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INTRODUCTION
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succeeded in mastering the Vidyās (1). Being asked by Ratnaárava that charming damsel said: 'I am Vyomabindu's daughter
aikasi, as yet unmarried. He has brought me here in accordance with his Guru's words. I am offered to you in marriage. Thereupon Ratnāśrava founded there a city, called his relatives and married her.
Long after this she dreamt that a lion, after tearing open the temples of an elephant entered into her womb (2), and that the sun and the moon sat in her lap. Ratnaiśrava interpreted these dreams: 'You will give birth to three sons, the eldest of whom will be a Universal Monarch of formidable prowess.' In due course were born Rāvana, Bhānukarņa, Candranakhi and Vibhisana. Child Rāvana was precociously adventurous (3). Once while playing he entered the treasure-house and got hold of the necklace, which was handed down in the family since Toyadavāhana, which had nine gems shaped after the nine planets and which was guarded by poisonous serpents against ordinary persons. As he put it on, there appeared nine reflections of his face in the nine gems. Thenceforth Rāvana came to be known as Ten-headed (Dasa-mukha) (4). His parents as also Ikşurava, Kiskindha, Suryarava and others were overjoyed by this feat of Rävana and they saw in him the highest hope and promise of their lines.
Once Rāvana hearing a roaring noise and seeing Vaiśravana pass across the sky asked his mother about him (5). She replied with down-cast looks: 'He is your cousin-brother Vaiśravana, the son of Visvävasu and my elder sister Kauśiki. He brought infamy to us by going over to our enemies and usurped our ancestral home Lanka. When shall we regain it from him? Vibhişana turning red with anger replied: "What is this talk of Vaiśravana's fortune? Within a few days you will see even these so-called gods Yama, Kubera, Varuņa, Indra and others as our servants' (6).
Once being permitted by their father, the three brothers went to the terrible forest Bhimavana for mastering magic charms. The eight-syllable charm known as Sarvakāmānnarūpā ('yielding all desired foods') was mastered within two Praharas. Then they concentrated upon the sixteen-syllable charm to be mastered after ten thousand crore repeated recitations. At that juncture, the three brothers were seen by a Yakşa woman (7). Smitten with love, she offered herself to Rāvana but getting no response, she struck him on the chest with the ear-lotus. Another lady said, 'Know that man to be fashioned from wood'. Failing in their intent, they informed Anāvštta Yakşa that three men having cared a straw for him were engaged in mastering magic charms (8). Full of rage he went to them and asked as to which deity was the object of their meditation. Not receiving any reply, he created numberless disturbances like serpents, lions, ghosts, fire etc. but to no avail (9). Then with the help of his magic powers he produced such an illusion that Ratnāśrava, Kaikasi, Candranakhi and other relatives, being merci. lessly lashed by Mlecchas, were crying piteously for rescue and making heart-rending appeals to their sense of filial duty (10). As even then none of the three brothers was disturbed in the least, the magic forms of Ratnāśrava, Kaikasi and Candranakhi were killed and before their very eyes served to jackals and hounds. As still they were unmoved, he threw a blood-stained magic head of Rävaņa in front of Bhānukarna and Vibhişana. Thereupon the latter two were slightly perturbed. When their magic heads were
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