Ramayan. Berkeley; University of California Press, 1973.
Jeremiah Curry
Jeremiah.D.Curry-1@ou.edu
Storybook
Kaikasi succesfully got her arms around Vishrava and the two became parents of one of the worst demons the world had ever seen, Ravana. The day that Ravana was born time stood still. He was the most hideous creature the world had ever seen. He had ten heads, twenty arms, his skin dark as coal, his face filled with hatred. When he was born every dog in the world barked uncontrollably. From birth Ravana was destined to be the most foul creature that had ever been on the face of this earth.
When people would see him they would run in terror. I mean if you saw someone with ten heads I'm sure that you would get away from them as fast as you could. Ravana was a poor boy who wanted power. His youth was spent mostly as a tame child. He would see things that others had and wonder about the things in life he did not have and what life really meant. He was a hideous child with no friends and lots of time on his hands to set and think about the way he was treated in life and the way his life would end up.
As a sacrifice to the gods Ravana decided to cut off one of his ten heads every thousand years and throw it into a lake of fire. Ravana was looking to die. When you would see his faces you could see just how unhappy he was. A man with no friends, no power, and no hope. Ravana had reached the point where nine of his heads had been cut off. Ravana had reached the point where he was ready to cut off his last head. Suddenly a sense of something new came over Ravana. It was fear. Ravana knew this was going to be it for him. He was ending a life of loneliness and sadness.
WebsiteThe gods in heaven were watching the whole thing transpire. Brahma could not stand to watch any longer. Brahma came down and stood in front of Ravana. He told Ravana he could longer stand to watch him suffer. He said he would grant Ravana anything he wanted. Ravana requested to be made all powerful and to not be able to be killed by any of the gods. Brahma granted this wish to Ravana. Ravana now had achieved power that he had never seen before. Brahma also gave Ravana back his nine heads he had already cut off.
I chose this story because it really sets up the life of Ravana. You can usually go back and look at someone's child-hood and that is able to tell you why they are like what they are like as an adult. Ravana was someone who nothing, or no one in his life to lead him in the right direction. He was alone and contemplated life and what it means. Once he was given the chance to be the most powerful being in his dreams he jumped on it, and did what he had always wanted to.
Photos: 1. Ravana's birth: No title: Weblink
2. Brahma: No title: Weblink
1. Buck, William. Ramayan. Berkeley; University of California Press, 1973.
Jeremiah Curry
Jeremiah.D.Curry-1@ou.edu
Storybook