Kumbhakarna was furious and said that he would go and kill the princes. He started to go and meet his brother. Ravana who had been informed was preparing a great welcome to his brother. When Kumbhakarna walked along the street every one bowed to him. He with his crown shone like the Sun. He was so mighty that the monkeys outside the city walls could see him and they ran in fear to see such a figure.
Rama saw a mighty figure
walking with very heavy steps under which the earth trembled and at whose sight
the Vanaras started fleeing. Rama told Vibheeshana that he had never seen such
a mighty person in the world and asked him who he was. Vibheeshana replied that
he was Kumbhakarna son of Vishrawas and Ravana’s brother. He further said that
Kumbhakarna even at birth was very strong and had a great appetite and started
swallowing all living things. Brahma was so scared that he might make the world
devoid of living things that he cursed him to go to sleep like a dead person.
But Ravana requested Brahma to be kind and upon which Brahma made him sleep for
six months in a year. Rama ordered chief Neela to collect his army and
stand near the gate of Lanka city. They were all armed with huge trees, rocks, and so on, and waited for Kumbhakarna.
Kumbhakarna went straight to
Ravana’s palace and spoke to him. He asked why he was disturbed in his sleep
and what could he do. Ravana was so happy to see him and he embraced him and
offered him a seat. Then Ravana told him that while he was asleep a monkey came
and set fire to the city and following that there was an army invading Lanka
killing many rakshasas. He requested Kumbhakarna to help and save the people.
Kumbhakarna started advising
Ravana. He said that earlier Ravana did not take the advice of the court but
went ahead and kept Sita thereby earning the wrath of Rama. Now he said it was too
late to rectify. He said that a good king had to weigh well all the matters and
then proceed.
Here Kumbhakarna is a
hypocrite. Let us recall that when Vibheeshana advised Ravana to return Sita to
Rama, Ravana lashed out using harsh and unkind words on him, which hurt him so
much, that he left his brother and left Lanka to surrender to Rama. At that
time Kumbhakarna did not support Vibheeshana. But now he pretends to give good
advice to Ravana.
Kumbhakarna continued and
said that there was no use repenting over the past and he would do anything to
protect his brother whom he said was like his father. So he asked his brother’s
permission to go at once to fight with Rama. He said he was so hungry he would
swallow the Vanaras by thousands, kill Rama and Lakshmana and drink their
blood. He told Ravana that finally, Sita would become his forever.
Mahodara who was very huge
in size with enormous hands told Kumbhakarna that he was just boasting for he
was incapable of facing Rama who was like a ferocious lion. He asked him if he
had forgotten that Rama single handed killed Khara and his army of several
thousand rakshasas, Kadamba, Viradha, and so on. He said that one should adopt
cunning methods instead. He told Ravana that he and other rakshasa chiefs would
wound themselves with arrows marked as “Rama” and come to Ravana and tell him
that they were wounded by Rama while they ate him up. He said that Ravana could
then proclaim this in public places. Sita would come to hear this news and
would feel miserable. Ravana at that time could go and console her and
eventually, Sita would accept Ravana’s advances. Mahodara said this there
would be no loss of lives.
Kumbhakarna angrily retorted
saying that only due to such stupid counsel that Ravana had gotten into such a
sorry plight. He accused Mahodara that he was a coward and hence gave a foolish suggestion. He urged Ravana to let him go and fight. Ravana was only
too pleased and asked Kumbhakarna to go and fight and swallow both the royal
princes. Ravana felt very much relieved. Ravana told Kumbhakarna to take his
mighty trident and go with a big army of powerful rakshasas. Kumbhakarna wore a
very strong shield that was impenetrable and shone like the evening Sun.
He looked like Lord Trivikrama who subdued Mahabali. The comparison here is
only to describe the huge size and stops there. He prostrated before Ravana and
started off with other rakshasas who carried various weapons such as tridents,
swords, axes, heavy wooden pillars, palm trees, spears, and so on. Kumbhakarna
said in a loud voice that he would kill Rama who was responsible for all the
destruction and all the rakshasas made a very loud noise in approval.
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