TABLE OF CONTENTS:

INTRODUCTION

1. BIOGRAPHY
2. RAVANA AND SHIVA
3. RAVANA AND RAMA
4. RAVANA IN RAMAYANA AND RAM CHARITRA MANAS
4.1 THE SURPANAKHA CASE
5. RAVANA’S TRAITS AND INFLUENCE ON THE MODERN WORLD

CONCLUSION

BIBLIOGRAPHY

MAJOR FINDINGS

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 Introduction:
The life of Ravana, one of the most powerful beings ever to roam the universe, if Hindu
legends are to be believed, had unfolded in the small island Sri Lanka, where he ruled
with mighty power over gods, humans and demons.

Valmiki’s Ramayana paint Ravana as a tyrant of mighty power who was holding the gods
at ransom, and he continues to be treated as a blackguard in India even today. In the
classic text, he is found kidnapping Rama's wife Sita, to claim vengeance on Rama and
his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister Surpanakha.

Yet Ravana of Sri Lanka is portrayed to be a different king and a human. He is described
as a devout follower of the god Shiva, a great scholar, a capable ruler and a maestro of
Veena, known as the Ravanaahattha.

The story goes that Ravana in order to please his mother had decided to bring the
mountain Kailash to Sri Lanka. As he lifted up the mountain, God Shiva was angered by
his arrogance and pushed it back down, trapping Ravana. The King of Lanka had torn off
one of his own arms and made a musical instrument, ripping out sinews to form the
strings. He used the newly invented Ravanaahattha to sing the praises of Shiva, creating
music of such beauty that Shiva wept and forgave him.

According to Hindu mythology Ravana was born to a great sage Vishrava and his wife,
princess Kaikesi. He was born in the Devagana, as his grandfather, the sage Pulastya, was
one of the ten Prajapatis or mind-born sons of Brahma and one of the Saptarishi or the
Seven Great Sages during the age of Manu.Ravanaaa’s siblings include Vibhishana,
Kumbhakarna and AhiRavana and a step brother Kubera, from whom he usurped the
Kingdom of Lanka.

We have never failed to hear great stories about Rama, the king of Ayodhya, in terms of
his strength, his good heart, the great king that he was, the faithful husband and the
exemplary son. But why did Valmiki have to put in so much effort in posing Ravanaaa,
the portrayed villain, with great capabilities in terms of strength, intellect and devotion?

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 Yes, the Ramayana does pose Ravana as one of the greatest scholars, an efficient ruler, a
great devotee of Lord Shiva, an expert among the warriors and a maestro among
musicians. There is always some amount of admiration behind the reeling hatred.

1.Biography:
It’s not very often that we take time to ponder if the posed villain might be an unsung
hero. One such epic that gets us thinking is the Ramayana. I’m sure at least a handful of
us have wondered if Ravanaaa turned against the Gods to save a dying race!

Ravanaaa was born to a Brahmin sage Vishrava and a demon princess Kaikesi. He thus
was blessed by all the scholarly qualities of a Brahmin and the immense power and
strength of a demon. He was the grandson of Sumali, the Demon King. Kubera (the
treasurer of all Gods) was his brother. And he also had a sister named Shoorpanakha.

In Hindu mythology Ravanaaa is depicted as ten headed man. This is often referred to as
symbolism of the immense knowledge of the Vedas and other Hindu scriptures that he
had. He had also mastered all Kshatriya skills. His twenty hands depict his never ending
desire for more in his life. This great scholar had also composed the 'Shiva Tandava
Stotra'. He could entrance everyone with his amazing of skills playing the veena (musical
instrument).

Ravanaaa was one of the most ardent devotees of Lord Shiva. He received many boons
from him. Lord Shiva was very impressed by his musical skills of playing the Veena. He
was also blessed with a moon blade by Lord Shiva. Once this demon king worshipped
Brahma and received the boon of being the supreme and the most powerful among the
three worlds

SCHOLAR, RULER, MUSICIAN:

Ravanaaa himself being a great scholar, with immense knowledge in the four Vedas and
Upanishads, had a great knowledge in the field of medicine too. Also, he was an amazing
player of the Veena and he could entrance everyone with his musical skills. His fabled
physique with ten heads and twenty arms is mainly due his huge expanse of knowledge.
He is also said to be a great doctor himself even in those days. People were happy and led

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 a wealthy life under his reign. Lanka was beautiful, adorned, well maintained, and part of
the country were made of gold during his rule.

The academic prowess and intellect Ravana possessed is evident from the scene at the
battle when Rama urges Lakshmana to gain knowledge from him. Lakshmana reluctantly
stands near Ravanaaa’s head and asks him to pass on what he knew about warfare and
various other aspects of the world. Ravana simply responds by turning his head away.
But, Rama stands near his feet, bows down and requests him to share his wisdom which
is when he sheds light to Rama on what could destroy him and what could let him
prosper.

2. Ravana and Shiva:

Ravana’s thirst for knowledge, his desire to please Shiva and his austerities earned him
the various yogic abilities. As he was an ardent devotee of the Lord his wisdom grew. He
is worshipped as a God amongst many cults and is considered the master of astrology,
ayurveda and saama veda. It was Ravana’s pride and lust that destroyed him and his
beautiful city. He gave into such a menial desire on the becoming of his sister and
ultimately dug his own Grave. There are many stories of Lord Shiva and Ravana one of
them being the most famous: The story of “Ravanaaugraha”

Shiva sat upon the summit of the great mountain. He enjoyed the cool air breezing passed
him, as he sipped his wine and ate his Ganja. He had just imprisoned the demon king
Ravanaaa beneath this mountain: Ravanaaa had committed all kinds of evil, and Shiva
felt that imprisoning him was a good thing for the universe.

As Shiva sat, a sweet voice singing softly came to him in the breeze. Shiva could not hear
the words of the song, but the sound painted a picture in his mind. He saw the complete
life of the universe in a single, repeating moment: its beginning as a breath exhaled by
Vishnu, its growth and evolution as it filled with life through Brahma’s creation, its four
ages passing as it became corrupt, its ultimate destruction through Shiva’s own work. The
voice grew, and the words gradually became audible—the themes of the song filled
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 Shiva’s spirit. The song emphasised the unity of all creation as a manifestation of the
One: it showed that even the most evil and ugly creatures contain the beauty of divinity.

The song praised the destructive work of Shiva for purifying the universe of evil: it
showed that all destructive forces participate in this purification.

The song prompted all living things, gods and humans and monkeys and demons alike,
to play their role in the maintaining the harmony and the beauty of the universe. The song
pleased Shiva because it agreed with his own understanding of the meaning of the
universe—and to a small degree because it glorified his importance in the lifecycle of the
universe.

The song continued, day after day: it never was quite the same, yet it continually wove
the same themes into a musical tapestry. After some time, Shiva realized that the voice
must be that of the demon Ravana, imprisoned beneath him. This surprised him at first,
that such beauty could come from such an evil creature. As the themes continued to
nourish his spirit over the years, he realized his error: Ravana, too, was a manifestation of
the One; Ravana’s destructive work shared the purifying aspect of his own; all creatures
must participate in creating beauty in the universe. Over time Shiva felt remorse at
interfering with nature, with keeping this creature from playing his part in the harmony of
the universe. With a smile on his face and with joy in his heart, Shiva released Ravana
from beneath the mountain.

Shiva is God embodying the principle of vairagya, absolute detachment. He demonstrates his
disdain for all things material by smearing his body wish and living in crematoriums. The
material world does not matter to him. Ravana may be his great devotee; he may sing Shiva’s
praise, and worship Shiva every day, but he does not follow the path of Shiva. In reality,
Ravanaa stands for everything that Shiva rejects. Ravanaa is fully attached to worldly things.
He always wants what others have. He never built the city of gold – he drove out his brother,
Kuber, and took over the kingdom of Lanka. Why did he abduct Sita? Avenging his sister’s
mutilation was but an excuse; it was the desire to conquer the heart of a faithful wife. And
during the war, he let his sons die and his brothers die before entering the battlefield himself.

3. Ravana And Rama:

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 Ravana abducted Rama’s wife, a crime for which he was punished, so says Ramayana
making him archetypical villain of the Legendary epic. Ram is God for most of the
Hindus, Ravanaaa’s Action make him the Devil’s incarnation. This justifies the annual
burning of his effigy during the festival of Dusherra.

But in temples of Rameshwaram and Rishikesh one would find tale of Rama atoning for
the sin of killing Ravana a Brahmin and other that Ravana was Rama’s Guru as well.

The story goes that after firing the fatal arrow on the battlefield of Lanka, Ram told his
brother, Lakshman, “Go to Ravanaa quickly before he dies and request him to share whatever
knowledge he can. A brute he may be, but he is also a great scholar.” The obedient
Lakshman rushed across the battlefield to Ravana’s side and whispered in his ears, “Demon-
king, do not let your knowledge die with you. Share it with us and wash away your sins.”

Ravana responded by simply turning away. An angry Lakshman went back to Ram, “He is as
arrogant as he always was, too proud to share anything.” Ram comforted his brother and
asked him softly, “Where did you stand while asking Ravana for knowledge?” “Next to his
head so that I hear what he had to say clearly.” Ram smiled, placed his bow on the ground
and walked to where Ravanaa lay. Lakshman watched in astonishment as his divine brother
knelt at Ravanaa’s feet. With palms joined, with extreme humility, Ram said, “Lord of Lanka,
you abducted my wife, a terrible crime for which I have been forced to punish you. Now, you
are no more my enemy. I bow to you and request you to share your wisdom with me. Please
do that for if you die without doing so, all your wisdom will be lost forever to the world.” To
Lakshman’s surprise, Ravana opened his eyes and raised his arms to salute Ram, “If only I
had more time as your teacher than as your enemy. Standing at my feet as a student should,
unlike your rude younger brother, you are a worthy recipient of my knowledge. I have very
little time so I cannot share much but let me tell you one important lesson I have learnt in my
life. Things that are bad for you seduce you easily; you run towards them impatiently. But
things that are actually good for you, fail to attract you; you shun them creatively, finding
powerful excuses to justify your procrastination. That is why I was impatient to abduct Sita
but avoided meeting you. This is the wisdom of my life, Ram. My last words. I give it to you.”
With these words, Ravanaa died.

The potential guru-disciple relationship between Rama and Ravanaa shapes our perception of
the philosophical concepts presented within the Ramayana. The narrative of the nuanced
relationship between “good” and “evil,” encapsulated in Rama and Ravanaa’s feud, attempts
to shape our views of reality. The acknowledgment of the ambiguity of “good” and “evil,”
accentuated and played with by an eternal, infinite timeline, encourages and, at times, forces
the reader to open their minds to a deeper understanding of reality. The infinite change that

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 occurs as a result of the infinite timelines of the various deities leaves much room for the
changing and developing of characters

. The use of themes like telepathic communication, divine powers and mystical experience
among the deities gives the readers a glimpse into the deeper, “true” reality beyond the epic
of these characters.

Ultimately, Ravanaa is defeated by Rama. Suka delivers a stone from Ravanaa to Rama, and
we learn that Ravanaa is actually Rama’s devotee. Ravanaa lauds Rama as Lord Narayana, as
the Supreme, and reveals that even while Rama is unaware that he is secretly a deity,
Ravanaa has been aware all along, because his bhakti towards Rama and his desire to attain
moksha through devotion to Rama has allowed him to always see Rama’s true form. Rama
dismisses this revelation out-of-hand; and through this seemingly simple gesture,
the dharma of Ravanaa is perfected and completed, as Rama lives on as king of Ayodhya.

We can acknowledge the goodness within Ravanaa, and the lack of moral integrity and
humanity within Rama; And ultimately, we must acknowledge their deeper relationship.
Ravanaaa’s goodness is highlighted and emphasized at important times (often before he is
beaten down by humility once again).

On the other hand, Rama engages in mutual deformation of Surpanakha and disrespect to
Ravana; and continually treated Sita in reprehensible ways, requiring her to undergo Agni
Pariksha (trial by fire), and ultimately banishing her while she is pregnant with two children .
The morality (and amorality) of both Rama and Ravana shapes the applicability of these
concepts to our own lives: we may be intrigued by Ravenna’s asceticism or beautiful singing,
but his actions, such as killing the virtuous, saintly Vulture King Jatayu, may make us
question the efficacy of, say, certain rituals, or moralistic beliefs and alliances.

Rama is held as the ultimate, the Supreme, but still performs actions that are deplorable.
Ravana is a rapist, a misogynist and a murderer, as well as being a previously-devout ascetic
for almost 10,000 years. The complexity of these characters affects how we interpret the
philosophical concepts of Buck’s Ramayana by giving us these messages through
questionable characters.

It is also hard to decipher where Ravana belongs within Tulsi’s view of society. We may very
easily draw this parallel to Ravana, who is portrayed as the lowest of the low throughout the
epic. At the same time, however, Ravana, like Rama, ruled over a kingdom (Lanka), and had
devoted servants. He was born a Brahmin, and was an ascetic devotee of Lord Shiva.

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 Interestingly enough, those who would be considered nich by Tulsi Das have come to express
sympathy for Ravana, often as a political gesture against oppression:
“Glorification of Ravana is not unknown. According to a minor tradition, the demons of
Vishnu are successive reincarnations of his attendants, who take this form in order to be near
him…In modern times, Tamil groups who oppose what they believe to be the political
domination of southern India by the north view the story of Rama as an example of the
Sanskritization and cultural repression of the south and express their sympathies for Ravana
and against Rama.” (Encyclopedia Britannica)

Ravana has been utilized as a cultural, political symbol that extends beyond his original
intended purpose within the myth, and for good reason. If we cannot clearly decipher the
moral integrity of the designated antagonist, it is fair to say that we cannot trust that the
appointed protagonist is worthy of our admiration.

4.Ravana In Ramayana And Ramcharitra Manas:

Ravana has undergone a significant process of exaltation in the Uttar Kaand. of course is only
natural. If Ravana has been metamorphised into model of one of the great puranic asuras such
as Hiranyakasya Bali, it is because he must be a worthy fôr (in a literary sense incarnation of
the great lord of the universe. One would scarcely Vishnu to take on human form merely in
order to chastise some obscure Rakshas King..

Nonetheless, the problem of Ravana's apparent anonymity central portions of the Ramayana
does raise several interesting questions.

The first of these involves the serious narrative lapse which arises Rama's vitally important,
but seemingly forgotten encounter Rävana's sister, Surpanakha. The incident is important

Ramcharit Manas was written by Goswami Tulsidas. It consists of seven chapters named
Bala Kand, Ayodhya Kand, Aranya Kand, Kishkindha Kand, Sundar Kand, Lanka Kand and
Uttar Kand. It is written in pure Avadhi (a regional dialect of Uttar Pradesh). The stanzas are
called choupaiyas, broken by dohas or couplets with occasional sortha and chhand.
In the inception of the sixth chapter ‘Lanka Kaand’ the well known scene of hanuman
getting the access to Lanka depicts hanuman’s visual of Ravana.

When Hanuman was tied up with rope, he was taken to the Ravana's court. Ravana's
court was very huge and full of strange visions Devils and devtas (gods) were standing in
the court with folded hands and scared of Ravanaa's unfavourable eyebrow movement.
But Hanuman was indifferent with such sight and walked like fearless Garud (king of
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 birds) amidst number of serpents. With ten heads, twenty arms, a flying chariot and a city
of gold, the mighty Ravanaa is without doubt a flamboyant villain. His sexual prowess
was legendary. When Hanuman entered Lanka, in search of Sita, he found the demon-
lord lying in bed surrounded by a bevy of beauties, women who had willingly abandoned
their husbands.
Ram, by comparison, seems boring – a rule-upholder who never does anything
spontaneous or dramatic. He is the obedient son, always doing the right thing, never
displaying a roving eye or a winsome smile. It is not difficult therefore to be a fan of
Ravana, to be seduced by his power, to be enchanted by his glamour, and to find
arguments that justify his actions.

One can’t help but wonder: why does the poet, Valmiki, go out of his way to make his villain
so admirable, so seductive, so enchanting?

Valmiki describes Ravana as the greatest devotee of Shiva. In many folk versions of the epic
such as Ram-kathas and Ram-kiritis, we are informed that Ravana composed the Rudra
Stotra in praise of Shiva, the ascetic-god. He designed the lute known as Rudra-Vina using
one of his ten heads as the lute’s gourd, one of his arms as the beam and his nerves as the
strings. The image of Ravana carrying Mount Kailas, with Shiva’s family on top, is an
integral part of Shiva temple art.

Perhaps, say some scholars, that this expresses the legendary battle between Shiva-
worshippers and Vishnu-worshippers. Ram, who is Vishnu on earth, kills Ravana who is
Shiva’s devotee. But this argument falls flat when one is also told that Ram’s trusted ally,
Hanuman, is a form of Shiva himself. Valmiki is clearly conveying a more profound idea by
calling Ravana a devotee of Shiva . And to understand the thought we have to dig a bit
deeper.

4.1 The Surpanakha Case:

In the Ramayana we might have some dilemmatic situations during interpretation of the
Sundar Kaand. Nonetheless, the problem of Ravana's apparent anonymity central portions
of the Ramayana does raise several interesting questions.

The first of these involves the serious narrative lapse which arises Rama's vitally
important, but seemingly forgotten encounter Ravana's sister, Surpanakha. The incident is
important in several ways in the form of a beautiful woman approaches Rama and asks

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 him to become her lover. Despite her lovely form, she makes no effort to conceal the fact
of her true nature, announcing :

“aham Surpanakha nama ràkshasi kâmarûpinï”

She goes on to tell him that she is the sister of Ravana, with a clear implication that the
name should not only be known to Ram, but should impress him :

“ Ravana nãma me bhrãtãyedi te brotram agata hito viro viéravasah putro yadi te”

The phrase itself is ambiguous. It may either be taken in a straightforward manner

meaning : " If you have heard of him ", or in a slightly ironic sense, meaning : " Surely
you have heard of him ". Both interpretations are given by different commentators.

In any case, if Ram does not know the name, which is apparently the case, Surpanakha
provides him with the names of Ravan’s family. Not only does she refer to Ravana as
visravasah putrah , but she goes on to name his brothers Kumbhakarna, Vibhisana, Khara
and Dûsana. Ram proceeds to have his little joke with the love-maddened Rakshasi, and
when she offers to devour Sita, deciding that it has gone too far, has Laksmana deform
her. He joke with such low people, mutilated face, runs screaming Khara.

Ramayana. Surely Rama must have thought that there would be some further
repercussion on account of his abusing the sister of one of the chief Rakshas. Yet, even
after he has compounded the injury by exterminating the brothers and troops sent out to
avenge Surpanakha, Rama The Shaktimaan (The most powerful) seems to have forgotten
the whole affair almost at once.

He seems utterly unaware of having done Ravana any wrong. Can it be that the whole
Surpanakha episode is a later interpolation ? We hardly think so, for although this would
explain Rama's faulty memory, it would leave us with no cogent explanation of Ravan’s
abduction of Sita other than that of the Uttara Kaand, where the whole narrative is seen as
a result of an ever telescoping series of curses and boons, along with all the elements of
Vaisnava theology.2 In the absence of such obvious accretions, we would be left with
only the perversity and maliciousness of Ravana as the reason for his deed. This notion is
in turn rendered unlikely by the very need for reasons which are more narratively cogent
which the hypothetical interpolator must have felt. So we return to the position that the
episode is original and the memory lapse inexplicable except as a plot furthering device

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 5. Ravana’ Traits and Influence on the Modern
World:
Ravana has ten pairs of eyes, which means he can see more. Ravana has ten sets of arms,
which means he can do more. Ravana has ten heads, which means he can think more.
And yet, this man with a superior body and superior mind submits to the basest of
passions. Despite knowing the Vedas and worshipping Shiva, he remains a slave of his
senses and a victim of his own ego. He arrogantly shows off his knowledge of
detachment but is not wise enough to practice detachment. Deluded, he gives only lip-
service to Shiva. This pretender is therefore killed by Ram, who like Shiva, is another
form of God.

Lanka was an idyllic city, created by the celestial architect Vishwakarma himself and was
the home of Kubera, the treasurer of the gods, when Ravanaaa demanded Lanka wholly
from him, threatening to take it by force. Although Ravanaaa usurped Lanka, he had been
a benevolent and effective ruler. Lanka flourished under his rule and Ravanaaa had
proceeded on a series of campaigns conquering humans, celestials and demons.

It is said that Ravana ruled Lanka for several hundred years prior to the times of
Ramayana, when he was killed by prince Rama for kidnapping his wife Sita.

The Pushpaka vimana or the aeroplane which he flew is held as an example of great
scientific achievements made during his regime while Ravana also holds a high position
as a physician and there exists, to this day, seven books on Ayurveda in his name. He is
also believed to have authored Ravana Sanhita, an anthology of Hindu astrology and his

Description as a ten-headed person, Dashamukha DashaGriva, is believed to be a

reference to his vast knowledge and intelligence.

His Kingdom had mainly concentrated around the Eastern and Southern corners of the
country and believed to have been lost to the sea with the years.

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 Some even go as far as to insist that Ravana was a Buddhist king and holds him to be the
creator of monasteries found in Sri Lanka like Kuragala and Rahalgala. The country is
filled with locations which are linked to the Ravana legend like Sita Chalisa in Numara
Chalisa, which is believed to be a prison of Princess Sita while Wariyapola and Horton
Plains are considered to be the landing sites of his flying machine.

Rumassala, a mountain peak by the Southern oceans of Sri Lanka is too linked to the
Ravana legend and is held to be a part of the Himalaya Mountain. The mountain filled
with medicinal plants was allegedly brought to Sri Lanka to treat the injured of the Rama-
Ravana war was left in the country and is still filled with herbs of rare medicinal value.

Adam’s Bridge, a chain of limestone shoals, between Rameswaram Island, off the south
eastern coast of Tamil Nadu, India, and Mannar Island, off the north western coast of Sri
Lanka too is connected to the legend of Ravana. Also known as Rama-Sethu or Rama’s
bridge the land mass is believed to be a bridge built by monkeys interconnecting India
and Sri Lanka and enabling the crossing of Rama’s army. Investigations conducted by
Indian National Remote Sensing Agency had suggested that the land connection could be
a manmade structure built 5000 to 3500 years ago.

Yet Sri Lankan Ravana fans contradict its origin and its builder. Sri Lankan historians
believe that the bridge was built by Ravana and was a floating structure connecting Lanka
with lands in India.

According to them the bridge was later used by Rama’s army who crossed boundaries to
Ravana’s Lankapura and overthrew one of the greatest rulers of the world with the
assistance of his brother Vibishana, bringing down one of the most advanced civilisations
in the history.

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 Conclusion:
Ravana has ten pairs of eyes, which means he can see more. Ravana has ten sets of arms,
which means he can do more. Ravana has ten heads, which means he can think more.
And yet, this man with a superior body and superior mind submits to the basest of
passions. Despite knowing the Vedas and worshipping Shiva, he remains a slave of his
senses and a victim of his own ego. He arrogantly shows off his knowledge of
detachment but is not wise enough to practice detachment. Deluded, he gives only lip-
service to Shiva. This pretender is therefore killed by Ram, who like Shiva, is another
form of God.

Ravana has been utilized as a cultural, political symbol that extends beyond his original
intended purpose within the myth, and for good reason. If we cannot clearly decipher the
moral integrity of the designated antagonist, it is fair to say that we cannot trust that the
appointed protagonist is worthy of our admiration, It is also hard to decipher where Ravana
belongs within Tulsi’s view of society. We may very easily draw this parallel to Ravana, who
is portrayed as the lowest of the low throughout the epic. At the same time, however, Ravana,
like Rama, ruled over a kingdom (Lanka), and had devoted servants. He was born a Brahmin,
and was an ascetic devotee of Lord Shiva.

Ravanaa is fully attached to worldly things. He always wants what others have. He never
built the city of gold – he drove out his brother, Kuber, and took over the kingdom of Lanka.
Why did he abduct Sita? Avenging his sister’s mutilation was but an excuse; it was the desire
to conquer the heart of a faithful wife. And during the war, he let his sons die and his brothers
die before entering the battlefield himself.

Revisiting Ravana Page 17

 Bibliography:
1.Eck, Diana. Darśan. New York: Columbia University Press. 1998.
2. Buck, William, and Vālmīki. Ramayana. Berkeley: University of California, 1976.
3. Velchuru Narayana Rao,“Rāmāyaṇa,” in Encyclopedia of Religion, 2nd Edition, ed.
Lindsay Jones (Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005), 7616-7618.
4. Rama and Lakshmana Fighting Ravanaaa (India, Pahari, Bilaspur School). 1750.
Painting. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Edward L. Whittemore Fund, Cleveland, Ohio,
USA.
5. Savitri Chandra, “Two Aspects of Hindu Social Life and Thought, as Reflected in the
Works of Tulsidas,” Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, Vol. 19, No. 1
(Feb., 1976), pp. 48-60.
6. Goldman, R., and J. Masson. “Who Knows Ravanaaa?–A Narrative Difficulty in the
Valmiki Ramayana.” Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute 50.1/4 (1969):
95-100. JSTOR. Web. http://www.jstor.org/stable/416942
7. McCrea, Lawrence. 2010. “Poetry beyond good and evil: Bilhaṇa and the tradition of
patron-centered court epic.” Journal Of Indian Philosophy 38, no. 5: 503-518. ATLA
Religion Database, EBSCOhost (accessed October 24, 2014).

Hyperlink Bibliography:

8. The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. “Ravana.” Encyclopedia Britannica Online.

Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014. .
9. The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. “Rama (Hindu Deity).” Encyclopedia Britannica
Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014. .
10. The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. “Tulsidas.” Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014. .

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 11. The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. “Ramayana (Indian Epic).” Encyclopedia
Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2014. .

Major Findings:

 The positive side of the greatest antagonist of Indian Mythology

 The ideals and life values derived from a ruthless demon King.
 True interpretation of Ramayana and the reason for war.
 Social impression of Ravana In India and Countries of his Influence.
 Social changes in clans by the stories and folklores of Indian Mythology.

Revisiting Ravana Page 19