Ravana is a devotee, but he is not a wise devotee; rather, he is a clever devotee. He seeks from Shiva freedom from fear, not through faith, but through power. When Shiva asks Ravana to build a house for Shakti, Ravana uses his knowledge of Vastu-shastra, or the occult understanding of space, to build a grand palace. It turns out to be the most beautiful palace on earth. After building it, Ravana, becomes attached to it and covets it. So when Shiva says, ‘How can I reward you for building such a good palace?’ Ravana asks for the palace itself as his fee, and the simpleton Shiva says, ‘So be
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