Ravana
Ravana (Devanāgari: रावण) is the primary antagonist in the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana and the most famous incarnation of Kali from the Treta Yuga.
Quotes
[edit]Desiraju Hanumanta Rao, tr. in: Valmiki Ramayana. 1998. Retrieved 7 September 2017
- As a sinister planet looks over Star Rohini when she is devoid of Moon, that extremely sinister Ravana then looked over the glorious and youthful princess Seetha.
- "Glittering like the glitter of gold, silkened in ochry silks, you are like a lotus-tendril garlanded with divine lotuses as your ensemble, who are you?" Thus Ravanan started addressing Seetha
- In: Book III: Araṇya-Kāṇḍa, Chapter 46: 16
- Your hips are beamy, thighs burly akin to elephant's trunks, and these two breasts of yours that are ornamented with best jewellery are rotund, rubbing and bumping each other, and they are swinging up and up, their nipples are brawny and jutting out, and they are smoothish like palm-fruits, thus they are covetable for they are beautiful.
- In: Book III: Araṇya-Kāṇḍa, Chapter 46: 19, 20
- I have not hitherto seen any earthly female with this kind of features on the face of earth; or, a goddess - no; a gandharva female - no; yaksha female - no; kinnaraa female - no, none whosoever! I marvel why an excellent one in all the three worlds by her features, more so, fragile and youthful as yourself should be living here in the thick of forest.
- In: Book III: Araṇya-Kāṇḍa, Chapter 46: 22, 23
- Standing on the sky I can lift up the earth with two of my arms, I can completely gulp down any ocean, standing in war I can even put the Death to death. Indeed, I can split the Sun and splinter the earth with my splitting arrows, oh, mad woman [Sita], I can assume any form as I wish, and endow any wish you wish, such as I am, I must be your husband, behold me.
- In: Book III: Araṇya-Kāṇḍa, Chapter 49: 3, 4
- O Seetha with best complexion! Whatever limit has been made by me to you, those two months are protectable to me. Thereafter ascend my bed. Above two months you not desiring me as husband will be killed in my kitchen for my breakfast.
- In: Book V: Sundara Kanda, Chapter 22: 8, 9
Quotes about Ravana
[edit]- Ravana, unwilling under the influence of vanity to restore a stranger's wife, as well as Duryodhana to part with a portion of his kingdom.
- Arthasastra of Kautilya, giving examples how people suffered from vanity and other vices. quoted in Lal, B. B. (2008). Rāma, his historicity, mandir, and setu: Evidence of literature, archaeology, and other sciences. New Delhi: Aryan Books International. p.14
- Separating [the flesh and blood of the demon] Hiranyakasipu from his skeleton,....and performing many valorous deeds, having killed the Ten-headed [demon Ravana],...
- From the Vishnu Hari inscription. Translation by K.V. Ramesh. Appendix II in Lal, B. B. (2008). Rāma, his historicity, mandir, and setu: Evidence of literature, archaeology, and other sciences. New Delhi: Aryan Books International. p. 81 ff.
- Well, what is the Ramayana? The conquest of the savage aborigines of Southern India by the Aryans! Indeed! Ramachandra is a civilised Aryan king and with whom, is he fighting? With King Ravana of Lanka. Just read the Ramayana., and you will find that Ravana was rather more and not less civilised than Ramachandra. The civilisation of Lanka was rather higher, and surely not lower, than that of Ayodhya. And then, when were these Vanaras (monkeys) and other Southern Indians conquered? They were all, on the other hand, Ramachandra's friends and allies. Say which kingdoms of Vali and Guhaka were annexed by Ramachandra?
- Swami Vivekananda, "The east and the west", Translated from Bengali. Complete Works, vol. 5
K.M.K.Murthy, tr. in: Valmiki Ramayana. 1998. Retrieved 7 September 2017
- Then, Rama the annihilator of enemies, answered Vibhishana and said "Alas! What glory, what majesty is Ravana's the Lord of Demons! Ravana is beaming like the sun with his rays difficult to be gazed, neither can the eye rest on him such is the binding strength of his magnificence! The body of celestial or demonical heroes may not be so radiant in this manner as this body of the king of demons. All the warriors of the suzerain Ravana are as high as hills. All fight with mountains. All wield fiery weapons. Amidst the fiery ghosts of terrible aspect, this king of demons shines like Yama the Lord of Death surrounded by blazing genii endowed with hideous forms. By good luck, that wretch comes today within my range of sight! Today, I shall expunge my wrath, born of Seetha's abduction!"
- In: Book VI: Yuddha Kanda, Chapter 59: 26-31
- That Ravana, coming within the range of arrow-shots of Rama and Lakshmana, resembled Rahu (the demon who is supposed to seize the sun and the moon), standing in the vicinity of the moon and the sun.
- In: Book VI: Yuddha Kanda, Chapter 99: 17
- Seetha is no other than Goddess Lakshmi (the divine consort of Lord Vishnu), while you are Lord Vishnu. You are having a shining dark-blue hue. You are the Lord of created beings. For the destruction of Ravana, you entered a human body here, on this earth.
- Brahma in: Book VI: Yuddha Kanda, Chapter 117: 28
See also
[edit]- Duryodhana, the Ravana of the Dvapara Yuga
- Kali (demon), the Ravana of the Kali Yuga
- Rama, Ravana's nemesis
- Ramayana
