Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 65

Meaning

Upbraiding Mahodara, when spoken to as aforesaid, Kumbhakarṇa for his part then submitted as follows to his elder brother, Rāvaṇa, the foremost of ogres: (1)

Meaning

“For what I am, I shall without doubt dispel today your formidable fear by killing that evil-minded fellow, Rāma. Rid of animosity, be happy. (2)

Meaning

“Heroes do not thunder in vain like clouds bereft of water. Note for your part the roar which is going to be emitted by me on the battlefield through action. (3)

Meaning

“Warriors do not seek to glorify themselves with their own lips. On the other hand, they accomplish deeds which are hard to accomplish, without displaying them. (4)

Meaning

“Your advice, even while it is being tendered, would undoubtedly appeal at all times to kings who are cowardly and devoid of intellect and account themselves wise, O Mahodara! (5)

Meaning

“All undertakings have always been marred by you people, who are cowards in combat, utter pleasing words and say ditto to the king during deliberations. (6)

Meaning

“The king alone is left in Laṅkā that has been divested of its population, its exchequer depleted, and army destroyed. Nay, having found access to this king, enemies, masquerading as friends, have gathered round him. (7)

Meaning

“Bent on conquering the enemy, I hereby sally forth to the battlefield in order to redeem in a major conflict today the disastrous policy initiated by you all.” (8)

Meaning

Laughing heartily, Rāvaṇa, the suzerain lord of ogres, then replied as follows to the submission of the sagacious Kumbhakarṇa, who had just spoken as aforesaid : (9)

Meaning

“This Mahodara for his part is greatly afraid of Rāma: there is no doubt about it. Surely he does not relish war, O dear brother, well-versed in the art of warfare ! (10)

Meaning

“There is none equal to you in affection and might in my eyes. As such march you to the battlefield for the destruction of the enemy and attaining victory, O Kumbhakarṇa! (11)

Meaning

“Asleep as you were, you have been duly awakened by me for the extermination of the enemies; for, the present is an exceedingly momentous period for the ogres, O tamer of enemies! (12)

Meaning

“Therefore, taking a pike, duly proceed to the battlefield as Death would, with a noose in hand. Nay, devour the monkeys as well as the two princes, bright as the sun. (13)

Meaning

“Vividly perceiving your very form, the monkeys will flee away, and the hearts of Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa will break asunder.” (14)

Meaning

Having spoken thus to Kumbhakarṇa, who was endowed with extraordinary might, Rāvaṇa (a bull among ogres), who was possessed of great energy, thought himself regenerated. (15)

Meaning

Fully aware of Kumbhakarṇa’s might and knowing, as he did, his prowess, the king felt delighted and shone like the cloudless moon. (16)

Meaning

Spoken to in these words, Kumbhakarṇa, who was endowed with extraordinary might, sallied forth, highly rejoiced. Nay, hearing the king’s speech at that time, he for his part prepared to fight. (17)

Meaning

The ogre, who was capable of destroying his enemies, vigorously seized a whetted and flaming dart, which was all made of iron and was embellished with refined gold. (18)

Meaning

It shone like Indra’s thunderbolt and was equally heavy and was capable of destroying gods, Dānavas, Gandharvas (celestial musicians), Yakṣas (a class of demi-gods) and Nāgas (semi-divine beings credited with a human face and the tail of a serpent). (19)

Meaning

It was wreathed in garlands of crimson flowers and emitted flames by itself. Taking the enormous dart which was stained with the gore of his enemies, Kumbhakarṇa, who was endowed with extraordinary energy submitted as follows to Rāvaṇa: “I will proceed alone. Let my army remain here. (20-21)

Meaning

“Feeling hungry and enraged, I shall devour the monkeys today.” Hearing the submission of Kumbhakarṇa, Rāvaṇa replied as follows: (22)

Meaning

“Go out accompanied by troops carrying pikes and mallets in their hands; for the monkeys are gigantic, valiant and full of great perseverance. (23)

Meaning

“They are sure to destroy with their teeth anyone who is alone or off one’s guard. Therefore, go out surrounded by troops. Rendered exceedingly difficult to assail you in this way, exterminate the entire army of the enemy, which is so pernicious to the ogres.” (24)

Meaning

Springing up from his throne, Rāvaṇa, who was endowed with extraordinary energy, now placed round the neck of Kumbhakarṇa a gold necklace interspersed with gems. (25)

Meaning

He also placed on the person of the colossus armlets, rings, other excellent jewels as well as a pearl necklace sparkling as the moon. (26)

Meaning

Rāvaṇa further placed on his different limbs wonderful fragrant garlands and suspended earrings in his ears. (27)

Meaning

Thus adorned with gold armlets, bracelets and Niṣkas (an ornament for the neck), Kumbhakarṇa, who was distinguished by large ears, shone like fire, well-fed with oblations. (28)

Meaning

Decked with an enormous dark-blue girdle, he shone brightly like Mount Mandara encircled by Vāsuki, the king of serpents, at the time of churning nectar out of the milk ocean. (29)

Meaning

Donning an impenetrable golden coat-of-mail capable of resisting heavy blows, nay, brilliant as lightning and flaming with its native effulgence, he shone like the western mountain, the king of mountains, encircled by evening clouds. (30)

Meaning

Decked all over his limbs with all kinds of jewels and pike in hand, that ogre trod like Lord Nārāyaṇa, (in His all-embracing form) determined to take the three long strides which were intended to cover the entire universe. (31)

Meaning

Tightly embracing his elder brother and also going round him as a token of respect clockwise and respectfully bowing down to him, Kumbhakarṇa, who was endowed with extraordinary might, sallied forth. (32)

Meaning

Rāvaṇa bid him proceed with excellent benedictions to the sound of conches and drums and also alongwith troops armed with the best of weapons. (33)

Meaning

Gigantic car-warriors followed that prince of car-warriors on the back of elephants and horses as also in chariots, emitting a thunder-like sound. (34)

Meaning

Ogres also accompanied the celebrated and redoubtable Kumbhakarṇa, who was endowed with extraordinary might, on serpents, camels and donkeys too as well as on lions, elephants, antelopes and birds. (35)

Meaning

Being covered with showers of blossoms, a parasol held over his head, nay, bearing a pointed pike in his hand, excited by drink and maddened by the smell of blood, that enemy of demons and gods alike sallied forth in state. (36)

Meaning

Lifting up pikes and swords as well as whetted axes as also Bhindipālas (small javelins thrown by the hand), iron clubs and maces and mallets, enormous trunks of palmyra trees and slings which were difficult to meet, and raising a great uproar, numerous formidable ogres with hideous coppery eyes, endowed with extraordinary might, measuring very many Vyāmas* in height, and resembling a mass of collyrium in hue, also followed him on foot, weapon in hand. (37—39)

Meaning

Now assuming another formidable form, terrible to look at, Kumbhakarṇa, who was endowed with extraordinary energy and possessed of great might, rushed forth. (40)

Meaning

Nay, deploying the ogres in battle-array, the mighty Kumbhakarṇa, who was now a hundred bows in breadth and six hundred in height, was fierce with eyes resembling the wheels of a chariot and presented the appearance of a huge mountain (in size), was endowed with an enormous mouth and looked like a charred mountain in hue, spoke as follows, laughing heartily as he spoke: (41-42)

Meaning

“Filled with fury, I shall severally consume today, even as a flame would consume moths, the battalions of the foremost of monkeys. (43)

Meaning

“The monkeys, who are wont to roam about in the woods, have never given me offence of their own will. The species, in fact, serve as an ornament of the urban gardens of people like us. (44)

Meaning

“The cause of the city being besieged, however, is Rāma (a scion of Raghu) accompanied by Lakṣmaṇa? I shall, therefore, first of all get rid of him in combat. He being disposed of, all will be destroyed.” (45)

Meaning

While the bellicose Kumbhakarṇa was speaking in this strain, the ogres, who accompanied him, raised an exceedingly terrible uproar, agitating the sea, as it were. (46)

Meaning

Even as the said Kumbhakarṇa, who was full of intelligence, rushed forth with impetuosity, portents of fearful aspect appeared on all sides. (47)

Meaning

Clouds ashy in colour like donkeys appeared alongwith shooting stars and strokes of lightning. And the earth too, with its seas and forests, violently shook. (48)

Meaning

She-jackals of hideous aspect howled with flaming morsels in their mouths. And birds flew in circle round from right to left. (49)

Meaning

A vulture actually alighted on his pike as he was marching along the road. His left eye twitched and his left arm throbbed. (50)

Meaning

Nay, a flaming meteor then fell with a terrible crash. The sun too lost its brilliance and no delightful wind blew. (51)

Meaning

Not minding in the least the mighty portents, which appeared and which made one’s hair stand on end, Kumbhakarṇa, however, sallied forth, propelled as he was by the force of destiny. (52)

Meaning

Having crossed the defensive wall with his feet alone, the ogre, who closely resembled a mountain in height, surveyed the wonderful army of the monkeys, which looked like a mass of clouds. (53)

Meaning

Beholding the foremost of ogres, who resembled a mountain, the monkeys immediately dispersed in all directions even like clouds propelled by wind. (54)

Meaning

Perceiving that most powerful army of monkeys scattered to the four quarters, like a mass of clouds, melting away, the notorious Kumbhakarṇa who also looked like a cloud, repeatedly emitted a roar like thunder. (55)

Meaning

Hearing his terrible roar, which resembled the rumbling of a cloud in the sky, numerous monkeys fell to the ground like sal trees whose roots have been severed. (56)

Meaning

Armed with a huge iron club in addition to a pike, and causing tremendous fear to the simian ranks, that colossal Kumbhakarṇa rushed forth for the destruction of the enemy, even like Lord Kālarudra (the god of destruction appearing in a dark form at the time of universal dissolution) armed with his rod of punishment waiting upon him in a living form like a servant, at the end of the world cycle. (57)