and Sita was his daughter.  And Tashtri himself created her, desiring to make her the beloved wife of Rama.  I have now told thee the history of both Rama’s and Sita’s birth.  And now, O king, I will relate unto thee the birth of Ravana.  That Lord of all creatures and the Creator of the Universe viz., the Self-create Prajapati himself—­that god possessed of great ascetic merit—­is the grandfather of Ravana.  And Pulastya hath a mighty son called Vaisravana begotten of a cow.  But his son, leaving his father, went to his grandfather.  And, O king, angered at this, his father then created a second self of himself.  And with half of his own self that regenerate one became born of Visrava for wrecking a vengeance on Vaisravana.  But the Grandsire, pleased with Vaisravana, gave him immortality, and sovereignty of all the wealth of the Universe, the guardianship of one of the cardinal points, the friendship of Isana, and a son named Nalakuvera.  And he also gave him for his capital Lanka, which was guarded by hosts of Rakshasas, and also a chariot called Pushpaka capable of going everywhere according to the will of the rider.  And the kingship of the Yakshas and the sovereignty over sovereigns were also his.’”

SECTION CCLXXIII

“Markandeya said, ’The Muni named Visrava, who was begotten of half the soul of Pulastya, in a fit of passion, began to look upon Vaisravana with great anger.  But, O monarch, Kuvera, the king of the Rakshasas, knowing that his father was angry with him, always sought to please him.  And, O best of Bharata’s race, that king of kings living in Lanka, and borne upon the shoulders of men, sent three Rakshasa women to wait upon his father.  Their names, O king, were Pushpotkata, Raka and Malini.  And they were skilled in singing and dancing and were always assiduous in their attentions on that high-souled Rishi.  And those slender-waisted ladies vied with one another, O king, in gratifying the Rishi.  And that high-souled and adorable being was pleased with them and granted them boons.  And to every one of them he gave princely sons according to their desire.  Two sons—­those foremost of Rakshasas named Kumvakarna and the Ten-headed Ravana,—­both unequaled on earth in prowess, were born to Pushpotkata.  And Malini had a son named Vibhishana, and Raka had twin children named Khara and Surpanakha.  And Vibhishana surpassed them all in beauty.  And that excellent person was very pious and assiduously performed all religious rites.  But that foremost of Rakshasas, with ten heads, was the eldest to them all.  And he was religious, and energetic and possessed of great strength and prowess.  And the Rakshasa Kumvakarna was the most powerful in battle, for he was fierce and terrible and a thorough master of the arts of illusion.  And Khara was proficient in archery, and hostile to the Brahmanas, subsisting as he did on flesh.  And the fierce Surpanakha was constant source of trouble to the ascetics.