Ravana was the most powerful and Shiva Bhakta. It is said about Ravana that he had 10 heads from which he could see in ten directions only once. It is a mysterious thing that someone has 3, 4 or 10 heads. Lord Dattatreya had 3 heads, Brahmaji had 4 heads and 10 head of Ravana. ‘Ravan’ … there is no other person in this name in the world. Ram will get plenty, but not Ravana. Ravana is just Ravana. Rajadhiraja Lankadhipati Maharaj Ravana is also called ‘Dashanan’. It is said that Ravana was the Tamil king of Lanka.
Did Ravan have 10 heads? Say: Ravana had 10 heads. Is this really true? Some scholars believe that Ravana did not have 10 heads, but he used to create illusion of 10 heads. That is why people called him Dashanan. According to some scholars, Ravana was a known person of Darshan and four Vedas, hence he was also called Daskanthi. Due to being called Daskanthi, 10 heads were considered in practice.
It is mentioned in the Jain scriptures that Ravana had 9 large circular beads in his throat. His head was seen in the said 9 beads, which led to the delusion of having 10 heads.
However, according to most scholars and mythologies, it is true that Ravana was an elusive man, who could illusion of having 10 heads by his maya. His elusive power and magic talks were world-famous.
The discussion of Ravan’s 10 heads comes in Ramcharit Manas. He went for war on new moon of the Krishna Paksha and daily one of his head cut down on each day respectively. Thus, on the 10th day i.e. Shukla Paksha, Dasamhi Ravanawas killed, hence Ravan burning was done on the Dasami day.
In the description on Ramchrita Manas comes that the head which Rama used to cut with his arrow, then another head emerged in its place. It is a matter of thinking that if one limb is cut, then there can be a new limb again? In fact, these heads of Ravana were artificial – made of demonic Maya.
To become the golden antelope with the silver points of Marich, keeping Ram’s chopped head in front of Sita Ravan’s proves that demons were elusive. They knew many types of senses (magic). So 10 heads of Ravan and 20 hands can be considered as elusive or artificial.
