What did Ravana actually look like?

Ravana is depicted and described as having ten heads, although sometimes he is shown with only nine heads, as he cut one off to convince Shiva. He is described as a devout follower of Shiva, a great scholar, a capable ruler and a maestro of the Veena (pronounced veh-nah; a chordophone instrument).

What was Ravana’s secret?

In the climactic battle between Rama and Ravana, when Rama was unable to kill Ravana, he revealed the secret of Ravana’s death to Rama. He told Rama that Ravana has stored the nectar of immortality in his belly and it is necessary to dry it. With this knowledge, Rama was finally able to kill Ravana.

What made Ravana so powerful?

Through his devotion and penance to the great god Brahma, Ravana was made invincible and had the power to assume any form he wished, from men to mountains to death itself. He was so powerful that he could cause earthquakes and storms.

Who wrote great epic Ramayana?

poet Valmiki
The Ramayana was composed in Sanskrit, probably not before 300 bce, by the poet Valmiki and in its present form consists of some 24,000 couplets divided into seven books.

Why Ravana is said to possess 10 heads?

Finally Brahma, thinks ‘Enough is enough!’ and appears before them. Hence, Ravana is said to possess 10 heads! Ravana’s 10 heads denote 6 shashtras & 4 vedas that he mastered in his lifetime. His ten heads also represent 10 human emotions:

How many times did Ravana cut off his head?

During his penance, Ravana chopped off his head 10 times as a sacrifice to appease Brahma. Each time he sliced his head off, a new head arose, thus enabling him to continue his penance. At last, Brahma, pleased with his austerity, appeared after Ravana’s 10th decapitation and offered him a boon.

Why was Ravana also called as dasamukha (10 faced)?

Hence Raavan was also called as Dasamukha (10 faced) or Dasakantha (10 throated) or Dasagriva (10 headed). The Mythological analysts interpret his ten heads as the emotional states Ravana had got.

How did Ravana get the name ‘Ravana’?

Due to these ten heads, he got the names ‘Dashagriva’, ‘Dashakantha’, ‘Dahsaanana’. As he was a descandant of Pulastya Brahma, he was also called as ‘Paulastya’. The name Ravana is given by Lord Shiva when he tried to uplift the mount Kailasa.