The Upside-Down King

by Sudha Murty

  Ravana’s Downfall

  King Ravana continued his journey of rampage and conquering kingdoms, killing people, imprisoning kings and taking away the beautiful women.

  When Ravana reached the city of Mahishmati, he headed to the king’s palace. King Arjuna (or Kartavirya Arjuna), the ruler of the kingdom, had a thousand arms and was blessed with the protection of Agni, the god of fire.

  The king, however, was not in his abode. Ravana thundered in impatience, ‘Where is the king? I have come to seek his surrender.’

  The king had gone to the river Narmada for a swim with his wives. The ministers knew this, but no one said anything. One smart minister responded, ‘The king is away from the palace, but he hasn’t informed us of his whereabouts.’

  Ravana was travelling in the Pushpaka Vimana and could easily trace his target from the sky. He thought of tracking down Kartavirya Arjuna but decided to first pray to Shiva and seek his blessings. So he went to the river Narmada, found an isolated spot and had a bath. He came out, made a shivalinga out of sand and began his prayers.

  While praying, the water from the river came gushing out and washed away the shivalinga. Ravana became furious at the river. ‘How dare the river send her water to disturb my prayers?’

  Upset, he abandoned his prayers and sent his servants to find out where the gush of water had come from. They came back and informed him, ‘Sir, a man with a thousand arms has extended his limbs across the river, almost like a dam. His family is playing in the water.’

  Ravana immediately knew that the man was none other than Kartavirya Arjuna. He sent his ministers to the king, who said, ‘The great Ravana of Lanka has come here, and you have disturbed his prayers to Shiva on the banks of the river. There must be a war.’

  ‘Please tell your king that I am extremely apologetic,’ replied Kartavirya Arjuna. ‘I was unaware that he was worshipping Shiva downstream. But I am with my family right now, and it is time for sunset. So if there has to be war, let it be from tomorrow.’

  Ravana, however, refused to wait for the next day.

  ‘Sorry, the great Ravana cannot wait for a time that’s based on your convenience,’ conveyed the messenger to Arjuna.

  So the battle began.

  The two sides were almost equally strong. Ravana fought bravely and with all his might. However, Arjuna curled his arms like an octopus and imprisoned Ravana between them. He defeated Ravana and brought him back as a prisoner to the kingdom.

  Ravana’s pride suffered a severe blow at his first defeat.

  Arjuna said to him, ‘O Ravana, you are not the only one who is strong enough to conquer kingdom after kingdom. Now that you realize my strength, you must also understand that I do not wish to slay people or grab other kingdoms. I do not desire your kingdom either. I only wished to teach you a lesson. If you really want to understand the true meaning of a war, I insist that you meet my guru, Vali, who rules the kingdom of Kishkindha.’

  At this very time, Sage Pulastya, Ravana’s grandfather, happened to come to Mahishmati to visit Kartavirya Arjuna. Pulastya was a great scholar with a spotless reputation, revered wherever he went.

  King Arjuna asked him politely, ‘O Sage, what may I do for you?’

  ‘Arjuna, please set my grandson free,’ the sage replied. ‘There is much to be done if he has to fulfil his destiny.’

  Ravana felt ashamed when he learnt of his grandfather advocating for him.

  Kartavirya Arjuna released Ravana and even bestowed him with royal gifts. ‘You are a great scholar and possibly the greatest devotee of Lord Shiva. Please don’t employ your power and strength for worldly and unimportant goals. Don’t forget that you also belong to a sage’s esteemed lineage. Let us put the past behind us and become friends.’

  There is a blind belief that whenever a person misplaces something, he or she can pray to Kartavirya Arjuna. With his thousand arms, he will search for the lost item and ensure that you find it.

  Ravana had regained his freedom, but he was unhappy. As days passed, he became obsessed with the brave and powerful Vali.

  After much thought and planning, Ravana decided to battle with Vali and was convinced that he would emerge victorious against the monkey king. His victory would show the world his strength. So Ravana set out in search of Vali.

  He found Vali standing in the ocean, performing his evening prayers to Surya, the sun god. Ravana attacked Vali from behind, but Vali’s tail wrapped tightly around Ravana, holding him in a vice-like grip as the monkey king circumnavigated the world, lost in prayer.

  A powerless Ravana called for a truce and promised Vali that he would never fight with him again.

  This was Ravana’s second defeat.

  Ravana soon went back to his old ways. In time, he became obsessed with Sita and hatched a plan to kidnap her. He spoke to his uncle Maricha about his plan and sought his help. Maricha, however, warned his nephew, ‘O mighty king, almost all people you come in contact with will tell you what you want to hear. It is solely because of the position you hold. It is rare to find people who will give you the right advice—advice that may not always be pleasing to your ears. But just like bitter medicine, such words are good for your health. Rama is a great warrior, and no matter how strong your desire, you must not pursue his wife. It is against dharma, and it is your kingly duty to be a role model to your subjects and follow dharma at all times.’

  Ravana, however, did not listen, and forced Maricha to transform himself into a deer so that the deer could lead Rama away on a hunt, and thus lead him away from his wife.

  ‘My death is certain,’ said Maricha sadly before turning into a deer. ‘I will be killed by either you or Lord Rama, and if I get to choose, I would rather die due to the lord’s arrows.’

  When Ravana kidnapped Sita and reached Lanka, his youngest brother, Vibhishana, warned him, ‘Brother, don’t antagonize Rama. It is unjust for you to keep Sita here against her will.’

  Stubborn Ravana ignored the warning.

  Lankini, the powerful demon who protected the city of Lanka, had been warned by Brahma that Lanka’s downfall would begin the day she was defeated by a monkey. When Hanuman emerged victorious in a battle with her, she immediately knew what lay ahead and went to Ravana to inform him. ‘Sire, do not ignore this incident or our kingdom will fall. Please release Sita and let her return to her husband.’

  Well-wishers in the family also advised Ravana, but to no avail. Kumbhakarna too advised his brother to return Sita, but Ravana ordered him to fight Rama.

  When Kumbhakarna arrived at the battlefield, he announced, ‘I have come here to first fight the man who hasn’t cared for food and sleep for the last fourteen years.’

  ‘Who is he referring to?’ wondered everyone.

  Rama stepped forward. ‘You speak of my brother Lakshmana,’ he said. ‘In my service, he has not had deep sleep at night, nor does he long for food.’

  Thus began the fight between Kumbhakarna and Lakshmana, which ended in an almost-fatal attack on Lakshmana. Rama then fought the mighty asura and killed him.

  Ravana, however, was convinced it was impossible to defeat him. Only a select few knew that the secret of Ravana’s death lay in the nectar of his belly button that was responsible for the regeneration of a decapitated head.

  In the end, Vibhishana disclosed this information to Rama voluntarily and sealed Ravana’s fate.

  How Not to Outsmart a God

  King Ravana of Lanka was a devoted disciple of Lord Shiva. His mother, Kaikesi, was also a devotee and responsible for initiating the seeds of Shiva bhakti into her son.

  One day, Ravana decided to go to Mount Kailash and perform a penance to please Lord Shiva. He met his mother before leaving, who advised him, ‘My child, don’t ask the lord for material things. Instead, ask him for the divine atmalinga, the source of immortality and great power.’

  Ravana agreed, left home and began his penance. He had immense confidence in himself and his devotion. Years passed in deep meditation a
nd strict penance, but Lord Shiva did not appear. Ravana then began another penance with renewed vigour.

  Vishnu, who was following the course of events, was aware of Ravana’s desire for the atmalinga. He was against the idea of Ravana possessing the linga. Ravana was an asura and could wreak havoc upon the gods once he owned it. He thought to himself, ‘I will enter Ravana’s mind and influence it whenever Shiva appears.’

  At last, Lord Shiva revealed himself. When Ravana saw the lord, he said, ‘O Lord, I have been waiting for you. Had you not visited me now, I would have carried Mount Kailash to my abode in Lanka.’

  ‘Is it that easy, Ravana?’ Shiva asked with a smile.

  ‘It is not difficult. I am Ravana, and I have the strength of twenty hands and ten heads. I can accomplish anything,’ Ravana boasted.

  ‘If that is so, I will sit on Mount Kailash and you can take me to your house,’ Lord Shiva said.

  Ravana put his palm below Mount Kailash, ready to lift it. Lord Shiva simply put his little toe to the ground. That was enough. Ravana’s fingers became trapped under Mount Kailash. He pulled and pulled to get them out but to no avail. Realizing Shiva’s greatness, Ravana prayed to him for forgiveness. This prayer is now known to be the Hindu hymn called Shiva Tandava Stotram.

  The kind-hearted Shiva forgave Ravana and lifted his toe so that he could free his fingers. Pleased with Ravana’s prayers, Shiva said, ‘You are such a great devotee that I can’t refuse you any boon. Come, tell me what you want.’

  Ravana was about to ask for the precious atmalinga, when Vishnu entered his mind to play truant. Instead of asking for the atmalinga, Ravana glanced at Goddess Parvati and said, ‘I want … Parvati.’

  Vishnu was pleased with the mischief he had caused. He knew that Ravana would never get Parvati and would have to face the consequences of asking for Shiva’s beloved consort.

  Goddess Parvati was upset with the demon’s audacity, but Lord Shiva smiled and said, ‘Take her if you can. You have my permission.’

  Parvati was furious at her husband. ‘How can you give me away? I am the mother of the world and your wife. How can you separate yourself from me? You are Ardhanarishvara—half of your body is me!’

  ‘O Parvati,’ Shiva said, amused, ‘you already know what to do. Don’t be upset. I will see you soon.’

  Left with no choice, Parvati followed Ravana, who was ecstatic at the thought of the goddess following him.

  They set off towards Lanka. After some time, he turned around to see her, but she was gone. Surprised, Ravana started searching for the goddess, all the time wondering where she could have disappeared to.

  During his search, he met Narada, the son of Brahma and an ardent devotee of Vishnu. Befitting his unique status, Narada had the ability to travel the three realms. Carrying around his tambura, chanting, ‘Narayana! Narayana!’, Narada played the role of a messenger, often counselling and sometimes intentionally misguiding, kings, devas and even asuras.

  When Ravana asked Narada if he had seen Parvati anywhere, the sage replied, ‘The one who was following you was not the real Parvati anyway. The real Parvati is hiding in Patala Loka. You will recognize her immediately because she is the most beautiful woman you will ever see. You’d better go there quickly before she runs back to Shiva.’

  Patala was also the abode of Mayasura, the great architect of the asuras, his beautiful wife, Hema, and their daughter, Mandodari. Mandodari’s beauty was famous and unparalleled. When Mayasura built the city of Lanka for its king, Mandodari had frequently observed Ravana in the royal gardens. With time, she had fallen in love with him and expressed to her father her desire to marry the great king of Lanka.

  Meanwhile, Ravana went to Patala in search of Goddess Parvati, but when he saw Mandodari, he fell utterly and completely in love with her. He thought, ‘She must be the real Parvati.’

  Meanwhile, taking advantage of the confusion, Parvati headed back to Mount Kailash.

  Besotted Ravana requested Mayasura, ‘I would like to marry this beautiful maiden.’

  Mayasura and Hema happily agreed. ‘She’s our daughter,’ said Mayasura, but Ravana was too busy staring at Mandodari to pay attention to Mayasura’s words. So a lavish wedding was arranged, and Mandodari and Ravana were married to each other.

  After some time, Ravana returned to Lanka with his new bride and introduced her to his mother as Parvati. When Kaikesi saw Mandodari, she instantly recognized the daughter of Mayasura.

  ‘Son, this isn’t Parvati. This girl is Mandodari, the daughter of the great architect Mayasura. What have you done?’

  In a flash, Vishnu’s illusion reached its conclusion and Ravana recalled his goal with clarity. He realized how he had been duped twice—once by Vishnu and once by Narada.

  His mother calmed him down. ‘It was your mistake, son. How can you ask for Parvati? What was wrong with you? In any case, I approve of Mandodari. She will prove to be a good wife to you. Now, go back and redo your penance. This time, make no mistake.’

  So Ravana spent some time in Lanka with his new bride, whom he became very fond of, and then started another tapasya, this time determined not to be outwitted.

  Just as Lord Shiva was about to reveal himself to the praying Ravana, Parvati advised her husband, ‘Please be wise; do not allow him an unconditional boon lest he ask you for something that will end up wreaking havoc on the three realms.’

  Once more Shiva appeared in front of his devotee and said, ‘I am impressed by your devotion, Ravana. What do you want?’

  This time, Ravana was focused and prepared. He said, ‘O my lord! Give me the atmalinga.’

  Lord Shiva was taken aback. He had not expected this. But he had given his word. So he handed the atmalinga over to Ravana, but with the condition that the linga must never be placed on the ground. If it was, the linga would remain there permanently.

  Ravana accepted the atmalinga and, thanking the lord, left.

  Word travelled fast to all the realms about the atmalinga’s new owner. It caused great concern, and the gods became worried. A powerful asura like Ravana would inevitably misuse the atmalinga.

  The gods approached Lord Ganesha and said, ‘Please help us, O wise one. We will not survive if the atmalinga remains in the hands of Ravana.’

  ‘Don’t worry, my friends. I will get it back for you,’ Ganesha promised.

  Ganesha knew that Ravana offered prayers to the sun god every evening, no matter where he was. As soon as it was time for Ravana’s prayers, Ganesha took the form of a young cowherd and wandered near Ravana.

  Seeing the boy idling around, Ravana called out to him, ‘Come here, boy! Will you hold this for me for a while till I finish my prayers? I will pay you handsomely. But you must not put it down.’

  Ravana held out the atmalinga. Ganesha smiled and agreed. He said, ‘I can only hold this for a while because I have to keep an eye on my cows. If you take too long, I will put this down and go to look after my cows.’

  Ravana said, ‘I won’t take a lot of time. Don’t worry.’

  Saying this, Ravana went to the water and began his evening prayers.

  After some time, Ganesha said loudly, ‘Sire!’

  ‘Wait a minute,’ replied Ravana.

  After a few minutes, Ganesha called out to him again. ‘Sire, I can’t hold this any longer. I must go now.’

  Ravana left his prayers and ran towards the boy. But before he could reach him and take the atmalinga from his hands, the boy put the atmalinga down on the ground and walked away in a huff.

  Ravana was furious! He wanted to kill the young boy, and looked around for him. But the boy had disappeared along with his cows.

  Ravana turned back to the atmalinga and focused all his anger and energy into picking up the linga, but it was of no use. After some time, with Ravana’s pulling and tugging, the linga changed shape and began to look like a cow’s ear.

  Unhappily, Ravana gave up and went back to Lanka, cursing the little cowherd without ever knowing that
he was Lord Ganesha.

  The atmalinga remained on earth in the holy town of Gokarna (which itself means ‘cow’s ear’) in northern Karnataka, and today, a small statue of Ganesha stands beside the linga on the spot where the lord is believed to have met Ravana.

  Hanuman

  Brothers Turn Enemies

  The kingdom of Kishkindha lay on the banks of the river Tungabhadra and boasted many mountains. The kingdom was ruled by the monkey king Vali along with his brother, Sugriva.

  One day, Mayavi, a demon, came to the gates of the kingdom and challenged Vali to a fight. Vali accepted the challenge and agreed to fight him. Soon, the battle began and Sugriva became a witness to the fight. As the fight progressed, Mayavi entered a cave nearby and Vali, in his haste, followed the demon. Before entering the cave, Vali asked Sugriva to wait for him and went inside alone.

  Six months went by and Vali did not emerge from the cave. Finally, Sugriva heard yelling and saw blood oozing out of the cave. He concluded that his brother had been killed. With a heavy heart, Sugriva rolled a boulder to seal the cave’s mouth shut and contain the demon.

  Kishkindha was now left without a king, and Sugriva took over and became the acting ruler.

  One unexpected day, Vali walked into the kingdom—alive and well. When he saw Sugriva, he became upset with him. ‘How dare you rule the kingdom? And why did you close the mouth of the cave when I told you to wait for me?’

  Sugriva folded his hands and replied earnestly, ‘My dear brother, I heard terrible screams and saw a lot of blood on the ground near the cave. That’s why I assumed that the demon had killed you, and in the interest of wanting to save the subjects of the kingdom, I blocked the mouth of the cave. I am only the acting ruler and took over in your absence. Kindly forgive me and take back your kingdom.’

  Vali, however, was in no mood to listen or forgive. ‘Do you think I can die so easily at the hands of a mere demon? Aren’t you aware of the boons and my strength? Your actions stink of planning and purposefulness. You never intended to let me out, and you did your best to ensure that I remained trapped. You have also always had eyes for my beautiful wife, Tara. Come on, admit that this is all true.’