15
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Why Ravana of Ramayana is worshipped like god and also considered as a demon?
If we go by Uttar Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana then his act of Kidnapping Sita is also considered not bad. It is told he did it to get liberation from hand of Rama. The Story is in Section XLIII of Uttar ...
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13
votes
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Did Rama shoot Ravana in the navel or chest?
Ramcharitmanas tells that 31 arrows flew simultaneously and 10 cut the heads of Ravana, 20 cut his arms and 1 hit the navel whereas Valmiki Ramayana tells that a single arrow hit Ravana's chest.
As ...
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12
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What was the reward given by Sri Rama to Jatayu for fighting Ravana?
Sri Rama had performed the final rites of Jatayu and wished him to go to the worlds that can be attained only by righteous people, highly souled people. This incident is described in Valmiki Ramayana, ...
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12
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How did Ravan get 10 heads? What are the names of those heads?
Ravana was born with ten heads.
His birth is mentioned in the Chapter 9 of Uttara Kanda
Uttara Kanda of Ramayana as well as this answer by user Keshav Srinivasan. It is written that he was born ...
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11
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Was Ravana a vegetarian?
Ravana was not a vegetarian.
As per UTTARA KANDA of Valmiki Ramayana, this is what Ravana did in king Marutta's Maheshvara yajna:
And then devouring the Maharshis that were present at the place of
...
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10
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How many days did Ravana keep Sita confined?
As I discuss in my answer here Padma Purana, Patala Khanda chapter 36 gives each and every Tithi of Ramas life in detail. It states:
दशैकाधिकमासांस्तुचतुर्दशाहानिमैथिली ।
उवासरामरहितारावणस्यानि...
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10
votes
How did Hanuman's tail catch fire?
The purpose behind Lord Hanumanas act of burning Lanka -:
Lord Hanuman thought that burning the Lanka will bring some small help to Lord Rama in his task of freeing Devi Sita.
दुर्गे विनाशिते ...
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10
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Did Ravana have knowledge about Rama being an avatar of Vishnu?
No, he was not aware of this fact. Some of his well wishers tried to say this but he abused them and rejected their advices saying Sri Rama was a human being. Many advised him that Sri Rama was not an ...
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10
votes
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What happened to the Pushpak chariot taken by lord Rama?
Who created Pushpaka Vimana and for whom?
Pushpaka Vimana was created by celestial architect Vishwakarma for Lord Brahma.
ब्रह्मणो अर्थे क्ऱ्तम् दिव्यम् दिवि यद् विश्व कर्मणा |
विमानम् पुष्पकम् ...
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9
votes
Weapon with which Rama killed Ravana
The answer is present in Valmiki's Ramayana
Mathili tells to Lord Rama
O, Lord! You can employ a mystic missile presided over by Brahma the lord of creation. The time for his destruction has come now,...
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9
votes
Was Ravana not able to lift Pinaka aka 'The Shiva Dhanush'?
The details regarding the Swayamvara of Sita (avatar of Goddess Lakshmi), are mentioned in two chapters as under, in the Valmiki Ramayana:-
Book I : Bala Kanda - The Youthful Majesties, Chapter [...
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9
votes
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How many wives did Ravana have?
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 ...
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8
votes
When was Ravana hit by the Sudarshana Chakra?
Ravana was hit with Sudarshana Chakra in his war with Gods.
विष्णु चक्र निपातैः च शतशो देव संयुगे |
अन्यैः शस्त्रैः प्रहारैः च महायुद्धेषु ताडितम् || ३-३२-१०
His body bears hundreds of welts ...
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8
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Did Ravana kill Brihaspati's brother?
There are two versions of this story that I know. One version can be found in Mahabharata, Ashwamedha Parva SECTION IX and SECTION X.
Vrihaspati said, "O Indra, I have heard that Marutta will ...
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8
votes
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Was Ravana not able to lift the Earrings of Hiranyakashipu?
The story is told in this chapter of the Uttara Kanda of the Ramayana. Ravana is going around in the Patalalokas, trying to conquer everything in sight, when he comes across a palace, which he soon ...
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8
votes
Is sitting on a camel in a dream inauspicious?
I don't think there is anything inauspicious about riding camels because, in Yuddha Kanda, Indrajit's Rakshasa army rode atop camels among other war animals:
तं प्रस्थितं महात्मानमनुजग्मुर्महाबलाः| ...
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8
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Why did Hanuman not talk to Mandodari? How did he find out she is not Seetha?
It is mentioned in Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kanda, Sarga 10 that Lord Hanumana seen many women there in the palace of Ravana but when he saw Mandodari, because of her beauty and appearance he thought ...
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8
votes
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How much was Ravana able to succeed in lifting the Bow in Sita Svayamvara
The story of Ravana attending Sita’s swayamvar and his encounter with the Shiva Dhanush has not been described in the Valmiki Ramayana. The Manas only mentions him having tested it much before the ...
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7
votes
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Ravana - Who were his parents and siblings?
Ravana's parents were Vishrava (son of Pulastya) and Kaikesi (daughter of Sumali and Thataka). Kaikesi had two brothers Maricha and Subahu which would effectively make them Ravana's uncles.
Ravana ...
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7
votes
Which Scripture mentions the famous Shiva Tandava Stotram?
Shiv Tandava Strotam(शिवताण्डवस्तोत्रम्) is a hymn or eulogy(ode of praise) dedicated to Lord Shiva, it poetically describes the beauty and power of Lord Shiv in every aspect possible.
It is said that ...
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7
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Translation of Valmiki Ramayana 3-53-25
There is a website developed and maintained by IIT Kanpur. It is Valmiki Ramayana project by Rashtriya Sanskrita Vidya Peetham, Tirupati. I am providing the translation from the same source.
एतच्चा...
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7
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Negative Characterisitcs of Women - Ravana
Do our scriptures say anything about the negative traits of women or which women to avoid in general?
According Manu Smriti, there are six negative traits or characteristics of women that bring about ...
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7
votes
Origin of Ravana's name
The story of Ravana's name occurs in Chapter 16 of the Uttara-Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana. The Sanskrit text has been taken from Srimad Valmiki Ramayana Uttar Kanda by DP Sharma and Sanskrit Documents. ...
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7
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Where did Ravan go after his death by lord Ram?
Ravana was not liberated or didn't go to heaven after being killed by Śrī Rāma. He was born again as Śiśupāla in the 28th Dwapara Yuga.
Ravana was rebirth of one of the gatekeepers of Vaikunta. He was ...
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7
votes
Who is Arjuna, who had captured Ravana at Narmada river?
The king name is Arjuna. As he was the son of the king Krritavirya, he was also famously known as Kartivirya. He is the ruler of Haihayas with Mahishmathi as the capital. He had thousand arms. This ...
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7
votes
How did lord Rama perform penance for Ravana after killing him?
Did he ever felt sorry for killing Ravana?
Yes, this is described in PADMA PURANA: PATALAKHANDA: Chapter 8. Agastya Advices Rama to Perform Horse Sacrifice.
When Agastya narrated Ravana's story, ...
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7
votes
Raavana's dress code during abduction
The description is given in Valmiki Ramayan: Aranya Kanda: Sarga 46:
तदा आसाद्य दशग्रीवः क्षिप्रम् अंतरम् आस्थितः |
अभिचक्राम वैदेहीम् परिव्राजक रूप धृक् || ३-४६-२
श्लक्ष्ण काषाय संवीतः शिखी चत्री उपा...
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7
votes
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What happened to Ravana's body after his death?
False.
The antim samskara (funeral rites) of Ravana's body was performed by Vibishana.
After the death of Ravana in war with Rama. Rama asks Vibishana to perform funeral rites to Ravana's body
In ...
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6
votes
Ravana - Who were his parents and siblings?
Rāvaṇa was born to Viśravā (father) and Kaikasī (mother, a.k.a Keśinī).
This chapter of Uttarakāṇḍa of Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa narrates the birth of Rāvaṇa, his two brothers Kumbhakarṇa & Vibhīṣaṇa, and ...
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6
votes
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Boons given to Ravana by Lord Shiva
One story of Lord Shiva giving boons to Ravana is mentioned in Uttar Kand of Ramayana.
After defeating his elder brother Kubera, Ravana is passing through Kailash mountain in Pushpak viman. Then by ...
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