Why Was Vishvrava Both the Father of Kubera and Ravana? The Two Natures of Mind

Question:

Sister, but in our scriptures, Sage Vishrava and his lineage are described as good. Vishrava is portrayed positively, isn’t he? He had another wife, and from her was born Kubera — who is counted among the gods. So, if Kubera was born of Vishrava, how can we say Vishrava represents something negative?

Answer:

That’s a good question.
To understand this properly, we have to look at the meaning of the word Vishrava.

“Vi-” means “opposite,” and “shrav” comes from the same root as shruti — hearing or knowledge.
There are two kinds of knowledge:

• Shruti-based knowledge — which is higher, intuitive, and soul-centered, and
  
  

• Shrav-based knowledge — which depends only on the senses.
  
  

So Vishrava means knowledge that is based on the senses, not on the inner truth.
It is wisdom turned outward — understanding that comes from what we see, hear, and touch, not from the awareness of the soul.

Now, in the story, Vishrava has two wives, meaning he relates to two kinds of natures (prakriti).
From one nature, which is pure and elevated, Kubera is born — Kubera represents the positive mind, the mind that is rich in good qualities, a divine tendency.

From the other nature — the lower, material nature — Ravana is born. Ravana represents the mind that feeds negativity, the one that empowers demonic tendencies.

So both are symbolic: from the same consciousness can arise both divine and demonic tendencies, depending on which nature we connect with — the higher or the lower.

That’s why we must look at every part of the story together, not in isolation.
If we take just one small piece and try to interpret it, we’ll miss the full picture.
The meaning becomes clear only when we see how all the symbols — the names, relationships, and lineages — fit together as a complete expression of inner psychology.