Vibhishana is the younger brother of Ravana, the demon king of Lanka, in the Ramayana, the earlier of the two major Indian epics.
Vibhishana, Ravana, and their third brother, Kumbhakarna,
practiced extreme physical asceticism (tapas) in their youth in order to win
boons from the gods.
Unlike his brothers, who have chosen boons to improve their
military skill and fame, Vibhishana requests that he stay virtuous in the face
of peril, and this trait defines his life.
When Ravana gathers a council of war before fighting Rama's
army, Vibhishana is the only one who votes against fighting and instead
recommends Ravana to restore Rama's stolen wife, Sita, and seek Rama's
forgiveness.
Ravana expels his brother from the city as a result of these
comments, and Vibhishana joins Rama's army, where he battles courageously
throughout the conflict.
Rama appoints Vibhishana king of Lanka after Ravana's death as a reward for his faithfulness and integrity.
In Indian mythology, demons (in this instance, the sort of
demons known as rakshasas) are not intrinsically wicked, as Vibhishana
exemplifies.
They are formidable creatures who may battle gods and
mankind, yet they also possess many qualities.
Vibhishana is shown as a great devotee (bhakta) of Rama in
the Ramcharitmanas, a vernacular retelling of the Ramayana authored by the poet-saint
Tulsidas (1532–1623? ), in line with Tulsidas' emphasis on devotion above all
other types of religious activity.
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