Ravana’s campaign of conquest is checked when he attacks Karttavirya Arjuna, the powerful king of Mahishmati, on the banks of the Narmada River. Karttavirya defeats and imprisons him, making the episode a reversal in Ravana’s series of military exploits; Ravana is released only after Pulastya intercedes.

The Encounter

The account places the clash at the Narmada River and identifies Karttavirya as a mighty ruler of Mahishmati. Ravana attacks him, but the encounter ends not in another conquest for Ravana but in his defeat and capture.

Captivity and Release

Karttavirya takes Ravana prisoner and holds him in confinement. Pulastya’s intercession brings that captivity to an end: Ravana is released from his bonds. The passage gives no further details of the imprisonment or the terms of his release.

Place in Ravana’s Campaigns

The episode interrupts a sequence in which Ravana subdues other powerful opponents and territories. After his release, he visits Kishkindha and enters an alliance with Bali, then undertakes further campaigns. His capture is therefore a temporary setback in the account, rather than the end of his power or military activity.