Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 61

Meaning

Taking up his bow, the valiant Śrī Rāma, who was endowed with extraordinary energy, beheld the gigantic Kumbhakarṇa, adorned with a diadem. (1)

Meaning

Perceiving that prince of ogres, who looked like a mountain, taking strides across space, as it were, like Lord Nārāyaṇa (manifested in the form of Trivikrama, who measured the whole universe in a couple of strides), he became alert. (2)

Meaning

Catching sight of the ogre, who closely resembled a cloud charged with rain and was adorned with gold armlets, the huge army of monkeys fled with full speed again. (3)

Meaning

Seeing the army scared away, and the ogre becoming larger in size, Śrī Rāma with astonishment asked Vibhīṣaṇa as follows: (4)

Meaning

“Who is that with a diadem and tawny eyes and resembling a mountain? He is seen in Laṅkā, like a cloud riven by lightning. (5)

Meaning

“The colossal ogre is seen here like a solitary comet on earth, beholding whom all the monkeys are fleeing in every direction. (6)

Meaning

“Please point out to me who that colossus is, an ogre or a demon? No such being was ever seen by me before.” (7)

Meaning

Questioned in these words by Prince Śrī Rāma of unwearied action, the highly sagacious Vibhīṣaṇa replied to Śrī Rāma, a scion of Kakutstha, as follows: (8)

Meaning

“He is the well-known son of sage Viśravā, the fiery Kumbhakarṇa, by whom Yama (son of the sun-god) as well as Indra were vanquished. There is no other ogre vying with him in size. (9)

Meaning

“By him were completely routed in their thousands in combat Dānavas (demons) and Yakṣas (a class of demigods), serpents and ogres (lit., flesh-eaters), Gandharvas (celestial musicians), Vidyādharas (celestial artistes) and Kinnaras (semi-divine beings with a human figure and the head of a horse), O scion of Raghu! (10)

Meaning

“Deluded to think that he was Death personified, the gods could not kill Kumbhakarṇa, who is endowed with extraordinary might and hideous eyes and stood pike in hand. (11)

Meaning

“The yonder Kumbhakarṇa is daring and endowed with extraordinary might by nature. The strength of other ogre chiefs, however, is attributable to boons (conferred on them by gods). (12)

Meaning

“Very many thousands of created beings were devoured by the colossus, oppressed with hunger, while he was yet a new-born babe. (13)

Meaning

“Sore-stricken with fear on their being devoured by the monster, the created beings sought Indra as their refuge and reported that matter to him. (14)

Meaning

“Moved to anger, the mighty Indra, who was armed with a thunderbolt, struck Kumbhakarṇa with his sharp thunderbolt. Struck with Indra’s thunderbolt, the colossus reeled and emitted a tremendous roar. (15)

Meaning

“Hearing the roar of the ogre, Kumbhakarṇa, who was repeatedly roaring, the created beings, who were already greatly afraid, felt frightened all the more. (16)

Meaning

“Tearing out a tusk from the mouth of Airāvata, carrying Indra on its back, the enraged Kumbhakarṇa, who was endowed with extraordinary might, then struck Indra in the breast with it. (17)

Meaning

“Agonized by the blow of Kumbhakarṇa, the aforesaid Indra felt tormented. Thereupon the gods, the Brāhmaṇa Ṛṣis and the demons grew despondent all at once. (18)

Meaning

“Accompanied by those created beings, Indra sought the realm of Brahmā. They complained to Brahmā (the lord of created beings) about the wickedness of Kumbhakarṇa. (19)

Meaning

“They also told him how he devoured created beings, assailed gods, laid waste the hermitages of sages and repeatedly carried off others’ wives. (20)

Meaning

“ ‘If he for his part consumes created beings in this way from day to day’, they continued, ‘the world will turn desolate at no distant date.’ (21)

Meaning

“Hearing the complaint of Indra and others, Brahmā (the grandfather of the entire creation, which owes its origin to his ten mind-born sons) conjured the ogres and saw Kumbhakarṇa too alongwith them: so the tradition goes. (22)

Meaning

“Brahmā (the lord of created beings), got alarmed merely on beholding Kumbhakarṇa. Restored to confidence in the meantime, however, Brahmā (the self-born creator) spoke to him as follows:(23)

Meaning

“ ‘Surely you have been begotten by Viśravā (son of Pulasti, one of my mind-born sons) to the destruction of the world. Therefore, from this day onward you shall remain buried in sleep like one dead.’ (24)

Meaning

“Overpowered by the curse pronounced by Brahmā, Kumbhakarṇa forthwith fell down before the king, Rāvaṇa. Exceedingly perturbed, Rāvaṇa thereupon submitted to Brahmā as follows: (25)

Meaning

“ ‘A tree yielding gold (as its fruit) is never hewed down at the time of fructification. It is not equitable on your part to curse your own great grandson as you have done, O lord of created beings! (26)

Meaning

“ ‘And your words can never prove to be false, so that sleep he must: there is no doubt about it. A period of time may kindly be fixed for his sleep as well as for his waking.’ (27)

Meaning

“Hearing Rāvaṇa’s appeal, Brahmā (the self-born creator) spoke as follows: ‘He shall sleep continuously for six months and shall keep awake only for a day. (28)

Meaning

“ ‘Ranging the earth with his mouth wide open, when hungry, the said hero for his part may consume the world like a swollen fire in the course of a single day.’ (29)

Meaning

“Fallen in adversity and afraid of your prowess, this aforesaid king, Rāvaṇa, has just awakened Kumbhakarṇa. (30)

Meaning

“Having emerged from his royal retreat, extremely enraged, this champion of terrible prowess is darting to and fro, devouring the monkeys. (31)

Meaning

“The monkeys have run away merely on beholding Kumbhakarṇa today. How then will the monkeys be able to check him on seeing him enraged in combat? (32)

Meaning

“Let the monkeys be told that it is a mere mechanical device standing very high, which they see before them. The monkeys will be rid of fear on coming to know this on this occasion.” (33)

Meaning

Hearing the speech of Vibhīṣaṇa, which was full of reason and had been made with a pleasing air, Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu, spoke to Nīla, the Commander-in-Chief, as follows: (34)

Meaning

“Go, disposing all the troops in battle array, nay, occupying the gates, highways and bridges of Laṅkā and getting together mountain-tops, trees and rocks too, stand ready for operation, O son of the fire-god! And, armed with weapons and rocks in hand, you too remain alert, O monkeys!” (35-36)

Meaning

Duly instructed as above, Nīla, the Commander-in-Chief of the simian army, an elephant among the monkeys, commanded the army of the monkeys as it should be. (37)

Meaning

Taking peaks of mountains, Gavākṣa, Śarabha, Hanumān and Aṅgada, who looked like mountains themselves, thereupon marched to the gate of Laṅkā. (38)

Meaning

Hearing the command of Śrī Rāma, the heroic monkeys, who were bent upon taking the life of their enemies, and who had assumed a triumphant air, began to strike the hostile army guarding the precincts of the city outside the gates. (39)

Meaning

Carrying rocks and uplifted trees in their hands, that formidable army of monkeys shone precisely like a terrible and huge mass of clouds hanging close to a mountain. (40)