- Ravana didn’t have 10 heads technically, rather he used to wear a necklace that would create an illusion of 10 heads.
- Ravana was not named so since birth. He was Dashagriva or Dashanana. While trying to dislodge Mount Kailash on which Lord Shiva was meditating, Shiva pressed the mountain with his toe crushing Ravana’s forearms. As Ravana let out blood-curdling screams in agony, he came to be known as Ravana. It was then that Ravana became one of the greatest devotees of Lord Shiva, and composed the Shiva Tandava Stotram.
- He was a great scholar and has written many books on cures for various diseases. In one book he wrote “ eating beef cause to infect ninety-eight diseases to human beings”
- Ravana was half-Brahmin and half-demon. His father was Vishwashrava, a rishi belonging to the Pulastya clan, and his mother Kaikasi belonged to a demon clan. Vishwashrava had two wives – Varavarnini and Kaikasi. Kuber, the god of wealth was born to the first wife, and Ravana, Kumbhakarna, Shurpanakha, and Vibhishana were born to Kaikasi.
- Ravana imparted some valuable knowledge to Lakshman as he lay dying, regarding statecraft and diplomacy.
- Ravana was well aware that he would die at the hands of an avatar of Vishnu, which would help him attain moksha and give up his demon form.
- It was Ravana, a Brahmin, who performed the rites of a purohit when Lord Rama constructed the Rama Sethu to lead his monkey brigade to attack Lanka.
- Ravana had many wives and Mandodari was renowned for her intelligence and beauty. Apart from the legal wives, he is believed to have physical relations with several women captured in the battle.
- Ravana, after thousand years of penance, sought a boon for immortality from Lord Brahma, but the latter politely declined to say that his life would be concentrated at his navel.
- Ravana’s empire spread over Balidweepa (today’s Bali), Malayadweep (Malaysia), Angadweepa, Varahdweepa, Shankhadweepa, Yavadweepa, Andhralaya, and Kushadweepa.
