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Sarg 9-Raavan's Birth

Some time passed like this. Then at one time Sumaalee came to Mrityu Lok along with his daughter Kaikasee. He saw Kuber wandering around enjoying Pushpak Vimaan, and got jealous. So he said to his daughter - "Hey Putree, Now you are grown up, so you should get married, but no human being has proposed to you, lest you insult him by refusing him. You are very beautiful and all qualitative girl, that is why we are worried as to who we should give you.

To relieve us from this worry, you should choose Muni Vishravaa, the son of Maharshi Pulastya Jee born in Prajaapati's (Brahmaa Jee) Kul. If Vishravaa Muni will be your husband then you will have more prosperous sons than Kuber and your glory will spread all over the world."

So with the permission of her father, Kaikasee came to Vishravaa Muni. It was evening, Muni was doing Agnihotra at that time, so she just stood at some distance and started digging earth with her big toe looking at Muni's feet. When Muni's Agnihotra was over, he looked above and saw a beautiful girl standing before him. He asked - "O beautiful woman, Who are you and what purpose has brought you here? What do you want from me?"

Kaikasee said - "Hey Prabho, I have come here by my father's order. My name is Kaikasee. And what is my father's and my own wish, you find out with the power of your Tap." Muni meditated and knew all about her. The he said - "You have come here with the desire of children, that is all right. I give you three sons. But this evening time is not an auspicious one, therefore your sons will be very ugly and satanic.

Hearing Muni's words Kaikasee got scared. She said to Muni joining her palms together - "Hey Bhagvan, I don't want to produce ugly and satanic sons from such a Gyaanee Muni like you." At this Muni said - "O beautiful, Your younger son will be like our Kul's people - religious. Therefore you don't worry and live in this Aashram."

Hearing this Kaikasee stayed back in the Aashram. At the appropriate time she gave birth to a black-complexioned child, with red lips, 10 heads, and 20 arms. As he was born, darkness fell all around and earthquake shook the earth. Vishravaa named him Dashgreev. After him Kaikasee gave birth to Kumbhkarn; and after him she gave birth to a daughter named Shoorpankhaa. And after her Mahaatmaa Vibheeshan was born. At that time musical instruments were played in the sky automatically.

Dashgreev and Kumbhkarn soon grew up and they started troubling Rishi and Muni. Vibheeshan got busy in studying Ved. One day Kaikasee saw Kuber going in his Pushpak Vimaan, so she said to Raavan and Kumbhkarn - "Hey Putra, See your brother Kuber, how prosperous he is. You should also try to be like him." Raavan said - "Don't worry Maa, I will be more prosperous than him." Then he discussed this with his both brothers and decided to go for Tapasyaa for this.  So all three went to Gokarn to do Tapasyaa and got Var there.

Sarg 10-Var to Raavan, Kumbhkarn and Vibheeshan

Raam asked - "How these mighty Raakshas did Tapasyaa, I wish to know that. Kindly tell me all about it." Agastya Muni said - "All the three brothers went to Gokarn to do Tapasyaa. Kumbhkarn did intense Tap by burning himself in Panchaagni in summer, standing in torrential rains in rainy season and sitting in cold chilly water in winter season for 10,000 years.

Religious Vibheeshan did Tapasyaa by standing on one leg for first 5,000 years and by standing both hands up for another 5,000 years. Raavan did his Tap for 10,000 years without drinking water. At every 1,000th year, he offered his one head in the Yagya as Aahuti. When 10,000 years passed, he got ready to offer his 10th head, then pleased with his Tap, Brahmaa Jee appeared before him and said - "Varam vroohi" means "ask for a Var".

Raavan got very happy to see Brahmaa Jee. He said happily - "Hey Bhagvan, There is no other greater worry to human kind than the death. therefore kindly bestow me with immortality." Brahmaa Jee said - "This Vardaan is not possible, so ask for any other Var." Raavan said - "If you cannot bestow me with immortality, then give me this Var that 'I could not be killed by Garud, Daanav, Devtaa, Daitya, Gandharv, Yaksh etc." 

Brahmaa Jee said - "Be it so. And I give another Var of my own that whatever heads you have offered us in Agni, they will all be like before as they were. And you will be able to take any form you would like. After this Brahmaa Jee said to Vibheeshan - "Putra, I am very pleased with your intense Tap. You may ask any Var you wish for." Vibheeshan said joining his palms - "Hey Swaamee of Tri-Lok, When you have come to me, I have got everything. But you still give me this Var that my mind should always be in Dharm and Bhakti and I should know Brahm Astra without learning it." Brahmaa Jee said pleasingly - "Your wish will be fulfilled and you will be immortal."

Now Brahmaa Jee proceeded towards Kumbhkarn. Devtaa said - "This Raakshas is too troublesome for Rishi Muni. He has already eaten seven Apsaraa of Nandan Van, 10 servants of Indra and innumerable Rishi Muni. If he had got the Var from you then he will eat all Lok." Hearing this Brahmaa Jee remembered Saraswatee Jee and said - "To please Devtaa, you change his mind." And then he said to Kumbhkarn - "O huge-bodied, Ask for any Var." Kumbhkarn said - "Let me sleep for years together. I wish only for this." Brahmaa Jee quickly said - "Be it so" and disappeared. Then all three brothers lived comfortably in Bahedaa's Van.

Dashgreev
Dash means ten and Greev means neck. Since the child had ten heads that is why he was named Dashgreev.

Bahedaa
Bahedaa is a fruit. In Aayurvedic medicine it is a part of Triphalaa - Harad, Bahedaa and Aamalaa

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