Did Lord Rama or Lord Krishna ever convince any Rakshasa?

Question

Did Lord Rama or Lord Krishna ever convince any Rakshasa and also did the Rakshasa changed his attitude to only spiritual life leaving behind all his sinful actions and follow them?

Answer 1

Rama, Lakshmana and Sita were exiled for a period of 14 years from the kingdom by Dasharatha at the behest of Rama's stepmother Kaikeyi . The trio traveled south from Ayodhya and passed through the Dandakaranya (Dandaka forest) to the banks of the Godavari River where they built a hermitage at Panchavati . Maricha recalls the following incident when talking with Ravana. However, it does not appear as a separate event in the chronological telling of the Ramayana . Maricha returned to Dandakaranya and disguised himself as a beast with a flaming tongue and two sharp horns. He was accompanied by two rakshasas in the form of animals. They feasted on human flesh and traveled to pilgrimage sites, terrorizing ascetics. They would kill ascetics and drink their blood. Once, Maricha saw Rama, Lakshmana and Sita. Remembering his last encounter, Maricha attacked them in his ferocious beast form to seek vengeance with his demonic companions. Rama shot three arrows at once, killing Maricha's allies, but the third arrow narrowly missed Maricha, who fled in fear. The spared Maricha was transformed into a saintly person. He lived a life of an ascetic. He set up an ashram, grew matted hair and wore tree bark. He continued living there out of the fear of Rama

Source:— Valmiki ramayana

एवम् अस्मि तदा मुक्तः कथंचित् तेन संयुगे | इदानीम् अपि यत् वृत्तम् तत् शृउणुष्व यत् उत्तरम् || ४-३९-१

"Thus I was somehow released by him in a confrontation then in his teens. Now you may also listen to what has happened later in his adulthood." Thus Maareecha continued his advise to Ravana. [4-39-1]

राक्षाभ्याम् अहम् द्वाभ्याम् अनिर्विण्णः तथा कृतः | सहितो मृग रूपाभ्याम् प्रविष्टो दँडका वने || ४-३९-२

"Though Rama hit me previously in such a way, I unabashedly entered Dandaka forest together with two more demons who were in the guise of animals. [4-39-2]

दीप्त जिह्वो महादंष्ट्रः तीक्ष्ण शृंगो महाबलः | व्यचरन् दँडाकारण्यम् मांस भक्षो महामृगः || ४-३९-३

"On becoming a gigantic carnivorous animal with a torching tongue, incisive teeth and excruciating horns, and with an extraordinary energy, I was on the rove in Dandaka forest while getting at Rama. [4-39-3]

अग्निहोत्रेषु तीर्थेषु चैत्य वृक्षेषु रावण | अत्यन्त घोरो व्यचरन् तापसान् संप्रधर्षयन् || ४-३९-४

"I moved about Dandaka forest, oh, Ravana, in an extremely horrible aspect of animal, utterly brutalising the sages at ritual-altars, holy bathing places and under the trees of religious sanctuaries while reaching Rama. [4-39-4]

निहत्य दँडकारण्ये तापसान् धर्मचरिणः | रुधिराणि पिबन्तः तेषाम् तन् मांसानि च भक्षयन् || ४-३९-५

"I have proceeded to Rama killing saints in Dandaka forest who are the treaders in saintliness, and drinking off their blood and feasting on their flesh. [4-39-5]

ऋषि माअंस अशनः क्रूरः त्रासयन् वनगोचरान् | तदा रुधिर मत्तो अहम् व्यचरन् दँडका वनम् || ४-३९-६

"On becoming such a brutal animal I have been eating the flesh of sages, frightening the forest dwellers, and in that way I rambled in Dandaka forest besotted with blood-drinking while reaching Rama. [4-39-6]

तदा अहम् दँडकारण्ये विचरन् धर्म दूषकः | आसादयम् तदा रामम् तापसम् धर्मम् आश्रितम् || ४-३९-७ वैदेहि च महाभागाम् लक्ष्मणम् च महरथम् |

"While I was wandering in Dandaka forest as an abuser of virtue, then I reached Rama who by then has assumed the rectitude befitting to a saint, and I even reached the great-fortunate Vaidehi and top-speeded-chariot-rider Lakshmana. [4-39-7, 8a]

तापसम् नियत आहारम् सर्व बूत हिते रतम् || ४-३९-८ सः अहम् वन गतम् रामम् परिभूय महाबलम् | तापसो अयम् इति ज्ञात्वा पूर्व वैरम् अनुस्मरन् || ४-३९-९ अभ्यधावम् सुसंक्रुद्धः तीक्ष्ण शृंगो मृग आकृतिः | जिघांसुः अकृतप्रज्ञः तम् प्रहारम् अनुस्मरन् || ४-३९-१०

"I was in the shape of an animal with incisive horns. Such as I was I recollected my earlier grudge against that great mighty Rama who takes delight in the welfare of all being, who by then was santlike on a regulated diet and abiding in the forest, whereby I presumed him to be mere hermit. In that way, I was very extremely infuriated to recollect his earlier assault on me, and I indiscriminately dashed towards him, only to kill him, completely disregarding his other faculties. [4-39-8b, 9, 10]

तेन त्यक्ताः त्रयो बाणाः शिताः शत्रु निबर्हणाः | विकृष्य सुमहत् चापम् सुपर्ण अनिल तुल्य गाः || ४-३९-११

"Stringing out his highly magnificent bow Rama then released three excruciating and enemy eliminating arrows which in their egress match the Air-god and the Divine-Eagle Garuda. [4-39-11]

ते बाणा वज्र संकाशाः सुघोरा रक्त भोजनाः | आजग्मुः सहिताः सर्वे त्रयः संनतपर्वणः || ४-३९-१२

"All those three thunderbolt like arrows that have only blood for their board, acutely bent at barbs, and that are highly horrendous have come at us in a coordinated manner. [4-39-12]

पराक्रमज्ञो रामस्य शठो दृष्ट भयः पुरा | समुत्क्रांतः ततः मुक्तः तौ उभौ राक्षसौ हतौ || ४-३९-१३

"As I have earlier seen the fear caused by his arrow I am in the know of Rama's valour, hence I retreated from there trickily and gingerly, but the other two demons were killed. [4-39-13]

शरेण मुक्तो रामस्य कथंचित् प्राप्यजीवितम् | इह प्रव्राजितो युक्तः तापसो अहम् समाहितः || ४-३९-१४

"When I was somehow exempted by the arrow of Rama I regained lifespan, and when that arrow made me to renounce everything like a monk and fled me to this place, the other side of ocean to where you came by your aircraft, here I am living here in a yogic way, self-collectedly like an ascetic. [4-39-14]

Although he was killed later for gelping ravana by changing in form of golden dear and helping ravana.

proof (marichi advicing ravana):—

तत् श्रुत्वा राक्षसेन्द्रस्य वाक्यम् वाक्य विशारदः | प्रत्युवाच महाप्राज्ञो मारीचो राक्षसेश्वरम् || ३-३७-१

On hearing that idea of the chief of demons Ravana in abducting Seetha, Maareecha, a well-informed one and an articulator spoke to the lord of demons in reply. [3-37-1]

सुलभाः पुरुषा राजन् सततम् प्रिय वादिनः | अप्रियस्य च पथ्यस्य वक्ता श्रोता च दुर्लभः || ३-३७-२

"It will always be easy to get people who talk pleasantly, oh, king, but it is impossible to get them who talk judgementally and give suggestions that may be apparently insipid, but that are recuperative, more so, it is impossible to get listeners of such advises. [3-37-2]

न नूनम् बुध्यसे रामम् महावीर्यम् गुण उन्नतम् | अयुक्त चारः चपलो महेन्द्र वरुण उपमम् || ३-३७-३

"Definitely you do not apperceive Rama who is decidedly dynamic and exaltedly adept, for you are impetuous and desultory in dealing with your spies, but that Rama is identical to the thunderous Mahendra and tempestuous Varuna, the Rain- god. [3-37-3]

अपि स्वस्ति भवेत् तात सर्वेषाम् भुवि रक्षसाम् | अपि रामो न संक्रुद्धः कुर्यात् लोकम् अराक्षसम् || ३-३७-४

"Oh, boy, will there be safety to all demons on earth? Or, that highly enraged Rama will render this world de- demonised! [3-37-4]

— http://valmikiramayan.net/utf8/aranya/sarga37/aranya_37_frame.htm