January 5 - Shlokas 52 to 177 of Sarga 67 of Yuddha Kanda.
I read today an unusually long sarga devoted to the battle of Kumbhakarna and how he was finally killed by Sri Rama. The chapter is long and bloody with an extremely grotesque battle scene of gore and gut and blood and bones strewn all over it rendering to my imagination the sacred book itself looking to be soaked in blood. I shall save from you too much detail but tell you the story as it happened.
***
From whatever we have read thus far about Sugriva, three things are clear. He enjoyed total power over the vanaras and bears who obeyed him implicitly. He was also extremely loyal to Sri Rama. Coming to his military prowess, no doubt he was formidable in size and speed and capable of taking on anyone. But unlike Hanuman, or even Angada, it appears that he often bit off more than he could chew (an appropriate pun as you will see presently.)
Sugriva brought a huge piece of a mountain and threatened Kumbhakarna, saying that the rakshasa's acts of bravery so far were laudable but had been confined to the vast rank and file of vanaras and he was yet to experience a battle with someone like Sugriva.
सहसैकं निपातं मे पर्वतास्यास्य राक्षस - "Oh Rakshasa, now let me see you withstand this piece of a mountain I am hurling at you!"
Kumbhakarna responded, "Sugriva, I shall let your bravado pass as you are the grandson of Prajapati and the son of Riksharaja." When Surgiva launched that mountain piece at Kumbhakarna's chest, it met its target but shattered to pieces. Kumbhakarna was peeved and spun around his terrific trishul much like Ravindra Jadeja twirls his bat when he scores a fifty. He then launched it fiercely at Sugriva most menacingly. Hanuman, the ever-alert, the ever-capable,and the ever-prompt, intercepted the trishul and broke it on his thigh much like a Hindi film hero like Shah Rukh breaks ganna and impresses Kajol.
Valmiki even gives the density and weight of that trishul with impressive numbers.
Kumbhakarna was non-plussed, the rakshasas were terrified, and the vanaras, who had been taking much chewing up from the enemy, let out a hurrah.
Kumbhakarna was now like a serpent struck and provoked. He plucked the Malaya mountain peak on the outskirts of Lanka and launched it unerringly at Sugriva. The vanara king was hit and fell to the ground, motionless and unconscious.
Kumbhakarna rushed to the spot, and picking up Sugriva easily, crushingly held him under his left arm and ran away back into Lanka. He was confident that the battle had been won, given that Sugriva would presently die and the vanaras would simply disperse to save their lives, leaving behind Sri Rama and Lakshmana as easy targets.
As the entire Lanka was applauding their hero and he was being showered with flowers and auspicious laaja corn, the gods in heaven were grieving the setback.
Hanuman's brain was in overdrive. He well knew that he could swell up to a mountainous size and thrash Kumbhakarna easily to death. But would it augur well for Sugriva's reputation!? Given that the vanara king was helplessly caught by the enemy and unconscious, the vanaras would rather that he himself recovered, managed to fight back, and win the duel.
Hanuman decided to simply work on marshalling the vanara forces and thereby give an opportunity for Sugriva to get his own back.
Meanwhile, Sugriva regained his consciousness and beheld the splendid turrets, towers, and palaces lining the highway within the heaven-like city of Lanka. He was beaten but not defeated. He decided on the best course of action. In a flash, he used his sharp-nailed two hands to quickly tear up the pot-like ears of an unwary Kumbhakarna. Even before the rakshasa could scream in pain, Sugriva leapt up and bit off his nose! The rakshasa felt great pain and bled profusely as he reacted by thumping Sugriva on the ground. But Sugriva was back with all his verve and leapt up instantly into the sky, and reached in one quick parabolic flight right where Sri Rama was standing.
Kumbhakarna was now bleeding, feeling somewhat ashamed that his enemy made such an easy escape, and angry that his powerful trishul had been destroyed. He turned back to the battleground and started again eating up the vanaras and bears by handfuls. I don't have the stomach to describe as Valmiki does all the ugly sights.
The vanaras rushed to Sri Rama for succour. Lakshmana decided to take on Kumbhakarna. He shot fierce arrows incessantly at Kumbhakarna, and the arrows embedded themselves in his splendid impenetrable armour.
Kumbhakarna shrugged off Lakshmana's arrows and spoke:
अन्तकस्याप्यकष्टेन युधि जेतारमाहवे युध्यता मामभीतेन ख्यापिता वीरता त्वया बालेनाऽपि
"Oh, tender, young Lakshmana! You have earned high praise for taking on me, someone who twiddled with and defeated even the god of death in battle. I have no interest in fighting you. Please let me proceed to tackle Sri Rama. My objective is to kill him and thereby conclude this war."
Lakshmana laughed as he responded, "Surely, oh Kumbhakarna, I know of your victories in the past over Indra and others, and you have put up a formidable display in today's battle. Praise be to you. Of course, don't worry, Sri Rama is very much here waiting for you, एष दाशरथी रामस्तिष्ठत्यद्रिरिवाचलः standing unshakeable and strong like a mountain."
Kumbhakarna ignored Lakshmana and paced up to Sri Rama with earth-shaking strides. Sri Rama set the Rudrastra to his bow and struck Kumbhakarna bang on his chest. The rakshasa spewed fire in pain but continued to attack Sri Rama. As Sri Rama shot even more powerful arrows at him, the gada (mace) he held, poised to strike Sri Rama with, was dislodged from his grasp. Soon no weapons could be reached up to by Kumbhakarna as they were all destroyed one by one. Kumbhakarna now started using his fists to attack and eat up vanaras and bears.
In a shock move, a much injured and badly bleeding Kumbhakarna suddenly launched a huge mountain rock at Sri Rama. But Sri Rama simply dispelled that rock with seven arrows. The effect was that the rock fell to the ground crushing many vanaras.
Lakshmana drew Sri Rama's attention. "Brother, this rakshasa is so badly hurt and senseless that he is unable to distinguish vanaras from rakshasas! It would be better if all the vanara chiefs (formidable in size) simply attack and climb on to him to incapacitate him." Sri Rama acquiesced and at once the vanaras climbed up all over Kumbhakarna. He was uncontrollably angry now and shook them all off.
Sri Rama realized that Kumbhakarna needed sterner measures. He picked up a splendid new bow and rushed towards the rakshasa. He attacked Kumbhakarna with his deadly bow and quiverful of arrows, instilling much confidence and encouragement in the vanaras all around.
The rakshasa was not a pretty sight, but extremely terrifying in size and bleeding copiously from his mouth, face and body. He had continued meanwhile to chew on all the vanaras and bears he could catch.
Sri Rama twanged his bow. The noise was loud enough to shake Kumbhakarna into an enraged reaction.
Some versions of the Valmiki Ramayana contain shlokas at this point about a confrontation between Vibhishana carrying his gada and Kumbhakarna who taunts him about his desertion. Vibhishana finally withdraws from a duel.
Sri Rama now invited Kumbhakarna to a battle one-on-one.
Kumbhakarna screamed, "Oh Rama! Don't take me to be like Viradha, Kabandha, Khara and Mareecha. You have not met anyone like me yet. Look at this terrifying hammer in my hand. I have thrashed many enemies with it before. Don't taunt me that I have lost my nose and ears. Their loss doesn't matter to me one bit. I shall presently eat you up but I am giving you a chance to showcase what you can do in battle."
Sri Rama shot splendid arrows at Kumbhakarna. No doubt they met their targets eminently, but Sri Rama's arrows that once pierced seven sala trees in one line, and killed Vali with one shot, were now proving ineffectual!
Kumbhakarna soaked up the arrows and wielded his hammer to scuttle many of them.
Sri Rama now shot Vayuvyastra (invoking the Wind-god) and severed the right arm of Kumbhakarna that held the hammer. The severed hand fell with the hammer with a big thud and crushed many soldiers from both sides. Kumbhakarna shrieked in pain but managed to reach out with his left hand now for a big palm tree. He wanted to attack Sri Rama with the tree. Sri Rama shot Indrastra and severed that hand with its missile too.
The grotesque sight of those two huge arms falling over many soldiers and crushing them to death was not enough. Now Sri Rama shot arrows and severed Kumbhakarna's legs. Those legs shot up and crashed far apart. Kumbhakarna now lunged forward in one last attempt to swallow up Sri Rama. Sri Rama filled his open mouth with so many arrows that the rakshasa could not speak anymore.
Sri Rama now took up an astra that reminded one of Indra, Surya, Agni, Vayu and so on. It was radiant and infallible. As it left Sri Rama's bow, it streaked across like a huge comet and found its target and decapitated Kumbhakarna.
The head dislodged from Kumbhakarna's body was a mighty ball of blood and gore and went and crashed right in the middle of Lanka.
Kumbhakarna's headless limbless torso now slithered into the ocean.
There was a shudder of relief from mother earth and a huge roar of celebration from the gods who were witnessing this battle. They were joined by divine sages, celestials, and many other special entities.
Lanka was plunged into loud and bitter mourning. The vanaras celebrated like never before. Sri Rama was resplendent like the sun (Surya) after freeing himself from an eclipse (from Rahu).
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
