Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 1: Contents of the Rāmāyaṇa Summarized
Text 1.1.47
ततो ज्ञातिवधं श्रुत्वा रावणः क्रोधमूर्छितः।
सहायं वरयामास मारीचं नाम राक्षसम्॥
tato jñāti-vadhaṁ śrutvā rāvaṇaḥ krodha-mūrchitaḥ
sahāyaṁ varayām āsa mārīcaṁ nāma rākṣasam
tataḥ = then; jñāti-vadham = the death of his relative Khara; śrutvā = heard and; rāvaṇaḥ = Rāvaṇa; krodha-mūrchitaḥ = became senseless with anger; sahāyam = the help; varayām āsa = He then sought; mārīcam = Mārīca; nāma = named; rākṣasam = of the rākṣasa.
Then Rāvaṇa heard about the death of his relative Khara and became senseless with anger. He then sought the help of the rākṣasa named Mārīca.
Khara was Rāvaṇa’s relative, for it is mentioned in the Araṇya-parva of Mahābhārata that Khara was born to Rāvaṇa’s mother’s sister from Viśravā. Rāvaṇa heard about Khara’s death from Akampana and Śūrpaṇakhā.
Rāvaṇa is so named because he causes others to cry, as it will be described in Canto 7:
yasmānl loka-trayaṁ caitad rāvitaṁ bhayam āgatam
tasmāt tvaṁ rāvaṇo nāma nāmnā rājan bhaviṣyasi
“Because the three worlds have cried and become frightened, O king, you will become famous by the name Rāvaṇa.” (Rāmāyaṇa 7.16.43)
Due to his anger, Rāvaṇa became senseless, that is, stupefied.
NOTE. We learn from the Mahābhārata (Araṇya-parva, Chapter 258) that Viśravā had three wives: Puṣpotkaṭā, Mālinī and Rākā. Rāvaṇa and Kumbhakarṇa were born to Puṣpotkaṭā. Vibhīṣaṇa was born to Mālinī. Khara and Śūrpaṇakhā were born to Rākā. Thus, Khara was an intimate relative of Rāvaṇa.