The Birth of Ravana and the Boons of Brahma

Verse 1 (3.276.1)

पुलस्त्यस्य तु यः क्रोधादर्धदेहोऽभवन्मुनिः । विश्रवानाम सक्रोधः स वैश्रवणमैक्षत ॥

pulastyasya tu yaḥ krodhādardhadeho'bhavanmuniḥ | viśravānāma sakrodhaḥ sa vaiśravaṇamaikṣata

The sage who arose from Pulastya's anger as half of his own body was named Vishravas; and in his anger he looked upon Vaishravana.

Note on the text: Corrected पुलस्त्यस् तु → पुलस्त्यस्य तु (misprint in Wikisource; dropped akshara य of the genitive; the critical edition reads pulastyasya tu). Restored from the critical edition (3.259.1c): Wikisource ends the second line with सक्रोधं पितरं राक्षसेश्वरः, a repeat of the first line of the next verse; replaced with the critical edition's सक्रोधः स वैश्रवणमैक्षत.

Verse 2 (3.276.2)

बुबुधे तं तु सक्रोधं पितरं राक्षसेश्वरः । कुबेरस्तत्प्रसादार्थं यतते स्म सदा नृप ॥

bubudhe taṃ tu sakrodhaṃ pitaraṃ rākṣaseśvaraḥ | kuberastatprasādārthaṃ yatate sma sadā nṛpa

The lord of the rakshasas, Kubera, saw that his father was angry with him, and he strove constantly to win back his favour, O king.

Verse 3 (3.276.3)

स राजराजो लङ्कायां न्यवसन्नरवाहनः । राक्षसीः प्रददौ तिस्रः पितुर्वै परिचारिकाः ॥

sa rājarājo laṅkāyāṃ nyavasannaravāhanaḥ | rākṣasīḥ pradadau tisraḥ piturvai paricārikāḥ

That king of kings, who rides upon men, was living in Lanka; he gave his father three rakshasa women to wait upon him.

Verse 4 (3.276.4)

ताः सदा तं महात्मानं संतोषयितुमुद्यताः । ऋषिं भरतशार्दूल नृत्यगीतविशारदाः ॥

tāḥ sadā taṃ mahātmānaṃ saṃtoṣayitumudyatāḥ | ṛṣiṃ bharataśārdūla nṛtyagītaviśāradāḥ

Skilled in dance and song, they were always eager to please that great-souled seer, O tiger among the Bharatas.

Verse 5 (3.276.5)

पुष्पोत्कटा च राका च मालिनी च विशांपते । अन्योन्यस्पर्धयाराजञ्श्रेयस्कामाः सुमध्यमाः ॥

puṣpotkaṭā ca rākā ca mālinī ca viśāṃpate | anyonyaspardhayārājañśreyaskāmāḥ sumadhyamāḥ

They were Pushpotkata, Raka and Malini, O lord of the people: slender-waisted women, each vying with the others, O king, in seeking her own good.

Verse 6 (3.276.6)

स तासां भगवांस्तुष्टो महात्मा प्रददौ वरान् । लोकपालोपमान्पुत्रानेकैकस्या यथेप्सितान् ॥

sa tāsāṃ bhagavāṃstuṣṭo mahātmā pradadau varān | lokapālopamānputrānekaikasyā yathepsitān

Pleased with them, the blessed, great-souled sage granted them boons: to each, as she wished, sons equal to the guardians of the worlds.

Note on the text: Corrected पुत्रानकैकस्या → पुत्रानेकैकस्या (misprint in Wikisource; dropped vowel sign; the critical edition reads putrān ekaikasyā).

Verse 7 (3.276.7)

पुष्पोत्कटायां जज्ञाते द्वौ पुत्रौ राक्षसेश्वरौ । कुम्भकर्णदशग्रीवौ बलेनाप्रतिमौ भुवि ॥

puṣpotkaṭāyāṃ jajñāte dvau putrau rākṣaseśvarau | kumbhakarṇadaśagrīvau balenāpratimau bhuvi

To Pushpotkata were born two sons, lords of the rakshasas, Kumbhakarna and Dashagriva, unmatched in strength on earth.

Verse 8 (3.276.8)

मालिनी जनयामास पुत्रमेकं विभीषणम् । राकायां मिथुनं जज्ञे खरः शूर्पणखा तथा ॥

mālinī janayāmāsa putramekaṃ vibhīṣaṇam | rākāyāṃ mithunaṃ jajñe kharaḥ śūrpaṇakhā tathā

Malini bore a single son, Vibhishana; and to Raka were born twins, Khara and Shurpanakha.

Note on the text: Corrected मालिन → मालिनी (misprint in Wikisource; dropped vowel sign; the critical edition reads mālinī) and राकार्या → राकायां (misprint in Wikisource; र्या for यां; the critical edition reads rākāyāṃ).

Verse 9 (3.276.9)

विभीषणस्तु रूपेण सर्वेभ्योऽभ्यधिकोऽभवत् । स बभूव महाभागो धर्मगोप्ता क्रियारतिः ॥

vibhīṣaṇastu rūpeṇa sarvebhyo'bhyadhiko'bhavat | sa babhūva mahābhāgo dharmagoptā kriyāratiḥ

Vibhishana surpassed all the others in beauty; he was most fortunate, a guardian of dharma, devoted to sacred rites.

Verse 10 (3.276.10)

दशग्रीवस्तु सर्वेषां श्रेष्ठो राक्षसपुङ्गवः । महोत्साहो महावीर्यो महासत्वपराक्रमः ॥

daśagrīvastu sarveṣāṃ śreṣṭho rākṣasapuṅgavaḥ | mahotsāho mahāvīryo mahāsatvaparākramaḥ

Dashagriva was the foremost of them all, a bull among rakshasas, of great energy and great valour, mighty in strength and prowess.

Verse 11 (3.276.11)

कुम्भकर्णो बलेनासीत्सर्वेभ्योऽभ्यधिको युधि । मायावी रणशौण्डश्चरौद्रश्च रजनीचरः ॥

kumbhakarṇo balenāsītsarvebhyo'bhyadhiko yudhi | māyāvī raṇaśauṇḍaścaraudraśca rajanīcaraḥ

Kumbhakarna surpassed all the others in strength in battle; he was a master of illusion, fierce in war, a dreadful rover of the night.

Note on the text: Corrected कुम्भकर्णओ → कुम्भकर्णो (misprint in Wikisource; stray vowel letter ओ; the critical edition reads kumbhakarṇo).

Verse 12 (3.276.12)

खरो धनुषि विक्रान्तो ब्रह्मद्विट् पिशिताशनः । सिद्धविघ्नकरी चापि रौद्री शूर्पणखा तदा ॥

kharo dhanuṣi vikrānto brahmadviṭ piśitāśanaḥ | siddhavighnakarī cāpi raudrī śūrpaṇakhā tadā

Khara was mighty with the bow, a hater of brahmins and an eater of flesh; and Shurpanakha was savage, a troubler of the perfected ones.

Verse 13 (3.276.13)

सर्वे वेदविदः शूराः सर्वेसुचरितव्रताः । ऊषुः पित्रा सह रता गन्धमादनपर्वते ॥

sarve vedavidaḥ śūrāḥ sarvesucaritavratāḥ | ūṣuḥ pitrā saha ratā gandhamādanaparvate

All of them knew the Vedas, all were brave, all kept their vows well; and they lived happily with their father on Mount Gandhamadana.

Verse 14 (3.276.14)

ततो वैश्रवणं तत्र ददृशुर्नरवाहनम् । पित्रा सार्धं समासीनमृद्ध्या परमया युतम् ॥

tato vaiśravaṇaṃ tatra dadṛśurnaravāhanam | pitrā sārdhaṃ samāsīnamṛddhyā paramayā yutam

There they saw Vaishravana, who rides upon men, sitting with their father, endowed with the highest splendour and wealth.

Verse 15 (3.276.15)

जातामर्षास्ततस्ते तु तपसे धृतनिश्चयाः । ब्रह्माणं तोषयामासुर्घोरेण तपसा तदा ॥

jātāmarṣāstataste tu tapase dhṛtaniścayāḥ | brahmāṇaṃ toṣayāmāsurghoreṇa tapasā tadā

Resentment rose in them, and, resolved upon austerity, they then pleased Brahma with dreadful penance.

Verse 16 (3.276.16)

अतिष्ठदेकपादेन सहस्रं परिवत्सरान् । वायुभक्षो दशग्रीवः पञ्चाग्निः सुसमाहितः ॥

atiṣṭhadekapādena sahasraṃ parivatsarān | vāyubhakṣo daśagrīvaḥ pañcāgniḥ susamāhitaḥ

Dashagriva stood on one foot for a thousand years, living on air, amid the five fires, his mind wholly collected.

Verse 17 (3.276.17)

अधःशायी कुम्भकर्णो यताहारो यतव्रतः । विभीषणः शीर्णपर्णमेकमभ्यवहारयन् ॥

adhaḥśāyī kumbhakarṇo yatāhāro yatavrataḥ | vibhīṣaṇaḥ śīrṇaparṇamekamabhyavahārayan

Kumbhakarna slept on the bare ground, restrained in food and steadfast in his vow; Vibhishana, eating only a single withered leaf,

Verse 18 (3.276.18)

उपवासरतिर्धीमान्सदा जप्यपरायणः । तमेव कालमातिष्ठत्तीव्रं तप उदारधीः ॥

upavāsaratirdhīmānsadā japyaparāyaṇaḥ | tameva kālamātiṣṭhattīvraṃ tapa udāradhīḥ

delighting in fasting, wise and ever intent on prayer, practised fierce austerity, noble-minded, for that same length of time.

Verse 19 (3.276.19)

खरः शूर्पणखा चैव तेषां वै तप्यतां तपः । परिचर्यां च रक्षां च चक्रतुर्हृष्टमानसौ ॥

kharaḥ śūrpaṇakhā caiva teṣāṃ vai tapyatāṃ tapaḥ | paricaryāṃ ca rakṣāṃ ca cakraturhṛṣṭamānasau

While they performed their austerities, Khara and Shurpanakha, glad at heart, served them and kept guard over them.

Note on the text: Corrected स्वरः → खरः (misprint in Wikisource; स्व for ख; the critical edition reads kharaḥ) and चक्रतुर्हष्टमानसौ → चक्रतुर्हृष्टमानसौ (misprint in Wikisource; dropped vowel sign ृ; the critical edition reads hṛṣṭamānasau).

Verse 20 (3.276.20)

पूर्णे वर्षसहस्रेतु शिरश्छित्त्वा दशाननः । जुहोत्यग्नौ दुराधर्षस्तेनातुष्यज्जगत्प्रभुः ॥

pūrṇe varṣasahasretu śiraśchittvā daśānanaḥ | juhotyagnau durādharṣastenātuṣyajjagatprabhuḥ

When a full thousand years had passed, the invincible ten-faced one cut off his head and offered it into the fire; with that the lord of the world was pleased.

Verse 21 (3.276.21)

ततो ब्रह्मा स्वयं गत्वा तपसस्तान्न्यवारयत् । प्रलोभ्यवरदानेन सर्वानेवपृथक्पृथक् ॥

tato brahmā svayaṃ gatvā tapasastānnyavārayat | pralobhyavaradānena sarvānevapṛthakpṛthak

Then Brahma went to them himself and stopped them from their austerities, tempting each of them separately with the offer of boons.

Verse 22 (3.276.22)

प्रीतोऽस्मि वो निवर्तध्वं वरान्वृणुत पुत्रकाः । यद्यदिष्टमृते त्वेकममरत्वं तथाऽस्तु तत् ॥

prīto'smi vo nivartadhvaṃ varānvṛṇuta putrakāḥ | yadyadiṣṭamṛte tvekamamaratvaṃ tathā'stu tat

"I am pleased with you. Stop now, my sons, and choose your boons. Whatever you desire, except one thing alone, immortality, shall be yours.

Note on the text: Speaker: Wikisource prints the heading as ब्राह्मोवाच, a misprint for ब्रह्मोवाच (the critical edition reads brahmovāca); the speaker is Brahma.

Verse 23 (3.276.23)

यद्यदग्नौ हुतं सर्वं शिरस्ते महदीप्सया । तथैव तानि ते देहे भविष्यन्ति यथेप्सया ॥

yadyadagnau hutaṃ sarvaṃ śiraste mahadīpsayā | tathaiva tāni te dehe bhaviṣyanti yathepsayā

"All the heads you offered into the fire in your craving for greatness will be on your body again just as before, as you wish.

Verse 24 (3.276.24)

वैरूप्यं च न ते देहे कामरूपधरस्तथा । भविष्यसि रणेऽरीणां विजेता न च संशयः ॥

vairūpyaṃ ca na te dehe kāmarūpadharastathā | bhaviṣyasi raṇe'rīṇāṃ vijetā na ca saṃśayaḥ

"No deformity will mark your body; you will take any form at will, and in battle you will conquer your enemies, without a doubt."

Verse 25 (3.276.25)

गन्धर्वदेवासुरतो यक्षराक्षसतस्तथा । सर्पकिंनरभूतेभ्यो न मे भूयात्पराभवः ॥

gandharvadevāsurato yakṣarākṣasatastathā | sarpakiṃnarabhūtebhyo na me bhūyātparābhavaḥ

"May I never be overcome by gandharvas, gods or asuras, by yakshas or rakshasas, by serpents, kinnaras or spirits."

Verse 26 (3.276.26)

य एते कीर्तिताः सर्वे न तेभ्योस्ति भयं तव । ऋते मनुष्याद्भद्रं ते तथा तद्विहितं मया ॥

ya ete kīrtitāḥ sarve na tebhyosti bhayaṃ tava | ṛte manuṣyādbhadraṃ te tathā tadvihitaṃ mayā

"From all those you have named you shall have no fear, except from man. Good fortune to you; so I have ordained it."

Note on the text: Corrected रतव → तव (misprint in Wikisource; stray akshara र; the critical edition reads bhayaṃ tava).

Verse 27 (3.276.27)

एवमुक्तो दशग्रीवस्तुष्टः समभवत्तदा । अवमेने हि दुर्बुद्धिर्मनुष्यान्पुरुषादकः ॥

evamukto daśagrīvastuṣṭaḥ samabhavattadā | avamene hi durbuddhirmanuṣyānpuruṣādakaḥ

So addressed, Dashagriva was content; for that evil-minded eater of men held human beings in contempt.

Verse 28 (3.276.28)

कुम्भकर्णमथोवाच तथैव प्रपितामहः । वरं वृणीष्व भद्रं ते प्रीतोस्मीति पुनःपुनः । स वव्रे महतीं निद्रां तमसा ग्रस्तचेतनः ॥

kumbhakarṇamathovāca tathaiva prapitāmahaḥ | varaṃ vṛṇīṣva bhadraṃ te prītosmīti punaḥpunaḥ | sa vavre mahatīṃ nidrāṃ tamasā grastacetanaḥ

Then the great-grandsire spoke in the same way to Kumbhakarna, saying again and again, "Choose a boon, good fortune to you; I am pleased." His mind seized by darkness, Kumbhakarna chose a long and deep sleep.

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (backtick and quote mark) around the middle line. The middle line is not in the critical text; it is the starred passage 3.259.28b*1238 of its apparatus. The first and last lines are 3.259.28a and 3.259.28c.

Verse 29 (3.276.29)

तथाभविष्यतीत्युक्त्वा विभीषणमुवाच ह । वरं वृणीष्व पुत्र त्वं प्रीतोऽस्मीति पुनःपुनः ॥

tathābhaviṣyatītyuktvā vibhīṣaṇamuvāca ha | varaṃ vṛṇīṣva putra tvaṃ prīto'smīti punaḥpunaḥ

Saying, "So it shall be," Brahma spoke to Vibhishana, again and again: "Choose a boon, my son; I am pleased."

Verse 30 (3.276.30)

परमापद्गतस्यापि नाधर्मे मे मतिर्भवेत् । अशिक्षितं च भगवन्ब्रह्मास्त्रं प्रतिभातु मे ॥

paramāpadgatasyāpi nādharme me matirbhavet | aśikṣitaṃ ca bhagavanbrahmāstraṃ pratibhātu me

"Even in the direst misfortune may my mind never turn to adharma; and, O blessed one, may the Brahma weapon come to me though I have never been taught it."

Verse 31 (3.276.31)

यस्माद्राक्षसयोनौ ते जातस्यामित्रकर्शन । नाधर्मे धीयते बुद्धिरमरत्वं ददानि ते ॥

yasmādrākṣasayonau te jātasyāmitrakarśana | nādharme dhīyate buddhiramaratvaṃ dadāni te

"Since your mind does not settle on adharma, though you were born in the race of rakshasas, O tormentor of foes, I grant you immortality."

Verse 32 (3.276.32)

राक्षसस्तु वरंलब्ध्वा दशग्रीवो विशांपते । लङ्कायाश्च्यावयामास युधि जित्वा धनेश्वरम् ॥

rākṣasastu varaṃlabdhvā daśagrīvo viśāṃpate | laṅkāyāścyāvayāmāsa yudhi jitvā dhaneśvaram

Having won his boon, the rakshasa Dashagriva, O lord of the people, defeated the lord of wealth in battle and drove him out of Lanka.

Verse 33 (3.276.33)

हित्वास भगवाँल्लङ्कामाविशद्गन्धमादनम् । गन्धर्वयक्षानुगतो रक्षःकिंपुरुषैः सह ॥

hitvāsa bhagavām̐llaṅkāmāviśadgandhamādanam | gandharvayakṣānugato rakṣaḥkiṃpuruṣaiḥ saha

Leaving Lanka, the blessed one went to Gandhamadana, followed by gandharvas and yakshas, together with rakshasas and kimpurushas.

Verse 34 (3.276.34)

विमानं पुष्पकं तस्य जहाराक्रम्य रावणः । शशाप तं वैश्रवणो न त्वामेतद्वहिष्यति ॥

vimānaṃ puṣpakaṃ tasya jahārākramya rāvaṇaḥ | śaśāpa taṃ vaiśravaṇo na tvāmetadvahiṣyati

Ravana seized his aerial chariot Pushpaka by force. Vaishravana cursed him: "It will not carry you;

Verse 35 (3.276.35)

यस्तु त्वां समरे हन्ता तमेवैतद्वहिष्यति । अवमत्य गुरुं मां च क्षिप्रं त्वंनभविष्यसि ॥

yastu tvāṃ samare hantā tamevaitadvahiṣyati | avamatya guruṃ māṃ ca kṣipraṃ tvaṃnabhaviṣyasi

"it will carry only the one who slays you in battle. And because you have scorned me, your elder, you will soon cease to be."

Note on the text: Speaker: the whole verse is Vaishravana's (Kubera's) curse, begun in the previous verse; Wikisource prints no heading and carries मार्कण्डेय on.

Verse 36 (3.276.36)

विभीषणस्तु धर्मात्मा सतां मार्गमनुस्मरन् । अन्वगच्छन्महाराज श्रिया परमया युतः ॥

vibhīṣaṇastu dharmātmā satāṃ mārgamanusmaran | anvagacchanmahārāja śriyā paramayā yutaḥ

But Vibhishana, righteous of soul, mindful of the path of the good, followed Kubera, O great king, endowed with the highest splendour.

Verse 37 (3.276.37)

तस्मै स भगवांस्तुष्टो भ्राता भ्रात्रे धनेश्वरः । सैनापत्यं ददौ धीमान्यक्षराक्षससेनयोः ॥

tasmai sa bhagavāṃstuṣṭo bhrātā bhrātre dhaneśvaraḥ | saināpatyaṃ dadau dhīmānyakṣarākṣasasenayoḥ

Pleased with him, the blessed and wise lord of wealth, a brother to his brother, gave him command of the armies of the yakshas and rakshasas.

Verse 38 (3.276.38)

राक्षसाः पुरुषादाश्च पिशाचाश्च महाबलाः । सर्वे समेत्य राजानमभ्यषिञ्चन्दशाननम् ॥

rākṣasāḥ puruṣādāśca piśācāśca mahābalāḥ | sarve sametya rājānamabhyaṣiñcandaśānanam

The rakshasas, the eaters of men and the mighty pishachas all gathered together and consecrated the ten-faced one as their king.

Verse 39 (3.276.39)

दशग्रीवश्चदैत्यानां दानवानां बलोत्कटः । आक्रम्य रत्नान्यहरत्कामरूपी विहंगमः ॥

daśagrīvaścadaityānāṃ dānavānāṃ balotkaṭaḥ | ākramya ratnānyaharatkāmarūpī vihaṃgamaḥ

Overwhelming in strength, Dashagriva, taking any form at will and ranging through the sky, carried off by force the treasures of the daityas and danavas.

Note on the text: Corrected विहंगम → विहंगमः (misprint in Wikisource; dropped visarga; the critical edition reads vihaṃgamaḥ, and the Wikisource commentary glosses विहंगमः).

Verse 40 (3.276.40)

रावयामास लोकान्यत्तस्माद्रावण उच्यते । दशग्रीवः कामबलो देवानां भयमादधत् ॥

rāvayāmāsa lokānyattasmādrāvaṇa ucyate | daśagrīvaḥ kāmabalo devānāṃ bhayamādadhat

Because he made the worlds cry out, he is called Ravana. Dashagriva, mighty as he pleased, filled the gods with fear.