The Symbolism of Ravana’s Ten Heads
On August 03, 2023Ravana is one of the central characters in the Ramayana, but people don’t really know much about him. The Hindu festival of Diwali commemorates Prince Rama’s return to Ayodhya after slaying Ravana in battle. The festival is said to represent the victory of good over evil, knowledge over ignorance, and light over darkness. Ravana is the villain of this story, but there are many dimensions to this powerful Asura king.
Some Little-known Facts about Ravana
Ravana’s original name was Dasagriva, meaning ‘the one with ten heads’.One day, when he was traveling in his pushpaka vimana, Dasagriva reached Mount Kailas, where Shiva lived with Parvati. As the pushpaka vimana couldn’t fly past the mountain, Dasagriva lifted the mountain by himself. When the mountain trembled at his might, Shiva pressed the mountain down with his toe. Dasagriva’s hands were crushed, and he screamed in agony. This earned him the name ‘Ravana’, which means ‘one who roars or screams’.
Ravana went on to become one of Shiva’s greatest devotees and even composed hymns praising him. Shiva was pleased and gifted him an invincible sword called Chandrahasa.
Apart from Rama, Ravana faced defeat at the hands of two other kings. They were the monkey king, Vali, and Kartaveerya Arjuna, the king of Mahishmati. Both events made Ravana more humble.
Ravana had mastered all forms of a martial art called Angampora and was a most feared Angam warrior.
Sage Pulastya, one of the ten mind-born sons of Brahma, was Ravana’s grandfather. Hence, Ravana was the great-grandson of Brahma himself.
One version of the Ramayana says that after Rama’s army built the bridge to Lanka, they needed Shiva’s blessings and performed a Yagna. The biggest Shiva devotee in the region was Ravana. As he was half-Brahmin, he was the most qualified person to perform the Yagna. In an act of honor and magnanimity, Ravana came for the Yagna and performed it. He also blessed Rama!
Ravan was a very learned scholar. As Ravana lay dying, Rama asked his brother Lakshmana to sit beside the demon king and learn key lessons in statecraft and diplomacy from him. Ravana willingly obliged.
Some versions of the Ramayana claim that Ravana did not have ten heads, and it was only an optical illusion caused due to a necklace of 9 pearls he wore, that his mother had given him. Another version says that Ravana hacked his head into pieces to please Shiva, but due to his devotion, each piece became another head.
It is also said that Ravana and his brother, Kumbhakarna, had been Vishnu’s gatekeepers in Vaikunta. But they were so arrogant, that once when the four Kumaras, who were the mind-born sons of Brahma, arrived at the gates of Vaikuntha (Vishnu’s abode), Jaya-Vijaya thought they were naked children (on account of their tapasya). The angry sages cursed Jaya-Vijaya, saying that they would be separated from Vishnu. When they apologized, the sages replied that they could spend 7 lifetimes on earth as Vishnu’s avatars’ allies or 3 lifetimes as their enemies. They chose the second option. Jaya-Vijaya were born as Ravana and Kumbhakarna in one of the 3 lifetimes.
Life teaches us that when it comes to people, there are more shades than black and white. Even bad people have some good attributes, as Hinduism says that the Divine is present within everyone.
What Ravana’s 10 Heads Symbolize
Ravana, too, had both positive and negative qualities. He was a good warrior, king, politician, astrologer, and Ayurveda doctor as well. He cared for the poor in his kingdom and was an excellent poet and scholar. He had 10 heads, and they represent the 6 Shastras and 4 Vedas.
But he went astray due to his desire for pleasures and succumbed to many vices in his pursuit of happiness. Thus, as he became more power-hungry, his 10 heads became symbols of the 10 sins. They are:
Some Little-known Facts about Ravana
Ravana’s original name was Dasagriva, meaning ‘the one with ten heads’.One day, when he was traveling in his pushpaka vimana, Dasagriva reached Mount Kailas, where Shiva lived with Parvati. As the pushpaka vimana couldn’t fly past the mountain, Dasagriva lifted the mountain by himself. When the mountain trembled at his might, Shiva pressed the mountain down with his toe. Dasagriva’s hands were crushed, and he screamed in agony. This earned him the name ‘Ravana’, which means ‘one who roars or screams’.
Ravana went on to become one of Shiva’s greatest devotees and even composed hymns praising him. Shiva was pleased and gifted him an invincible sword called Chandrahasa.
Apart from Rama, Ravana faced defeat at the hands of two other kings. They were the monkey king, Vali, and Kartaveerya Arjuna, the king of Mahishmati. Both events made Ravana more humble.
Ravana had mastered all forms of a martial art called Angampora and was a most feared Angam warrior.
Sage Pulastya, one of the ten mind-born sons of Brahma, was Ravana’s grandfather. Hence, Ravana was the great-grandson of Brahma himself.
One version of the Ramayana says that after Rama’s army built the bridge to Lanka, they needed Shiva’s blessings and performed a Yagna. The biggest Shiva devotee in the region was Ravana. As he was half-Brahmin, he was the most qualified person to perform the Yagna. In an act of honor and magnanimity, Ravana came for the Yagna and performed it. He also blessed Rama!
Ravan was a very learned scholar. As Ravana lay dying, Rama asked his brother Lakshmana to sit beside the demon king and learn key lessons in statecraft and diplomacy from him. Ravana willingly obliged.
Some versions of the Ramayana claim that Ravana did not have ten heads, and it was only an optical illusion caused due to a necklace of 9 pearls he wore, that his mother had given him. Another version says that Ravana hacked his head into pieces to please Shiva, but due to his devotion, each piece became another head.
It is also said that Ravana and his brother, Kumbhakarna, had been Vishnu’s gatekeepers in Vaikunta. But they were so arrogant, that once when the four Kumaras, who were the mind-born sons of Brahma, arrived at the gates of Vaikuntha (Vishnu’s abode), Jaya-Vijaya thought they were naked children (on account of their tapasya). The angry sages cursed Jaya-Vijaya, saying that they would be separated from Vishnu. When they apologized, the sages replied that they could spend 7 lifetimes on earth as Vishnu’s avatars’ allies or 3 lifetimes as their enemies. They chose the second option. Jaya-Vijaya were born as Ravana and Kumbhakarna in one of the 3 lifetimes.
Life teaches us that when it comes to people, there are more shades than black and white. Even bad people have some good attributes, as Hinduism says that the Divine is present within everyone.
What Ravana’s 10 Heads Symbolize
Ravana, too, had both positive and negative qualities. He was a good warrior, king, politician, astrologer, and Ayurveda doctor as well. He cared for the poor in his kingdom and was an excellent poet and scholar. He had 10 heads, and they represent the 6 Shastras and 4 Vedas.
But he went astray due to his desire for pleasures and succumbed to many vices in his pursuit of happiness. Thus, as he became more power-hungry, his 10 heads became symbols of the 10 sins. They are:
- Kama (lust)
- Krodha (anger)
- Moha (delusion)
- Lobha (greed)
- Mada (pride)
- Maatsarya (envy)
- Buddhi (intellect)
- Manas (mind)
- Chitta (will)
- Ahamkara (ego)
