Ravana, the Rakshasa King of Lanka, is a popular character from the Ramayana. Every child in India knows his name—a brilliant scholar, a great devotee of Lord Shiva, a master veena player, and yes, the man with ten heads! Yet, despite Ravana being so famous, most people do not know the origin of the rakshasas. There are three fascinating theories about their origin.
The first theory comes from the Ramayana itself. When Lord Rama asked Rishi Agastya about the rakshasas, the rishi said, ‘When Lord Brahma was born from the lotus, he created water, and to protect that water, he created several beings. Those who said ‘rakshami’—meaning ‘I will protect’—were called rakshasas. And those who said ‘yakshami’—meaning ‘I will sacrifice’—became known as yakshas.
The second theory comes from the Markandeya Purana. It says that after Lord Brahma created gods, demons, and humans, night fell. In the darkness, Brahma felt hungry and thirsty. In that state, he created certain beings who were hungry and thirsty and tried to eat Brahma himself! Brahma cried out, ‘Protect me!’ Those who said ‘raksham’ (we will protect) were called rakshasas, and those who said ‘yaksham’ (we will eat) became known as yakshas.
The third theory connects rakshasas to Rishi Pulastya, the mind-born son of Brahma. Pulastya had a son named Vishrava, who was a learned sage, devoted to study and meditation, uninterested in worldly affairs. Among rakshasas, there were three brothers, Malyavan, Sumali, and Mali—all brave, powerful, and blessed by Brahma so that they would never be defeated. With that boon, the three brothers began terrorising gods, demons, and humans alike. When they asked Vishwakarma to build them a city, Vishwakarma built Lanka, a golden city surrounded by the sea. The three brothers had many sons. Together, they became so oppressive that the gods approached Lord Shiva for help. Shiva advised them to seek Lord Vishnu’s aid. Vishnu waged a fierce battle in which many rakshasas were slain. Sumali escaped into the netherworld, Rasaatal.
Sumali, clever and ambitious, wandered the earth, thinking of how to reclaim Lanka for the rakshasas. At this point, he saw Rishi Vishrava and thought, ‘If my daughter Kaikesi marries this sage, their sons will inherit both his wisdom and my strength. They will win Lanka back.’ Vishrava agreed, but warned, ‘The children will have demonic tendencies.’ Kaikesi pleaded that they should take after their father. Vishrava said, ‘Only the last child will be like me.’ Thus, they married and, as predicted, Ravana, Kumbhakarna, and Shurpanakha were born rakshasa in nature, while the youngest, Vibhishana, was virtuous and calm like his father.