Ravan, the 10-headed infamous
demon, was a greater scholar of the Vedas. Not many people know that the
true meaning why ravan had 10 heads. The heads are the symbolic way to
show the world about his knowledge. He was fully aware of the contents
of the six shastras. His knowledge of the six shastras and his knowledge
of the four vedas (together ten) is the inner meaning of the belief
that Ravana had ten heads. He even knew that Ram was Narayana himself,
who had come in human form. However, since there was no other way for
him to reach to Narayana, he had to cultivate wanton wickedness,
violence and hatred, and invite Ram to kill him. Of course, this might
be called a type of devotion that is stupid and infamous. But his inner
aim was to cross the ocean of birth and death, through that act of self
abnegation and surrender to Narayana. Scriptures also justify this
argument: In the Bhagavata Purana, Ravana and his brother, Kumbakarna
were said to be reincarnations of Jaya and Vijaya, gatekeepers at
Vaikunth, the abode of Vishnu and were cursed to be born in Earth for
their insolence. These gatekeepers refused entry to the Sanatha Kumara
monks, who, because of their powers and austerity appeared as young
children. For their insolence, the monks cursed them to be expelled from
Vaikunta and to be born in Earth. The all-merciful Vishnu agreed that
they should be punished but agreed to mitigate their curse. He asked
them whether they would want to be undergo seven births as devotees of
Vishnu or three births as enemies of the Lord. Since they wanted to get
back as soon as possible, they agreed to be born in three births as
enemies of God. In the first birth, Jaya and Vijaya were born as
Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha. Vishnu incarnated as Varaha and
Narasimha and killed them both. In Treta Yuga they were born as Ravana
and Kumbhakarna and were killed by Rama. Then in Dwapara yuga, and in
their final birth, Jaya and Vijaya they were born as Shishupala and
Kansa and killed by Sri Krishna.
