Vishrava, Father of Ravana

Pulastya the sage lived on Mount Meru. Women sometimes disturbed his meditations, which enraged him. "If I so much as glance at you," he shouted, "you will become pregnant!"
The women ran away, but Manini didn't hear the warning, and when Pulastya looked at her, she became pregnant.
"I don't know what happened!" she swore to her father.
He took her to Pulastya. "She is virtuous and true, and will make you a good wife," he said.
Pulastya recognized Manini's virtues and loved her as his wife.
Their son was Vishrava, who would be father to Kubera and to Ravana.


Inspired by: The Ramayana (Uttara Kanda: Sarga 2).
Notes: As the descendant of Pulastya, Ravana is sometimes called Paulastya. This story features the weird powers that rishis could acquire like the way the sage Kapila incinerated the sons of King Sagara with his gaze: Sagara.



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