Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.120

c9.120

2) *Reason for his birth.* When Rāvaṇa was ruling over Laṅkā as a terror to the world, evils and cruelties like matricide, patricide, fratricide, killing of cows, hatred for good people, children's death, abduction of women, killing of munis, thefts etc. became rampant. When the world became grief-stricken Bhūmidevī (Goddess of earth) assumed the form of a cow and took refuge with Indra in Svarga. She told him about the atrocities committed by Rāvaṇa and the other Rākṣasas. Then Indra took Bhūmidevī (cow) to Brahmā, who took them to Śiva at Kailāsa as killing Rāvaṇa was beyond (Brahmā's) power. Śiva thought it improper on his part to kill Rāvaṇa and so he took Brahmā and others to Viṣṇu and submitted their grievance to him. Viṣṇu consoled them by saying as follows:--"I have decided to incarnate myself as the son of Daśaratha, king of Ayodhyā. You Devas also should take birth on earth to help me to kill Rāvaṇa and other evil Rākṣasas and to protect Bhūmidevī and the good people on the earth." (Kamba Rāmāyaṇa, Pūrva Kāṇḍa).