"Ravana compared to Totsakan"
As i blog on the Thai Ramakian here, so have i also begun to attempt the documentation of the Hindu Brahmin version of Ramayana by the Hermit Ruesi Sage Valmiki on the Thai Brahmin Blog, sister site of sak-yant.com. There i shall also be investigating the differences between the two versions of the Mythical tale of love, war, friendship and enemies. Some of the differences are extremely subtle, and others rather great.
Below is one of the articles from the Ramayana section of Thai brahminism blog and website, for you to enjoy.
Characteristics of Ravana in Valmiki’s Ramayana, as compared with those of Totsagan in the Thai Ramakian.
The Hermit Sage Valmiki (Author of Ramayana), made mention of the previous incarnation of the Rakasasa (Yaksa, demon giants), namely, that he was the Yaksa Nontuk (alternatively called Nontok).
Ravana was a Rakasasa who had been given the blessings of Brahma to posess great might and magic.
As a result of this (and his malevolent attitude), he went causing havoc thought all of the three worlds. He even though to conquer “Phra Intr” (the God Indra), who was Lord of the Angelic beings (Devas).He loved to bother and bully the Brahmin priests and Priestesses as well as even the common folk. As a result, the Devas went to beg Brahma (Phra Prom) to find a way to stop Ravana from his evil deeds.Lord Brahma looked into the emptinesss and saw that Ravana request from Brahma had only limited itself to preventing any Devas, “Kon Tan” (คนธรรพ์) Yaksas, or Rakasasas be able to kill him.But Ravana never once had mentioned anything about Humans, leaving the possibility for a Human to kill him.
So Phra Narayn (Vishnu พระนารายณ์) was sent to “Avatar” (incarnate-manifest) as a HUman being and execute Ravana, Differingly, in the Thai Ramakian, Phra Narayn told Nontuk Yaksa that he would be born as a Human with only two arms and that Nontuk would be born as a Yaksa named Totsagan, with 10 heads and 20 arms, but that Phra Narayn would still beat him. But in the Hindu version of Valmiki, Vishnu is called on by all the Devas to be born as the sone of “Taw Totsarot” (Lord Totsarot) and defeat Ravana.
Ravana is relatively Identical with Totsagan; namely, 10 heads, 20 arms, but his skin is light blue, and has many scars from his battles; such as the scar of the lightning bolt of Phra Intr (Indra พระนทร์), the scar from the Chakra disc of Vishnu, the wound of Erawan’s tusk (Erawan the 33 headed elephant on which Indra rides).He has the power to stir up the ocean, lift mountains, and even bully the Devas. He was able to shift shape, and become as handsome as he wished, in order to seduce,just as could Totsagan in the Ramakian. As for Malevolence, the two are equal in both tales. Both have a “Busabok” (magic dais บุษบก), stolen from his older brother Giberan (กุเวร - Guwen in Thai), upon which he is able to fly to any place he wishes.
But in Valmiki’s Ramayana, after Ravana kidnaps Sida, he does not get to come close to Sida’s side, because he once had bothered the goddess Lady Absara (Nang Absorn in Thai - นางอัปษร), who went and complained to Brahma, who then cursed Ravan that if he ever bothered Lady Sida another time, that he would make his head separate from his body.As a result, Ravana does not dare to make any advances to Sida.."
Read on .... the continuation of the complete story on Thai Brahmin Blog
