The Tirthankaras
Jain Ramayana, Part 2: Ravan
जैन रामायण, भाग 2: रावण · જૈન રામાયણ, ભાગ 2: રાવણ
A great and learned king, a vow he kept, and the one wish he could not give up
- 5 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- Best shared with a grown-up
The Jain telling remembers Ravan not as a demon but as a learned Vidyadhar king, devoted to the Jinas and bound by a vow, whose single stubborn desire leads him into war with Ram and Lakshman.
What it teaches Pride Self-control Devotion
The opening of the children's telling
Long ago there lived a king named Ravan. He was very clever and very strong. When he was a baby, he put on a necklace of nine shining jewels. His face shone in every jewel, so he looked as if he had ten faces!
Ravan wanted to learn great magic. He sat very, very still in a dark forest. Strange noises and scary shapes came to frighten him, but he did not move at all. At last a thousand kinds of magic came to him and said, we are yours.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
Even a great soul can be ruined by one desire it will not let go.
To talk about together
Ravan was wise, brave and devoted, yet he would not give Sita back. Why do you think it is so hard to say I was wrong?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.