Dussehra 2022: What is the significance of Ravana's 10 heads?

The word 'Dussehra' signifies the meaning of the festival itself. The word is formed from two words Dus means ten and Ahara means day, so this day is called the tenth day. Another meaning comes from the mythology of the festival where 'Dus' signifies the ten heads of Ravana or bad or evil and 'hara' means to defeat or removal.

Ravana performed an intense penance (tapasya) for several years to please and get a boon from Lord Brahma. During his penance, Ravana chopped off his head ten times as a sacrifice to please Lord Brahma. Each time he cutted his head off, a new head arose, thus enabling him to continue his penance. Atlast, Lord Brahma pleased with Ravana's penance, appeared before him after his 10th decapitation and told him to ask for a boon. Ravana asked for immortality, which Lord Brahma refused to grant, but gave him the celestial nectar of immortality, which we all know was stored under his navel. Thus Ravana got ten heads and twenty arms, due to which he is also known as "Dasamukha".

As per mythology, Ravan's ten heads represent his 10 qualities which are:

• Kaam (lust)
• Krodh (wrath)
• Lobh (greed)
• Moh (obsession)
• Mada (vanity)
• Maatsarya (Envy)
• Ahankaara (Ego)
• Chitta (will)
• Manas (Heart)
• Buddhi (Mind or Intellect)

Ravana's 10 heads also symbolise the six "Shastras" and four "Vedas", making him a great scholar and one of the most intelligent beings of his time. Despite Ravana being a master of 64 types of knowledge, all of his learnings were of no use as he did not put them into practice. Though he had all the wealth, he could not enjoy anything because of his excessive desires. He became a slave to his feelings which finally led to his death. Thus Ravana's 10 heads also signify that when you have more than you need, it serves no purpose.