A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, Geography, History, and Literature c5.1504.3

c5.1504.3

Rāma with a sharp arrow cut off one of Rāvana’s heads, “but no sooner did the head fall on the ground than another sprang up in its room.” Rāma then took an arrow which had been made by Brahmā, and discharged it at his foe. It entered his breast, came out of his back, went to the ocean, and then returned clean to the quiver of Rāma. “Rāvana fell to the ground and expired, and the gods sounded celestial music in the heavens, and assembled in the sky and praised Rāma as Vishnu, in that he had slain that Rāvana who would otherwise have caused their destruction.” Rāvana, though he was chief among Rākshasas, was a Brāhman on his father’s side; he was well versed in Sanskrit, used the Vedic ritual, and his body was burnt with Brāhmanical rites. There is a story that Rāvana made each of the gods perform some menial office in his household: thus Agni was his cook, Varuna supplied water, Kuvera furnished money, Vāyu swept the house, &c. The Vishnu Purāna relates that Rāvana, “elevated with wine, came on his tour of triumph to the city of Mahishmatī, but there he was taken prisoner by King Kārta-vīrya, and confined like a beast in a corner of his capital.” The same authority states that, in another birth, Rāvana was Sisu-pāla. Rāvana’s chief wife was Mandodarī, but he had many others, and they were burnt at his obsequies. His sons were Megha-nāda, also called Indra-jit, Rāvani, and Aksha; Tri-sikha or Tri-siras, Devāntaka, Narāntaka, and Atikāya. See Nandisa.