January 4 - Sargas 66 and 67 (shlokas 1- 52) of Yuddha Kanda.
Kumbhakarna proves to be a handful and none of the vanaras can match him or defeat him.
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स लङ्घयित्वा प्राकारं ... ननाद च महानादं समुद्रमभिनादयन् "The mountain-like rakshasa Kumbhakarna simply stepped across over the big outer wall of Lanka and moved forward, uttering a roar that splashed up the ocean turbulently. "
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Kumbhakarna, unconquerable by Varuna, Indra, or Yama even, strikes absolute terror in the vanaras. Prince Angada wants to stop the vanaras from running away. He calls the lieutenants Nala, Nila, Kumuda, Gavakshsa and says,
क्व गच्छत भयत्रस्ताः प्राकृता हरयो यथा ...विक्रमाद्वधिष्यामो निवर्तध्वं प्लवङ्गमाः "What is this!? You have all forgotten your antecedents and valour! You are all running away in terror like tame monkeys in the wild! Come on, gather back into action, let us kill the enemy by our prowess!"
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Being goaded thus, the vanara chiefs managed with difficulty to gather the forces and assemble some weapons like rocks and trees. They attacked Kumbhakarna fiercely with all their missiles. But Kumbhakarna was not disturbed. In fact, the missiles were crashing down after being pulverized by the impact. Kumbhakarna on the other hand started to grind down the vanara army. He was hurling the vanaras everywhere bleeding. The vanaras again took to their swift feet and ran away, many falling into the ocean, many flying aerially and many simply disappearing into the landscape. Being pounded by Kumbhakarna, many ran away or crashed onto the bridge that they had built to Lanka.
Angada was vexed. He shouted, 'Where do you vanaras think you can run away to hide? Don't you know our King Sugriva's regime extends to the far corners of the earth? Can you escape his diktat to fight here?"
दारा प्युपहासिष्यन्ति स वै घातः सुजीवितम् "Your wives will ridicule you and your cowardice! Would it be meaningful, then, to live in such shame? You will be a blot on your high lineage having run away from battle! And you boast of your loyalty and sense of duty and discipline! Bah!"
शयामहे वा निहताः पृथिव्यामाल्पजीविताः ।
प्राप्नुयामो ब्रह्मलोकं दुष्प्रापं च कुयोधिभिः ॥
"Better we fight and lay down our lives in battle so that we reach the world of Brahma as worthy warriors who died in action, a prospect not available to cowards."
आप्नुयामः कीर्तिं वा निहत्वा शत्रुमाहवे - " It is also eminently possible that we will defeat and kill our enemy by our prowess!"
न कुम्भकर्णः काकुत्स्थं दृष्ट्वा जीवन्गमिष्यति - "And we know for sure that Kumbhakarna, once he encounters Sri Rama, will not return alive!"
But Angada's fierce exhortations did not change the vanaras' minds.
गच्छामो दयितं जीवितं हि नः - "Look, chief! Our lives are precious to us, we won't come back!"
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Angada persisted, and by cajoling the vanara warriors, managed to bring some military spirit.
प्रहर्षमुपनीताश्च वालिपुत्रेण धीमता आज्ञा प्रतीक्षास्तस्थुश्च सर्वे वानरयूथपाः - "At last, cheered up by Angada's words of encouragement, the vanara chiefs reassembled to receive further orders."
Then a whole lot of great vanara chiefs all got together to mount an attack on Kumbhakarna.
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चक्रुः सुतुमलं युद्धं वानरास्त्यक्तजीविताः - "Not caring for their lives, the vanaras then moved into battle, with an uproar."
Kumbhakarna was attacked with a rain of deadly missiles, all to no effect. He instead used his gada (mace) and flattened thousands of vanaras. Kumbhakarna was picking up handfuls of vanaras and devouring them.
It called for great guts but vanaras persisted and hurled their rocks and trees at him.
Dvivida launched a big piece of a mountain at Kumbhakarna. But it missed its target and crashed on the rakshasa army. It killed several elephants, horses, and soldiers. The rakshasa archers now mounted a counterattack on vanaras, killing many of their chiefs. The vanara chiefs in their turn continued to wreak much havoc.
Hanuman went up into the sky and rained rocks and boulders and huge trees on Kumbhakarna. But the rakshasa warded them off with his trident and instead attacked and killed many vanaras relentlessly with his weapon.
Hanuman now directly launched himself with a piece of a mountain at Kumbhakarna. Kumbhakarna was hurt badly and profusely bled and was disoriented. But he recovered quickly and struck Hanuman on his chest with his trident violently. Hanuman bled from his mouth and shrieked in pain. The rakshasas watching this let out a roar of celebration. Then Nila came at Kumbhakarna with a huge mountain rock. Kumbhakarna defended himself with his huge fist that pulverized the rock midway. Rishabha, Nila, Gavaksha, and Gandhamandana now attacked him together. They were raining boulders, hitting him with their fists, and striking him with their palms, from all sides.
Kumbhakarna felt nothing! He caught Rishabha and crushed his shoulders such that the vanara fell down vomiting blood. Kumbhakarna now pummelled Sharabha, pressed Nila down with his knee, and kicked hard at Gandhamadana. They all dispersed, hurt very badly.
Now several vanaras attacked Kumbhakarna together. They were catching him, slapping him, biting him, and clawing him hard. But Kumbhakarna was radiant in his imperturbability. He continued to devour the vanaras. He was gulping them so hard that some of them came out of his ears and nostrils! He now improved his technique and started to chew them fiercely before swallowing.
Angada went to stem the tide. He threatened the rakshasas with a huge mountain and finally managed to hit it hard on Kumbhakarna's head. The rakshasa reeled from the blow. When he recovered, he went in utter rage after Angada and hurled his trident at him. Angada managed to step aside adroitly and now came and leapt to strike Kumbhakarna on his chest hard. Kumbhakarna fell down unconscious. But he recovered rather quickly and caught Angada with a left hook that floored the prince.
Seeing Angada immobile, Kumbhakarna now rushed at Sugriva with his trident. Sugriva leapt up high with a roar and brought a mountain peak and spun it fiercely before launching it at Kumbhakarna.
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॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
