RAMOPAKHYANA PARVA: Chapter 287

The slaughter of Kumbhakarna

मार्कण्डेय उवाच ततो निर्याय स्वपुरात् कुम्भकर्णः सहानुगः। अपश्यत् कपिसैन्यं तज्जितकाश्यचतः स्थितम्॥
Markandeya said : Then having marched out of the city with his followers, Kumbhakarna beheld the victorious monkey-army lying before him.

स वीक्षमाणस्तत् सैन्यं रामदर्शनकाक्षया अपश्यच्चापि सौमित्रिं धनुष्पाणिं व्यवस्थितम्॥
Having observed (carefully) the monkey host with the desire of finding out Rama (among it) he saw Lakshmana stand (ready for fight), bow in hand.

तमभ्येत्याशु हरयः परिवः समन्ततः। अभ्यघ्नंश्च महाकायैर्बहुभिर्जगतीरुहै:॥
The monkeys, (then), coming up to him completely surrounded him and began to smite him with numerous huge trees.

करजैरतुदंश्चान्ये विहाय भयमुत्तमम्। बहुधा युध्यमानास्ते युद्धमार्गः प्लवङ्गमाः॥ नानाप्रहरणैर्भीमै राक्षसेन्द्रमताडयन्।
(And) giving up their fear some began to tear him with nails and several monkeys fought him by resorting to various ways (of battle). And they hurled at that foremost of Rakshasas various terrible weapons.

स ताड्यमानः प्रहसन् भक्षयामास वानरान्॥ बलं चण्डबलाख्यं च वल्लाबाहुं च वानरम्।
Thus struck, he only laughed (at them) and fell to eating up the monkeys, named Bala, Chandabala and Vajrabahu.

तद् दृष्ट्वा व्यथनं कर्म कुम्भकर्णस्य रक्षसः॥ उदक्रोशन् परित्रस्तास्तारप्रभृतयस्तदा।
Seeing that terrible act of the Rakshasa Kumbhakarna, Tara and others were greatly alarıned and sent forth a loud wai).

तानुच्चैः क्रोशतः सैन्याञ्छ्रुत्वा स हरियूथपान्॥ अभिदुद्राव सुग्रीवः कुम्भकर्णमपेतभीः।
Hearing the loud cry of the monkey chiefs, Sugriva fearlessly rushed at Kumbhakarna.

ततो निपत्य वेगेन कुम्भकर्णं महामनाः॥ शालेन जनिवान् मूर्ध्नि बलेन कपिकुञ्जरः।
Then that high-minded king of the monkeys, coming up to Kumbhakarna with great speed struck him furiously on the head with a Sala tree.

स महात्मा महावेगः कुम्भकर्णस्य मूर्धनि॥ बिभेद शालं सुग्रीवो न चैवाव्यथयत् कपिः।
And though that large-hearted monkey, Sugriva endued with a great speed, broke that Sala tree on the head of Kumbhakarna, yet he could not afflict him (in the least).

ततो विनय सहसा शालस्पर्शविबोधितः॥ दोर्ध्यामादाय सुग्रीवं कुम्भकर्णोऽहरद् बलात्।
Then suddenly awakening at the touch of the Sala tree, Kumbhakarna, with a terrible yell, stretching forth his arms, seized Sugriva by main force.

ह्रियमाणं तु सुग्रीवं कुम्भकर्णेन रक्षसा॥ अवेक्ष्याभ्यद्रवद् वीरः सौमित्रर्मित्रनन्दनः।
Seeing Sugriva (thus) seized by the Rakshasa Kumbhakarna, the war-like son of Sumitra, the delighter of his friends, rushed (to his rescue).

सोऽभिपत्य महावेगं रुक्मपुङ्ख महाशरम्॥ प्राहिणोत् कुम्भकर्णाय लक्ष्मणः परवीरहा।
And coming up, that slayer of hostile warriors, Lakshmana, sent after him an impetuous and mighty dart furnished with golden wings.

स तस्य देहावरणं भित्त्वा देहं च सायकः॥ जगाम दारयन् भूमि रुधिरेण समुक्षितः।
That arrow piercing through his armour and his body and covered with blood, penetrated into the earth.

तथा स भिन्नहृदयः समुत्सृज्य कपीश्वरम्॥ कुम्भकर्णो महेष्वासः प्रगृहीतशिलायुधः। अभिदुद्राव सौमित्रिमुद्यम्य महतीं शिलाम्॥
His heart being (thus) riven, he let go the monkey king. (And then) that mighty bowman, Kumbhakarna, taking a stone as his arrow, rushed at the son of Sumitra, aiming that huge stone at him.

तस्याभिपततस्तूर्णं क्षुराभ्यामुच्छ्रितौ करौ। चिच्छेद निशिताचाभ्यां स बभूव चतुर्भुजः॥
When he was (thus) advancing, (Lakshmana) quickly cut off his upraised arms with a pair keen-edged razors. He then became four-handed.

तानप्यस्य भुजान् सर्वान् प्रगृहीतशिलायुधान्। क्षुचिच्छेद लघ्वस्त्रं सौमित्रिः प्रतिदर्शयन्॥
(But) the son of Sumitra, displaying his skill in arms cut off all those arms, holding stones as arrows, by razors.

स बभूवातिकायश्च बहुपादशिरोभुजः। तं ब्रह्मास्त्रेण सौमित्रिर्ददाराद्रिचयोपमम्॥
His body then assumed formidable proportions and his head and arms began to multiply in large numbers. The son of Sumitra, then, pierced Kumbhakarna, looking like heaps of rocks, by that weapon presided over by Brahma.

स पपात महावीर्यो दिव्यास्त्राभिहतो रणे। महाशनिविनिर्दग्धः पादपोऽङ्कुरवानिव॥
And he, endued with a vast strength, struck by that celestials weapon, fell dead on the battle (field) like a gigantic tree having its spreading branches burnt up by the fire of) the thunderbolt.

तं दृष्ट्वा वृत्रसंकाशं कुम्भकर्णं तरस्विनम्। गतासुं पतितं भूमौ राक्षसाः प्राद्रवन् भयात्॥
Seeing the mighty Kumbhakarna (powerful) as (the Asura) Vritra, lying dead on the ground, the Rakshasas ran away in (great) terror.

तथा तान् द्रवतो योधान् दृष्ट्वा तौ दूषणानुजौ। अवस्थाप्याथ सौमित्रिं संक्रुद्धावभ्यधावताम्॥
Then, the two younger brothers of Dushana, seeing those warriors fly away, rallied them and rushed furiously against the son of Sumitra.

तावाद्रवन्तौ संक्रुद्धौ वलावेगप्रमाथिनौ। अभिजग्राह सौमित्रिर्विनियोभौ पतत्रिभिः॥
Seeing Vajravega and Pramathin advance against him in great wrath, the son of Sumitra with a loud shout assailed them both with shafts.

ततः सुतुमुलं युद्धमभवल्लोमहर्षणम्। दूषणानुजयोः पार्थ लक्ष्मणस्य च धीमतः॥
Then, O Partha, there ensued an awfullyterrible encounter, making the hair stand erect, between the younger brothers of Dushana and the intelligent Lakshmana.

महता शरवर्षेण राक्षसौ सोऽभ्यवर्षत। तौ चापि वीरौ संक्रुद्धावुभौ तं समवर्षताम्॥
And he (Lakshmana) covered the Rakshasas with a heavy downpour of arrows and those two (Rakshasa) heroes also in great wrath overwhelmed Lakshmana with showers (of arrows).

मुहूर्तमेवमभवद् वलावेगप्रमाथिनोः। सौमित्रेश्च महाबाहोः सम्प्रहारः सुदारुणः॥
That furious battle between Vajravega and Pramathin (on one hand) and the mighty-armed son of Sumitra (on the other) lasted for a moment only.

अथाद्रिशृङ्गमादाय हनुमान् मारुतात्मजः। अभिद्रुत्याददे प्राणान् वलावेगस्य रक्षसः॥
Then Hanuman, the son of Pavana, taking up a mountain-peak rushed at and took the life of, the Rakshasa Vajravega.

नीलश्च महता चाव्णा दूषणावरजं प्रमाथिनमभिद्रुत्य प्रममाथ महाबलः॥
(And) the monkey Nila, endued with a vast strength, rushing towards Pramathin, the younger brother of Dushana crushed him with a huge rock.

ततः प्रावर्तत पुनः संग्रामः कटुकोदयः। रामरावणसैन्यानामन्योन्यमभिधावताम्॥
Then there again raged a terrible encounter between the forces of Rama and Ravana, smiting one another.

शतशो नैर्ऋतान् वन्या जनुर्वन्यांश्च नैर्ऋताः। नैर्ऋतास्तत्र वध्यन्ते प्रायेण न तु वानराः॥
The monkeys slew hundreds and Rakshasas and the Rakshasas too killed many dwellers of forest. But the number of Rakshasas killed was greater than that of the monkeys.