Markandeya said, “The Muni named Visrava, who was begotten of half the
soul of Pulastya, in a fit of passion, began to look upon Vaisravana with
great anger. But, O monarch, Kuvera, the king of the Rakshasas, knowing
that his father was angry with him, always sought to please him. And, O
best of Bharata’s race, that king of kings living in Lanka, and borne
upon the shoulders of men, sent three Rakshasa women to wait upon his
father. Their names, O king, were Pushpotkata, Raka and Malini. And they
were skilled in singing and dancing and were always assiduous in their
attentions on that high-souled Rishi. And those slender-waisted ladies
vied with one another, O king, in gratifying the Rishi. And that
high-souled and adorable being was pleased with them and granted them
boons. And to every one of them he gave princely sons according to their
desire. Two sons--those foremost of Rakshasas named Kumvakarna and the
Ten-headed Ravana,--both unequalled on earth in prowess, were born to
Pushpotkata. And Malini had a son named Vibhishana, and Raka had twin
children named Khara and Surpanakha. And Vibhishana surpassed them all in
beauty. And that excellent person was very pious and assiduously
performed all religious rites. But that foremost of Rakshasas, with ten
heads, was the eldest to them all. And he was religious, and energetic
and possessed of great strength and prowess. And the Rakshasa Kumvakarna
was the most powerful in battle, for he was fierce and terrible and a
thorough master of the arts of illusion. And Khara was proficient in
archery, and hostile to the Brahmanas, subsisting as he did on flesh. And
the fierce Surpanakha was constant source of trouble to the ascetics. And
the warriors, learned in the Vedas and diligent in ceremonial rites, all
lived with their father in the Gandhamadana. And there they beheld
Vaisravana seated with their father, possessed of riches and borne on the
shoulders of men. And seized with jealousy, they resolved upon performing
penances. And with ascetic penances of the most severe kind, they
gratified Brahma. And the Ten-headed Ravana, supporting life by means of
air alone and surrounded by the five sacred fires and absorbed in
meditation, remained standing on one leg for a thousand years. And
Kumvakarna with head downwards, and with restricted diet, was constant in
austerities. And the wise and magnanimous Vibhishana, observing fasts and
subsisting only on dry leaves and engaged in meditation, practised severe
austerities for a long period. And Khara and Surpanakha, with cheerful
hearts, protected and attended on them while they were performing those
austerities. And at the close of a thousand years, the invincible
Ten-headed One, cutting off his own heads, offered them as offering to
the sacred fire. And at this act of his, the Lord of the Universe was
pleased with him. And then Brahma, personally appearing to them, bade
them desist from those austerities and promised to grant boons unto every
one of them. And the adorable Brahma said, I am pleased with you, my
sons! Cease now from these austerities and ask boons of me! Whatever your
desires may be, they, with the single exception of that of immortality,
will be fulfilled! As thou hast offered thy heads to the fire from great
ambition, they will again adorn thy body as before, according to thy
desire. And thy body will not be disfigured and thou shall be able to
assume any form according to thy desire and become the conqueror of thy
foes in battle. There is no doubt of this!’ thereupon Ravana said, ‘May I
never experience defeat at the hands of Gandharvas, Celestials, Kinnaras,
Asuras, Yakshas, Rakshasas, Serpents and all other creatures!’ Brahma
said, ‘From those that hast named, thou shalt never have cause of fear;
except from men (thou shalt have no occasion for fear). Good betide thee!
So hath it been ordained by me!’
“Markandeya said, ‘Thus addressed, the Ten-headed (Ravana) was highly
gratified, for on account of his perverted understanding, the man-eating
one slightened human beings. Then the great Grandsire addressed
Kumbhakarna as before. His reason being clouded by darkness, he asked for
long-lasting sleep. Saying, ‘It shall be so’ ‘Brahma then addressed
Vibhishana, ‘O my son, I am much pleased with thee! Ask any boon thou
pleasest!’ Thereupon, Vibhishana replied, ‘Even in great danger, may I
never swerve from the path of righteousness, and though ignorant, may I,
O adorable Sire, be illumined with the light of divine knowledge!’ And
Brahma replied, ‘O scourge of thy enemies, as thy soul inclines not to
unrighteousness although born in the Rakshasa race, I grant thee
immortality!’
“Markandeya continued, ‘Having obtained this boon, the Ten-headed
Rakshasa defeated Kuvera in battle and obtained from him the sovereignty
of Lanka. That adorable Being, leaving Lanka and followed by Gandharvas,
Yakshas, Rakshas, and Kinnaras, went to live on mount Gandhamadana. And
Ravana forcibly took from him the celestial chariot Pushpaka. And upon
this Vaisravana cursed him, saying, ‘This chariot shall never carry thee;
it shall bear him who will slay thee in battle! And as thou hast insulted
me, thy elder brother, thou shalt soon die!’
“The pious Vibhishana, O King, treading in the path followed by the
virtuous and possessed of great glory, followed Kuvera. That adorable
Lord of wealth, highly pleased with his younger brothers, invested him
with the command of the Yaksha and Raksha hosts. On the other hand, the
powerful and man-eating Rakshasas and Pisachas, having assembled
together, invested the Ten-headed Ravana with their sovereignty. And
Ravana, capable of assuming any form at will and terrible in prowess, and
capable also of passing through the air, attacked the gods and the
Daityas and wrested from them all their valuable possessions. And as he
had terrified all creatures, he was called Ravana. And Ravana, capable of
mustering any measure of might inspired the very gods with terror.”