Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 61 of 128 · 40 verses
Vibhishana Tells of Kumbhakarna
Valiant Rama, bow in hand, sees crowned, enormous Kumbhakarna, like a mountain, striding as if through the sky like Narayana of old, dark as a rain cloud, adorned with golden armlets; at the sight the monkey army flees again. Amazed, Rama asks Vibhishana: who is that hero like a mountain, crowned, tawny-eyed, like a cloud with lightning, alone like a banner over the earth, at whose sight all the monkeys run? Rakshasa or asura, I have never seen such a being.
Vibhishana answers: this is Kumbhakarna, son of Vishravas, who defeated Yama and Indra in battle; there is no rakshasa of his size. He has broken gods, danavas, yakshas, serpents, flesh-eaters, gandharvas, vidyadharas and kinnaras by the thousand; the gods, deluded into thinking him Death himself, could not kill him. His strength is natural, while other rakshasa lords have strength from boons. As a newborn child, hungry, he ate thousands of creatures; the terrified creatures went to Indra, who struck him with the thunderbolt; Kumbhakarna, reeling, roared, tore a tusk from Airavata and struck Indra in the chest with it. Indra and the creatures went to Brahma and told him of Kumbhakarna’s wickedness, his eating of creatures, assaults on gods, destruction of hermitages and seizing of other men’s wives: if he goes on eating creatures, the world will soon be empty. Brahma summoned the rakshasas, saw Kumbhakarna, and was himself frightened; then, recovering, he said: surely you were created by Pulastya’s line to destroy the worlds; from today you will sleep like the dead. Struck by the curse, Kumbhakarna fell before the lord. Ravana, alarmed, pleaded: a golden tree grown to fruit is not cut down when it bears fruit; it is not right to curse your own grandson so. Your word cannot be false; he will sleep; but set a time for his sleeping and waking. Brahma said: he will sleep six months and wake for one day; on that one day the hero, hungry, will roam the earth and devour the worlds with his open mouth like a growing fire.
Now, in his danger and in fear of your valour, King Ravana has woken him. This hero of terrible valour has come out of his camp and is rushing about, furious, devouring the monkeys; at the very sight of him they have fled; how can they stop him in battle? Tell the monkeys this is just a machine set up to frighten them; knowing that, they will lose their fear. Hearing Vibhishana’s sound advice, Rama tells Nila, his commander: go, array all the armies, hold Lanka’s gates, roads and bridges, and gather mountain peaks, trees and rocks; let all the monkeys be armed with rocks. Nila deploys the army; Gavaksha, Sharabha, Hanuman and Angada, like mountains, take mountain peaks and go to the gate; the victorious monkeys, hearing Rama’s words, harass the enemy with trees, and the fierce monkey army, raising rocks and trees, shines like a great mass of clouds at the foot of a mountain.
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ततो रामो महातेजा धनुरादाय वीर्यवान् । किरीटिनं महाकायं कुम्भकर्णं ददर्श ह ॥ १ ॥
Then valiant Rama, of great splendour, taking his bow, saw crowned, huge-bodied Kumbhakarna.
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Vibhishana Tells of Kumbhakarna 1 min read.
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तं दृष्ट्वा राक्षसश्रेष्ठं पर्वताकारदर्शनम् । क्रममाणमिवाकाशं पुरा नारायणं यथा ॥ २ ॥
Seeing that best of rakshasas, like a mountain to look at, as if striding through the sky like Narayana of old,
सतोयाम्बुदसंकाशं काञ्चनाङ्गदभूषणम् । दृष्ट्वा पुनः प्रदुद्राव वानराणां महाचमूः ॥ ३ ॥
like a cloud full of water, adorned with golden armlets, the great army of the monkeys fled again.
विद्रुतां वाहिनीं दृष्ट्वा वर्धमानं च राक्षसम् । सविस्मितमिदं रामो विभीषणमुवाच ह ॥ ४ ॥
Seeing the army fleeing and the rakshasa growing, Rama, amazed, said this to Vibhishana:
कोऽसौ पर्वतसंकाशः किरीटी हरिलोचनः । लङ्कायां दृश्यते वीरः सविद्युदिव तोयदः ॥ ५ ॥
“Who is that hero, like a mountain, crowned, with tawny eyes, seen in Lanka like a cloud with lightning?
पृथिव्यां केतुभूतोऽसौ महानेकोऽत्र दृश्यते । यं दृष्ट्वा वानराः सर्वे विद्रवन्ति ततस्ततः ॥ ६ ॥
“He is seen here alone, great, like a banner over the earth, at whose sight all the monkeys run here and there.
आचक्ष्व सुमहान् कोऽसौ रक्षो वा यदि वासुरः । न मयैवंविधं भूतं दृष्टपूर्वं कदाचन ॥ ७ ॥
“Tell me who this very great one is, whether a rakshasa or an asura. I have never seen such a being before.”
सम्पृष्टो राजपुत्रेण रामेणाक्लिष्टकर्मणा । विभीषणो महाप्राज्ञः काकुत्स्थमिदमब्रवीत् ॥ ८ ॥
Asked by the prince, Rama of untiring deeds, very wise Vibhishana said this to Kakutstha:
येन वैवस्वतो युद्धे वासवश्च पराजितः । सैष विश्रवसः पुत्रः कुम्भकर्णः प्रतापवान् । अस्य प्रमाणसदृशो राक्षसोऽन्यो न विद्यते ॥ ९ ॥
“He by whom Vaivasvata and Vasava were defeated in battle: this is the son of Vishravas, powerful Kumbhakarna. There is no other rakshasa equal to his size.
एतेन देवा युधि दानवाश्च यक्षा भुजंगाः पिशिताशनाश्च । गन्धर्वविद्याधरकिंनराश्च सहस्रशो राघव सम्प्रभग्नाः ॥ १० ॥
“By him gods and danavas in battle, yakshas, serpents and flesh-eaters, gandharvas, vidyadharas and kinnaras, have been broken by the thousand, Raghava.
शूलपाणिं विरूपाक्षं कुम्भकर्णं महाबलम् । हन्तुं न शेकुस्त्रिदशाः कालोऽयमिति मोहिताः ॥ ११ ॥
“Mighty Kumbhakarna, trident in hand, with misshapen eyes, the thirty gods could not kill, deluded, thinking ‘This is Time.’
प्रकृत्या ह्येष तेजस्वी कुम्भकर्णो महाबलः । अन्येषां राक्षसेन्द्राणां वरदानकृतं बलम् ॥ १२ ॥
“For this Kumbhakarna is mighty and radiant by nature; the strength of the other rakshasa lords is made by boons.
बालेन जातमात्रेण क्षुधार्तेन महात्मना । भक्षितानि सहस्राणि प्रजानां सुबहून्यपि ॥ १३ ॥
“As a child, just born, tormented by hunger, the great soul devoured very many thousands of creatures.
तेषु सम्भक्ष्यमाणेषु प्रजा भयनिपीडिताः । यान्त स्म शरणं शक्रं तमप्यर्थं न्यवेदयन् ॥ १४ ॥
“As they were being devoured, the creatures, tormented by fear, went for refuge to Shakra and told him of the matter.
स कुम्भकर्णं कुपितो महेन्द्रो जघान वज्रेण शितेन वज्री । स शक्रवज्राभिहतो महात्मा चचाल कोपाच्च भृशं ननाद ॥ १५ ॥
“Mahendra, the wielder of the thunderbolt, angry, struck Kumbhakarna with his sharp thunderbolt. Struck by Shakra’s thunderbolt, the great soul reeled and roared loudly in anger.
तस्य नानद्यमानस्य कुम्भकर्णस्य रक्षसः । श्रुत्वा निनादं वित्रस्ताः प्रजा भूयो वितत्रसुः ॥ १६ ॥
“Hearing the roar of the roaring rakshasa Kumbhakarna, the creatures, terrified, were terrified again.
ततः क्रुद्धो महेन्द्रस्य कुम्भकर्णो महाबलः । निष्कृष्यैरावताद् दन्तं जघानोरसि वासवम् ॥ १७ ॥
“Then mighty Kumbhakarna, angry at great Indra, pulled a tusk from Airavata and struck Vasava on the chest.
कुम्भकर्णप्रहारार्तो विजज्वाल स वासवः । ततो विषेदुः सहसा देवा ब्रह्मर्षिदानवाः ॥ १८ ॥
“Hurt by Kumbhakarna’s blow, Vasava burned; then the gods, the brahmarshis and the danavas were suddenly dejected.
प्रजाभिः सह शक्रश्च ययौ स्थानं स्वयंभुवः । कुम्भकर्णस्य दौरात्म्यं शशंसुस्ते प्रजापतेः ॥ १९ ॥
“And Shakra with the creatures went to the Self-born’s abode; they told Prajapati of Kumbhakarna’s wickedness,
प्रजानां भक्षणं चापि देवानां चापि धर्षणम् । आश्रमध्वंसनं चापि परस्त्रीहरणं भृशम् ॥ २० ॥
“his devouring of creatures, his assaults on the gods, his destruction of hermitages, and his seizing of other men’s wives:
एवं प्रजा यदि त्वेष भक्षयिष्यति नित्यशः । अचिरेणैव कालेन शून्यो लोको भविष्यति ॥ २१ ॥
“’If he devours creatures continually like this, in a very short time the world will become empty.’
वासवस्य वचः श्रुत्वा सर्वलोकपितामहः । रक्षांस्यावाहयामास कुम्भकर्णं ददर्श ह ॥ २२ ॥
“Hearing Vasava’s words, the Grandsire of all the worlds summoned the rakshasas and saw Kumbhakarna.
कुम्भकर्णं समीक्ष्यैव वितत्रास प्रजापतिः । कुम्भकर्णमथाश्वास्तः स्वयंभूरिदमब्रवीत् ॥ २३ ॥
“As soon as he saw Kumbhakarna, Prajapati was frightened; then, reassured, the Self-born said this to Kumbhakarna:
ध्रुवं लोकविनाशाय पौलस्त्येनासि निर्मितः । तस्मात् त्वमद्यप्रभृति मृतकल्पः शयिष्यसे ॥ २४ ॥
“’Surely you were created by Paulastya for the destruction of the world. Therefore from today on you will sleep like one dead.’
ब्रह्मशापाभिभूतोऽथ निपपाताग्रतः प्रभोः । ततः परमसम्भ्रान्तो रावणो वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ २५ ॥
“Overcome by Brahma’s curse, he fell before the lord. Then Ravana, greatly alarmed, said:
प्रवृद्धः काञ्चनो वृक्षः फलकाले निकृत्यते । न नप्तारं स्वकं न्याय्यं शप्तुमेवं प्रजापते ॥ २६ ॥
“’A golden tree that has grown is cut down at the time of fruit. It is not right to curse your own grandson so, Prajapati.
न मिथ्यावचनश्च त्वं स्वप्स्यत्येव न संशयः । कालस्तु क्रियतामस्य शयने जागरे तथा ॥ २७ ॥
“’And you do not speak falsely; he will sleep, no doubt of it. But let a time be set for his sleeping and his waking.’
रावणस्य वचः श्रुत्वा स्वयंभूरिदमब्रवीत् । शयिता ह्येष षण्मासमेकाहं जागरिष्यति ॥ २८ ॥
“Hearing Ravana’s words, the Self-born said this: ‘He will sleep for six months and wake for one day.
एकेनाह्ना त्वसौ वीरश्चरन् भूमिं बुभुक्षितः । व्यात्तास्यो भक्षयेल्लोकान् संवृद्ध इव पावकः ॥ २९ ॥
“’In that one day the hero, roaming the earth, hungry, with open mouth, will devour the worlds like a growing fire.’
सोऽसौ व्यसनमापन्नः कुम्भकर्णमबोधयत् । त्वत्पराक्रमभीतश्च राजा सम्प्रति रावणः ॥ ३० ॥
“And now King Ravana, fallen into misfortune and afraid of your valour, has woken Kumbhakarna.
स एष निर्गतो वीरः शिबिराद् भीमविक्रमः । वानरान् भृशसंक्रुद्धो भक्षयन् परिधावति ॥ ३१ ॥
“This hero of terrible valour has come out of his camp and, very angry, is running about devouring the monkeys.
कुम्भकर्णं समीक्ष्यैव हरयोऽद्य प्रदुद्रुवुः । कथमेनं रणे क्रुद्धं वारयिष्यन्ति वानराः ॥ ३२ ॥
“At the mere sight of Kumbhakarna the monkeys have fled today; how will the monkeys check him in battle when he is angry?
उच्यन्तां वानराः सर्वे यन्त्रमेतत् समुच्छ्रितम् । इति विज्ञाय हरयो भविष्यन्तीह निर्भयाः ॥ ३३ ॥
“Let all the monkeys be told, ‘This is a machine set up’; knowing that, the monkeys will become fearless here.”
विभीषणवचः श्रुत्वा हेतुमत् सुमुखोद्गतम् । उवाच राघवो वाक्यं नीलं सेनापतिं तदा ॥ ३४ ॥
Hearing Vibhishana’s reasoned words, spoken from his fair mouth, Raghava then said to Nila, commander of the army:
गच्छ सैन्यानि सर्वाणि व्यूह्य तिष्ठस्व पावके । द्वाराण्यादाय लङ्कायाश्चर्याश्चास्याथ संक्रमान् ॥ ३५ ॥
“Go, array all the armies and stand, son of Fire, taking the gates of Lanka, its roads and its bridges.
शैलशृङ्गाणि वृक्षांश्च शिलाश्चाप्युपसंहरन् । भवन्तः सायुधाः सर्वे वानराः शैलपाणयः ॥ ३६ ॥
“Gathering mountain peaks, trees and rocks, let all you monkeys be armed, with rocks in your hands.”
राघवेण समादिष्टो नीलो हरिचमूपतिः । शशास वानरानीकं यथावत् कपिकुञ्जरः ॥ ३७ ॥
Ordered by Raghava, Nila, commander of the monkey army, the elephant among monkeys, directed the monkey army properly.
ततो गवाक्षः शरभो हनूमानङ्गदस्तथा । शैलशृङ्गाणि शैलाभा गृहीत्वा द्वारमभ्ययुः ॥ ३८ ॥
Then Gavaksha, Sharabha, Hanuman and Angada, like mountains, taking mountain peaks, went to the gate.
रामवाक्यमुपश्रुत्य हरयो जितकाशिनः । पादपैरर्दयन् वीरा वानराः परवाहिनीम् ॥ ३९ ॥
Hearing Rama’s words, the victorious monkeys, the heroes, harassed the enemy army with trees.
ततो हरीणां तदनीकमुग्रं रराज शैलोद्यतवृक्षहस्तम् । गिरेः समीपानुगतं यथैव महन्महाम्भोधरजालमुग्रम् ॥ ४० ॥
Then that fierce army of the monkeys, with rocks raised and trees in their hands, shone like a great, fierce mass of clouds that has come close to a mountain.