'Ravanbhashya' of Rigveda

Mallari1 (1575-1600 AD) and Vishwanatha2 (1612 AD) have mentioned Ravana's commentary on the Vedas in their respective interpretations of Grahalaghava. Surya Pandit (early 16th century) in his commentary 'Paramarthprapa' on the Srimad Bhagavadgita quotes Ravana's commentary on the 13 mantras of the Rigveda. Swami Dayanand Saraswati has also counted Ravana among the commentators of the Vedas. 3 In this way, Ravana has been mentioned at many places as a commentator on the Vedas, but Ravana Bhashya is currently unavailable. Theodor Afrecht has not given any information in this regard in Catalogus Catalogorum. Surya Pandit has quoted Ravana's commentary on about 13 mantras of Rigveda, which was first written by F.E. Hall (F.E. Hall) published in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal in 1862 AD.4 Hall writes in his article that he found such pundits in Ajmer and Gwalior and some other places, who insisted that they had read Ravana Bhashya. Have seen and been with them as well. According to these pundits, this commentary was on the entire Rigveda and Yajurveda.
After Hall, Dr. Sudhir Kumar Gupta published in the year 1967 after modifying the parts of Ravana commentary quoted by the oracle Surya Pandit and edited by Hall.
Although Swami Dayanand Saraswati has not written directly about the availability of Ravana Bhashya, but Dr. S.K. Gupta believes that “There is a lot of similarity and closeness between the commentaries of Ravana and Dayanand, so it is possible that much more portion of Ravana Bhashya quoted by Surya Pandit was available to Dayanand Saraswati and he saw it. Looking at Dayanand's style, wealth and behavior etc., it is not possible to accept that Dayanand considered Ravana to be Veda Bhashyakar on the basis of such an excerpt, keeping him equal to Sayana, declared his Bhashya unacceptable.5 "
Even in the commentaries of the available 13 mantras, it seems that the commentary has been more than that in their beginning and end. Thus, the fact cannot be denied that there has been a detailed commentary on Rigveda by Ravana, which is currently unavailable due to its less popularity after the commentaries of Sayana, Mahidhar etc.
Introduction of Veda commentator Ravana
There is no information available about Vedabhashyakar Ravana, but scholars believe that he is a different person from Lankapati Ravana described in Ramayana. In this regard, S.K. Gupta writes that “due to the similarity of name, the common belief in the world identifies Ravana, the commentator of the Vedas, with Ravana, the king of Lanka and the antagonist of the Ramayana. This assumption can be discarded at once without any review.6”
Now the question arises that who was Ravana, the interpreter of Vedas and what was his time? Although there is no information available about him, it is estimated from his available commentaries that he was a scholar of Vedas and philosophy, the influence of Shankara's Advaita Vedanta and Mayavada principles is also visible on him. “He has given quotations from the Hathayoga, Agamas, Upanishads, Rigveda and Yajurveda, Nirukta, Ashtadhyayi and certain other texts.7”
As far as the time of Vedabhashyakar Ravana is concerned, in this regard H.G. Narhari, Bhagwat Dutt, Dr. S.K. Gupta etc. have tried to determine their time on the basis of the available evidence. Narhari considers it appropriate to place Ravana before the middle part of 15th century AD.8
Bhagwat Dutt writes that “Raavan must have happened after Atmanand. Atmanand's comment is of the same type, so if Atmanand knew about it, he would have definitely given its proof to confirm his opinion.9”
The Guptas want to place the time of Ravana before the 14th century. According to him, Ravana's time can be kept before Sayana and around Atmanand. In fact, the commentaries on Ravana had already been written before Surya Pandit (circa 1538), Mallair (1675-1600 AD), Vishwanath (1612 AD) and by their time it had become popular and prestigious. Thus it must have been a creation of 14th-15th century. They can be considered before Sayan. Sayana died in 1387 AD.
Ravana not only composed the commentary of Rigveda, but he also recited Rigveda. Copy of the Saptamashta of his Padpatha D.A.B. The college was available in Lahore. Ravana has also written commentary on Yajurveda. In Rudraprayog Darpan, author Padmanabh has written that he has also taken shelter of Ravana Bhashya while doing Rudrabhashya.10
Padmanabha's time is considered to be 16th century Vikram.
Introduction to Ravana Bhashya
Ravana Bhashya is spiritual. Surya Pandit writes, that Ravana Bhashya is spiritual, which reflects the topics related to internal struggle –
रावणभाष्ये तु अध्यात्मरीत्याभ्यन्तरसंग्राम- विषयो दर्शित:।
Ravanbhashya is found on a total of 13 mantras of Rigveda's first, third (?) and tenth division. All these mantras are related to philosophy. His commentary style is philosophical and spiritual. She follows the Nairukta process and corroborates her lectures with Vedas, Upanishads, Nirukta and Vyakaran etc.
S.K. Gupta's belief is that "the place of Ravana is very high and authentic among the commentators of the Vedas. Shankaracharya has a special influence on him. There is also a close resemblance to Sayan at some places. However, Ravana cannot be called their glutton.11”
According to F.E. Hall, the Ravanabhashya quoted by Surya Pandit is on the following mantras of the Rigveda:
(1) 1/22/20; (2) 1/22/21; (3) 1/164/20; (4) 3/8/4; (5) 10/71/6; (6) 10/71/8; (7) 10/71/9; (8) 10/71/10; (9) 10/81/2; (10) 10/107/1; (11) 10/114/3; (12) 10/114/4; (13) 10/129/1-2
Some examples of Ravana commentary are presented:
तद् विष्णो: परमं पदं सदा पश्यन्ति सूरय:। दिवीव चक्षुराततम्।। 1/22/20 ।।
तद् विप्रासो विपन्यवो जागृवांस: समिन्धते। विष्णोर्यत् परमं पदम्।। 1/22/21।।
विष्णोर्व्यापनशीलस्यापि परमात्मनस्तत् परमं पारमार्थिकं पदमभिव्यक्तिस्थानं, दिवि मूर्ध्नि भ्रूमध्ये वर्तते। “त्रिपादस्यामृतं दिवि” इति श्रुते: सत्यज्ञानानन्दात्मकं विष्णो: पदं, तत्किं, सूरयो महानुभावाश्चक्षुराततं विस्तृतमिव कृत्वा सदाव्यवधानेन पश्यन्ति निरन्तरं साक्षात्कुर्वन्ति। यद्वा चक्षुरर्थप्रकाशम् इव एवकारार्थ आततमपरिछिन्नमेव यथा स्यात् तथा पश्यन्ति।
तत् तस्माद् विप्रासो विप्रा: श्रेष्ठमतयो, विपन्यवो मेधाविनो, जागरांचक्रुरिति जागृवांसो दृश्यप्रपञ्चाद्दीर्घस्वप्नात् सकाशाज्जागरं प्राप्ता इत्यर्थ:। प्रोक्तवदनुभूयमानपद समिन्धते समृद्धिं नयन्ति सर्वात्मकत्वेन पश्यन्ति। अत्रैदुक्तं भवति—अभ्यासदशायां सुषुम्नाविवरेण भ्रूमध्यप्रापितया दृष्ट्या पश्यन्ति, व्यवहारदशायां तु सकलविषयप्रतीतिरूपेण तदेव पश्यन्तीत्यर्थ:।।
द्वा सुपर्णा सयुजा सखाया समानं वृक्षं परि षस्वजाते। तयोरन्य: पिप्पलं स्वाद्वत्त्यनश्नन्नन्यो अभि चाकशीति।। 1/164/20।।
अत्र लौकिकपक्षिद्वयदृष्टान्तेन जीवपरमात्मानौ स्तूयेते। यथा लोके द्वौ सुपर्णौ सुपतनौ शोभनगमनौ सयुजा समानयोगौ सखाया समानख्यानौ समानं वृक्षमेकं देहाकारवृक्षं परिषस्वजाते आश्रयत:। योरन्य एक: पिप्पलं फलं स्वादुतरमति। अपरोऽनश्नन्नभिचाकशीत्यभिपश्यति। तद्वद् द्वौ सुपर्णस्थानीयौ क्षेत्रज्ञपरमात्मानौ सयुजा समानयोगौ। योगो नाम सम्बन्ध: स च तादात्म्यलक्षण: स एवात्मा जीवात्मन: स्वरूपम्। एवमन्यस्यापीत्यैकात्म्ये। अत एव समानख्यानौ यस्य यादृशं ख्यानं स्फुरणं परमात्मनस्तदेवेतरस्याप्यत एव सखायौ एकरूपप्रकाशावित्यर्थ:।

सन्दर्भ :
1.    तदंशकृतैस्तस्य परमेश्वरस्य येंऽशा रावणाद्यास्तै: कृता ये उपाया भाष्यादयस्तैर्व्यक्तीकृता प्रकटीकृता रावणभाष्याद्यवलोकनेन तदुक्तकर्माचरणं सम्यगेव स्यादिति विष्णुपक्षे।
2.    अन्यत्र त्तदंशास्तस्या: श्रुतेरंशा रावणादयस्तै कृतैरुपायै-र्भाष्यादिभिव्यर्कक्तीकृता प्रकटीकृता।।
3.    यानि रावणोवटसायणमहीधरादिभिर्वेदार्थविरुद्धानि भाष्याणि कृतािन। (ऋग्वेद भाष्य भूमिका)
4.    Ravana's Commentary on the Rigveda
5.    रावण भाष्यम्, पृष्ठ 3
6.    रावण भाष्यम्, पृष्ठ 10
7.    रावण भाष्य वही परिशिष्ट 4
8.    The dates of chaturveda swamin and ravana, ब्रह्मविद्या, adiyar library bulletin,  Vol. 5, pp 141-145
9.    वैदिक वाड्मय का इतिहास, भाग-1, खण्ड-2, पृष्ठ 65 
10.  भगवत दत्त, वैदिक वाड्मय का इतिहास, भाग-1, पृष्ठ 92
11.   वही, पृष्ठ 90