Narāntaka, Son of Rāvaṇa (Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa)
Narāntaka is a son of Rāvaṇa. He lived in a flying city called Vihvābala-pura, far from Laṅkā, and Bhagavān Rāma’s army knew nothing about him. This episode comes from the Laṅkā Kāṇḍa of the Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa (Tulsīdāsa’s Rāmacaritamānas). It tells how Rāvaṇa called him to the war after Ahirāvaṇa died, and how Śiva told Pārvatī the story of his birth and his tapas (austerity).
Rāvaṇa’s minister gives advice
Ahirāvaṇa’s death was confirmed. Rāvaṇa sat in his palace stunned, āśanipātamu sōkina ṭlayye (as if struck by lightning). One of his wise ministers came forward and said: “Rākshaseśvara (king of the rākshasas)! The time has come. Great warriors have fallen. Even Ahirāvaṇa is gone. But there is another. Your son Narāntaka lives in his flying city of Vihvābala-pura. The enemy has not seen his power or the size of his army. He can change the course of this war.”
Rāvaṇa agreed. He sent his trusted commander Dhūmaketu to Narāntaka with the summons.
Narāntaka’s birth and abandonment
Śiva tells the story of Narāntaka to Pārvatī. Narāntaka was one of Rāvaṇa’s many sons. He was born under the Abhukta-mūla nakshatra (lunar star). This nakshatra is held to be harmful to the parents of a child born under it. It brings death to the father and mother while the child still lives in their house.
Śukrācārya, the preceptor of the rākshasas, warned Rāvaṇa that the parents would die if the infant stayed in the household. So Rāvaṇa had the child taken away and thrown into the ocean.
Narāntaka did not drown. He came out of the ocean alive.
Tapas and varas
Narāntaka performed fierce tapas in the manner of a great sādhaka (one who practises spiritual discipline). Through long tapas he worshipped both Brahmā (Paramēshṭhī) and Parameśvara Śiva, and both gave him varas (boons). These varas made him very hard to kill, almost invincible against all ordinary means.
With the power of these varas, Narāntaka built a magnificent flying city in the sky. He called it Vihvābala-pura (vihva means powerful, tremendous), and he made himself its king. Seventy-two crore jātudharas served under him. The jātudharas are a class of powerful supernatural beings. His city and his army together were a floating kingdom of great fighting strength. He lived there for many years in comfort and enjoyment, and Rāma’s forces knew nothing of him.
Narāntaka comes to Laṅkā
Dhūmaketu reached Narāntaka with Rāvaṇa’s message. Narāntaka did not delay. He gathered his army of seventy-two crore jātudharas and flew to Laṅkā.
There he met Rāvaṇa and heard the full account of the war. He agreed to fight. Then he entered the battlefield with his vast host.
The war
Narāntaka was a māyā-yuddha-viśārada (expert in war by illusion). His vara-bala (strength given by the varas) let him fight for many days. The others who fell had fallen fairly quickly under Rāma’s attack, but Narāntaka made the war last much longer. He used māyā, and his army of seventy-two crore gave him great numbers. The vānaras struggled against this fresh and strong force.
Rāma found it hard (dushkara) to overcome Narāntaka with his usual methods of war. The varas from Brahmā and Maheśvara gave Narāntaka special protections, and these made the battle difficult.
Dadhivala and the death of Narāntaka
The turning point came when Sugrīva’s son Dadhivala entered the battle to support Rāma. With Dadhivala’s help, Rāma was at last able to bring Narāntaka down. Narāntaka’s army of seventy-two crore was also destroyed.
The text puts it in these words:
tudaku Raghu Rāmuḍu Sugrīvuni sutuḍagu Dadhivala sahāyamutō Narāntakuni saṃhariṃci vāni balamu niśśēshamu gāviṃcenu
The meaning is: “At last Raghu-Rāma, with the help of Sugrīva’s son Dadhivala, destroyed Narāntaka and wiped out his forces completely.”
Another Narāntaka
This Narāntaka is the son of Rāvaṇa, born under Abhukta-mūla and king of Vihvābala-pura. He is a different person from the Narāntaka of the Gaṇeśa Purāṇa, who was the son of Raudraketu and laid siege to Kāśī.
Sources
- Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, Laṅkā Kāṇḍa, Rāvaṇuḍu Narāntakuni Sahāya Mardhiṃcuṭa section (the Narāntaka section)
- Gaṇeśa Purāṇa (named only for the other Narāntaka, son of Raudraketu)