Character

Ravana

रावणRāvaṇa

Also called Ravan

verses
4,363
books
24
chapters
562
Parent of
Indrajit
Sibling of
Kumbhakarna, Vibhishana, Shurpanakha
Abode
Lanka
Slain by
Rama
Consort of
Mandodari

What the texts say

The Ramayana calls Ravana the lord of the rakshasas, and the Sri Ramcharitmanas addresses him as the ten-headed lord of Lanka. Ramayana 1.20.17Ramcharitmanas 5.3.103 In the Sri Ramcharitmanas, Ravana asked Brahma for a boon against death, leaving aside only vanaras and men. Ramcharitmanas 1.18.369 In the Shiva Purana, Ravana, proud of his strength, began to heave up Mount Kailasa. Shiva Purana 7.30.46 In the Ramayana, he carried off Rama's wife Sita by deceit and kept her in the Ashoka grove. Ramayana 5.31.10, 6.72.11 In the Ramayana, Rama slew Ravana in battle at Lanka in the end and recovered Sita. Ramayana 1.1.81

Where to read

Every verse that names Ravana, book by book.

  1. Ramayana

    3,042 verses · 243 chapters

    All 3,042 verses in the Ramayana
    • 3.51.23

      Ravan khush tha, Sita ko god mein bitha ke le ja raha tha. Tab Jatayu, woh bada giddh, udkar aaya. Ravan ke saamne jaake khada ho gaya aur bola.

    • 3.47.26

      Sita, mera naam Ravan hai. Main rakshason ka raja hoon. Devta, asur aur naag sab mujhse dar te hain. Saari duniya mujhse darti hai.

    • 6.101.1

      Jab uska weapon kaam nahi kiya, toh Raavan ka gussa double ho gaya. Woh raakshason ka raja tha. Gusse mein usne doosra weapon taiyaar kar liya.

  2. Skanda Purana

    252 verses · 70 chapters

    All 252 verses in the Skanda Purana
    • 1.1.8.31

      Vidyutkaisha aur Tadijjihva the. Raavan bhi tha jiska bahut bada bal tha. Kumbhakarn bhi tha, jise harana mushkil tha. Vegadarshi bhi tha jo bahut tej tha.

    • 1.2.13.159

      Shani ke ilaake mein, aadhi raat ko, jahan zameen samundar se milti hai, wahan Ravan ne jati lakdi ka ling banaya. Woh uska naam leke puja karta tha, Sudurjaya, matlab jo kabhi haar na mane.

    • 1.2.45.106

      Vishnu ne Ravan ko yudh mein maara. Samundar ke kinare Rameshwar ling khada kiya. Kya woh sab bekaar tha? Aisa nahi sochna chahiye.

  3. Ramcharitmanas

    236 verses · 39 chapters

    All 236 verses in the Ramcharitmanas
    • 6.9.81

      Ravan ne apne dil mein socha. Mere raakshas sab maare ja chuke hain. Main akela hoon aur bandar aur bhalu bahut zyada hain. Ab mujhe bahut zyada maya karni padegi.

    • 5.6.78

      Lakshman ke charno mein maatha tekte hi woh log turant chale gaye, aur uske guno ki kahaani sunate rahe. Ram ki mahima gaate hue woh Lanka aa gaye, aur Ravan ke charno mein maatha jhuka diya. Ravan haske pucha, "Batao Shuka, apna haal nahi…

    • 5.4.52

      Malyavant ek bahut samajhdar mantri tha. Usne Vibhishan ki baat suni aur use bahut acha laga. Usne kaha, beta, tera chhota bhai neeti ka gehna hai. Jo Vibhishan keh raha hai use dil par laga le. Ravan bola, ye dono harami dushman ki tareef…

  4. Mahabharata

    192 verses · 32 chapters

    All 192 verses in the Mahabharata

    Also in the Gita Press edition: 195 verses

    • 3.262.1

      Markandey ne kaha, Ravan ko dekh kar Marich darr gaya. Phir bhi usne izzat se uska swagat kiya. Usne phal aur jarharein bheji.

    • 3.265.2

      Rakshasiyan uske paas khadi thi. Woh patthar par baithi thi. Ravan use dekh ke paas gaya. Uska dil uske peeche tha.

    • 3.259.7

      Pushpotkata ke do bete paida hue. Dono rakshas logon ke bade sardar the. Ek ka naam Kumbhakarna tha, doosre ka Dashagriva. Dono mein itni taakat thi ki duniya mein koi unke barabar nahi tha.

Also named in

Key chapters

The chapters where Ravana matters most.

  1. Jatayu’s Combat with Ravana

    Ramayana 3.51 · 44 verses

    Abductor and adharma-agent

  2. सीतारावणसंवादः · Ravana Reveals Himself; Sita Affirms Rama’s Dharma

    Ramayana 3.47 · 42 verses

  3. Ravana’s Shakti Javelin and Lakshmana’s Wounding

    Ramayana 6.101 · 42 verses

    Principal antagonist

  4. Ravana’s Persuasion and Coercive Courtship of Sita

    Ramayana 5.20 · 34 verses

  5. Sita’s Dharmic Admonition to Ravana

    Ramayana 5.21 · 34 verses

  6. Ravana reveals his true form and abducts Sita

    Ramayana 3.49 · 31 verses

    Antagonist shifts from verbal seduction to overt violence

  7. Sita’s Abduction and Ravana’s Entry into Lanka

    Ramayana 3.54 · 26 verses

    Abductor in flight

  8. Sita’s Lament and Condemnation of Ravana

    Ramayana 3.53 · 25 verses

    Silent/implicit antagonist in this sarga’s rhetoric

  9. Ravana’s Self-Praise and the Description of Lanka

    Ramayana 3.48 · 24 verses

    Primary speaker

  10. Ravana’s entry into the women’s grove

    Ramayana 5.18 · 22 verses

Key episodes

  1. The Golden Deer

    Ramayana 3.42-3.44

  2. Ravana Carries Off Sita

    Ramayana 3.45-3.56

  3. Jatayu Fights Ravana

    Ramayana 3.50-3.68

  4. Hanuman Finds Sita in the Ashoka Grove

    Ramayana 5.14-5.40

  5. Hanuman Burns Lanka

    Ramayana 5.53-5.55

  6. The Final Battle and the Slaying of Ravana

    Ramayana 6.108-6.112

Also known to Wikipedia · Wikidata Q235102