In Valmiki Ramayana and Mahabharata, it is nowhere mentioned that Ravana ever worshipped Shiva. The “Shiva Tandava Stotram” said to be composed by Ravana occurs nowhere in these epics. At one instance in Uttarakanda of Valmiki Ramayana, a terrified Ravana recites hymns from Samaveda to pacify an angry Shiva who was almost about to trample him. The motivating factor of Ravana was fear and not Bhakti.

The episode of Ravana trying to uplift Kailasha and appeasing Shiva is missing in the “critical edition” of Valmiki Ramayana as editors felt this episode was a “late addition”. It is present in some manuscripts of Valmiki Ramayana but completely absent in others. Apart from this, there is only one instance in the entire Valmiki Ramayana, that too in Uttarakanda (7.31 CE), that Ravana worships Shiva. There is NOTHING anywhere else to even remotely suggest “Shiva Bhakti”. There is no ‘Shiva Tandava Stotram’ anywhere in the Valmiki Ramayana. Apart from one instance in Uttarakanda, there is nothing to even remotely suggest any ‘Shiva Bhakti’ of Rāvaṇa in the entire Vālmīki Ramayana. There is NOTHING to even remotely suggest any ‘Shiva Bhakti’ of Rāvana in the ENTIRE Rāmopakhyana of Mahābhārata.

Credit-Trueindology

 

DISCLAIMER: The author is solely responsible for the views expressed in this article. The author carries the responsibility for citing and/or licensing of images utilized within the text.