Ahirāvaṇa

Ahirāvaṇa is a son of Rāvaṇa. He was born with twenty serpents coming out of his body, and Rāvaṇa, afraid of this sign, had him buried in the earth. He lived, grew up in the care of the rākṣasī Siṃhikā, did long tapas (austerity), won powerful varas (boons) and became the ruler of a great city in Pātāla.

In the Laṅkā Kāṇḍa of Tulasīdāsa’s Rāmacaritamānas, Rāvaṇa calls on him after the death of Meghānāda. Ahirāvaṇa takes the form of Vibhīṣaṇa, carries Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa off to Pātāla, and is slain there by Hanumān.

Birth and abandonment

Ahirāvaṇa was one of Rāvaṇa’s many sons. His birth came with bad signs. He was born with twenty serpents coming out of his body, and this filled Rāvaṇa with fear. Rāvaṇa did not know what to do with such a dangerous child. He ordered his attendant Śvāsanana to take the baby and bury him in the earth, at a place to the south-west of Laṅkā.

The baby did not die. He ate the earth around him and dug his way through the soil. After about one month he reached the shore of the ocean.

Raised by Siṃhikā

On the ocean shore, Siṃhikā found the baby and took him in. She was the mother of Rāhu and a powerful rākṣasī. She raised him as her own son.

Śukrācārya once visited Siṃhikā’s home and saw the boy growing there. He knew at once whose son he was. He said: “This is Rāvaṇa’s son. I name him Ahirāvaṇa.” Then he told Siṃhikā and the boy the story of his birth.

Ahirāvaṇa learned that his own father had cast him away. He was crushed with grief and wounded pride, and he threw himself into the ocean.

Reaching Pātāla and his tapas

Ahirāvaṇa swam deep and came to Vitala-loka, a realm within Pātāla. There he found Bhogavatī-pura, a city ruled by Darvīka, a kinsman of Vāsuki. He heard a talk on the greatness of tapas and was deeply moved. He went to the āśrama (hermitage) of Kāmadadevī and did fierce tapas for 14,000 years.

Kāmadadevī was pleased. She appeared before him to give him a vara. Ahirāvaṇa asked for two things:

1. That his father Rāvaṇa would one day come to him begging for help and would admit his power.
2. That no one could kill him.

Kāmadadevī granted the first. She set a limit on the second. She said: “In the Tretā Yuga, Rāvaṇa will come seeking your help. That boon is fulfilled. As for being unbeatable: only one vānara and his master can overcome the protection of my boon. No one else shall slay you. Rule happily with all prosperity.”

Marriage and kingdom

Ahirāvaṇa grew bold with his boons. He grew in power and in time challenged the serpent-king Darvīka and defeated him. Darvīka spoke with Śeṣanāga and then made peace. He gave his daughter Kundanī to Ahirāvaṇa in marriage. Ahirāvaṇa gave Bhogavatī-pura to his father-in-law. He built a huge new city for himself, 9,000 yojanas (an ancient measure of distance) across, near the temple of Kāmadadevī. There he ruled with his family and followers and enjoyed every pleasure.

Rāvaṇa calls him

After Meghānāda died, Rāvaṇa was full of grief and could not sleep. In the fourth watch of the night he remembered Ahirāvaṇa. He went to a Śivālaya (a temple of Bhagavān Śiva), made himself pure and called on his son. Ahirāvaṇa came at once, bowed and asked why he had been called.

Rāvaṇa told him how bad things were: Rāma’s army, the death of Kumbhakarṇa and the fall of Meghānāda. He asked Ahirāvaṇa to take Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa from their camp and offer them up to Kāmadadevī. Ahirāvaṇa was proud and sure of his power of māyā (magic and illusion). He agreed.

Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa are taken

Ahirāvaṇa was a master of disguise and māyā. He knew that Vibhīṣaṇa was trusted in Rāma’s camp. So he made himself look exactly like Vibhīṣaṇa and walked into the camp. In this disguise he reached the sleeping Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa and carried them off to his kingdom under the earth in Pātāla.

When the camp woke and found Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa gone, Hanumān set out at once to track them and bring them back. Vibhīṣaṇa saw the signs of Ahirāvaṇa’s māyā. He told Hanumān who Ahirāvaṇa was and what he could do.

Slain by Hanumān

Hanumān went down into Pātāla. At the gates he found Makaradhvaja guarding the entrance. Makaradhvaja was Hanumān’s own son, born from his sweat that a fish had swallowed. Hanumān overcame this guard, and he knew him with love as his own son. Then Hanumān entered the city hidden inside a flower garland, so that no one noticed him.

Ahirāvaṇa’s life-force was spread over five lamps, burning in five different places. All five had to be put out at the same moment for him to die. If even one stayed lit, he would come back to life. Hanumān found out this secret. He made his body grow until it filled the space, and he put out all five lamps at once.

Without his spread-out prāṇas (life-breaths), Ahirāvaṇa fell. Hanumān killed him and freed Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa.

Afterwards

Before leaving, Hanumān made Makaradhvaja the new king of Pātāla. Makaradhvaja had guarded the gate for Ahirāvaṇa without knowing who Hanumān was. Hanumān blessed him to rule that realm well. Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa went back with Hanumān to their camp in Laṅkā.

Sources

• Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa (Rāmacaritamānas), Laṅkā Kāṇḍa, Ahirāvaṇa section