Is Mandodari the only wife of Ravana? Or did he have other wives too?
If he had more than one wife, then why is only Mandodari famous? In which scripture(s) are others mentioned?
What are the names of all the wives of Ravana?
asked Dec 19, 2018 at 13:22
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1 Answer
Ravana has multiple wives. The following lines from sarga 10 of Sundara Kanda confirms it
That Hanuma saw in the house of that king of Rakshasa's, wives at the feet, Ravana being a gigantic one with loving wives, shone with crown tilted to the side, having strange hue with pearls and diamonds and of golden colour, with a face made brilliant by earrings, shone with the chest region smeared with red sandal, shining with a necklace wide, high and corpulent with a silk cloth of white colour falling on him, with eyes reddish like blood, well tied by a best cloth of yellow colour and of very best quality, resembling a heap of black beans, snoring like a hiss of a snake, like an elephant sleeping in the middle of water belonging to the great river Ganga with all the four directions shone by the four lamps of golden colour, resembling a cloud with all the parts being shone by groups of lighting.[25;26;27;28;29;30]
The leader of Vanaras saw those wives of Ravana with faces with radiance of moon, adorned with beautiful earrings, wearing jewellery and flower garlands which were not worn out.[31]
Hanuma saw wives of Ravana with skill in dance and musical instruments, who obtained the shoulders of Ravana wearing the best jewellery and being in sleep.[32]
Mandodari is the name of one of the (main) wife of Ravana
Hanuma saw Mandodari with a beautiful form together with diamonds and pearls, well decorated by jewellery and with her self radiance as though decorating that great building with a fair complexion and with a radiance like golden colour, who was dear to her husband the lady of women in that gynaeceum sleeping there.[51;52]
Ravana has thousand of wives. Hanuman saw thousand of women and all are wives of Ravana. The following lines from sarga 11 of Sundara Kanda confirms it
The warrior among Vanaras saw a thousand of women decorated by jewellery with a nature of talking about beauty, conversing about the correct meaning of songs being sung, behaving according to time and place, wont to speak appropriate words, indulged in sleep after sexual dalliance.[6;7]
"My seeing sleeping house of other people's wives will do a great deficit to dharma."[37]
"My sight is indeed not in the matter of other wives here. These other's wives have been seen by me."[38]
To that Hanuma with an excellent mind, with a fixed and concentrated mind, was born another thought again, showing a fixed resolve in the task at hand.[39]
"All Ravana's women who were in faith could have been seen by me; to my mind there indeed was not even a little disturbance".[40]