And entering the city of Lanka, the king afflicted with the fear of
Rama's arrows, with his pride humbled, was undergoing great torments.
And overpowered by the high-souled Raghava, the king resembled an
elephant defeated by a lion or a serpent defeated by Garuda. And
remembering Raghava's arrows resembling a comet risen at the universal
wreck, and of the splendour of live lightning, the Rakshasa-chief was
aggrieved. And seated on a superb golden seat, Rama, eying the
Rakshasas, spoke,--"Forsooth all the austere asceticism I have performed
goeth for nothing, for although resembling the redoubtable Indra, I have
been overcome by a mortal. And this dire speech of Brahma also reverts
to my remembrance,--'Know thou that thy fear cometh from a human being.
Thou art incapable of being slain by deities and Danavas, Gandharvas,
Yakshas, Rakshasas and serpents. But thou hast not asked for immunity
from men.' And I deem even this son of Dacaratha as the occasion of my
fear. And I was formerly cursed by that lord of the Ikshwaku
line--Anaranya--saying,--'O worst of Rakshasas, a person shall spring in
my race, who, O wicked-minded one, shall slay thee in battle along with
thy sons and courtiers and forces and horses and charioteers.' And I was
also cursed by Vedavati, who was formerly outraged by me. And she is
(perchance) born as the exalted daughter of Janaka. And what had also
been uttered by Uma and Nandicwara and Rambha and Varuna's
daughter,[189] hath come to pass.[190] And taking note of this, ye
should strive (to the uttermost.) And let the Rakshasas be posted at the
gateways, highways, and the walls. And do ye wake up that destroyer of
the pride of the deities and the Danavas--Kumbhakarna, endowed with
unparalleled gravity, overwhelmed with the curse of Brahma". And seeing
himself worsted and Prahasta also slain, that Raksha endowed with
dreadful power issued his orders to that fearful force. "Do ye
vigilantly guard the gates and mount the wall. And do ye wake up
Kumbhakarna come under the sway of slumber. And deprived of his senses
through lust, he sleepeth secure. And the Rakshasa sometimes sleepeth
nine, seven, ten, or eight months away. Of measureless might he hath
slept for nine months. And foremost of all the Rakshasas in fight, that
long-armed one shall speedily slay the monkeys as well as the princes.
He is a very banner in battle, and the crown of all the Rakshas. But
intent on common pleasure, Kubhakarna, with his senses stupified,
sleepeth ever. I have been worsted in fierce fight by Rama; but on
Kumbhakarna being awakened, my grief shall go. If he doth not help me in
such high peril, what shall I do with his strength resembling the
strength of Sakra himself?" Hearing the speech of the lord of the
Rakshasas, the Rakshasas, bestirring themselves, went to the abode of
Kumbhakarna. And desired by Ravana, those feeding on flesh and blood
went off hurriedly, taking perfumes and wreaths and a mass of food. And
entering Kumbhakarna's charming cave having a wide gateway, measuring a
_yojana_ breathing around perfumes of flowers,--those highly powerful
ones, pushed off by Kumbhakarna's breath, with the utmost energy they
could summon up stood their ground and entered the cave. And then
entering that charming cave having floors paved with gold and gems,
those Nairitas endowed with great strength, saw that one of dreadful
prowess, lying down. And then they together set about waking up the
slumbering Kumbhakarna looking like a hill extended,--and sunk in
profound slumber; with his body having its down standing on end; lying
down; like a sighing serpent; rolling people[191] with his powerful
breath,--reposing; possessed of dreadful prowess; having a huge nose; of
a person vast as the nether sphere; lying stretched at length; smelling
of fat and blood; decked with golden _angadas_; and waring a diadem
endowed with the splendour of the Sun. And (they) saw that subduer of
enemies and foremost of Nairitas--Kumbhakarna. And then they piled up
Meru-like animals for conferring rare gratification, and heaps of deer
and buffaloes and boars. And the Rakshasas made an astounding heap of
rice. And then the enemies of the immortals put up before Kumbhakarna
jars of blood and various kinds of food, and smeared that repressor of
foes with excellent sandal, and made him inhale perfumes and the aroma
of wreaths. And they made (the place) rife with the incense of _dhupa_,
and extolled that smiter of enemies. And then the Yatudhanas roared
around here and there like clouds. And they winded conchs beaming
moon-like. And they incapable of being beaten shouted in full chorus.
And the night-rangers shouted and struck at their arms with their hands
and began to pull him. And for rousing Kumbhakarna, mighty was the din
that they raised. And hearing those loud sounds of conchs and drums and
_panavas_; and those proceeding from persons striking at their arms with
their hands; and leonine roars,--rushing on all sides and riving the
very heavens,--birds suddenly dropped down. And when the high-souled
Kumbhakarna sleeping soundly did not awake at that terrific tumult, the
Rakshasas took up _Bhushandis_[192] and maces. And then the Rakshasas,
drawing near, smote Kumbhakarna sleeping sweetly in the chest with
mountain-peaks, maces and clubs. But the Rakshasas could not stay before
Kumbhakarna owing to the hurricane heaving at his breath. Then
tightening their cloth[193] (about their waist), those Rakshasas of
dreadful prowess sounded _mridangas_ and _panavas_, conchs and kumbhas.
And ten thousand Rakshasas together surrounded that one resembling a
heap of dark-blue collyrium and fell to rousing him. But albeit assailed
with shouts and smit with weapons, he did not wake up. And when they
succeeded not in rousing him, they more than ever exerted themselves.
And then they smote him with horses and camels, and mules and snakes,
rods and lashes and hooks, and with might and main sounded kettledrums
and conchs and _mridangas_. And they struck his body with innumerable
huge blocks of wood. And summoning up their dearest energy, they dealt
him blows with maces and clubs. And at that mighty uproar, entire Lanka
was filled with her woods and hills; yet he did not wake up. And then
they simultaneously sounded a thousand kettle-drums beaten with sticks
of polished gold. And coming under the sway of the curse,[194] when that
one sunk in slumber did not wake up, the night-rangers were wrought up
with wrath. And overcome with choler, they endowed with dreadful prowess
addressed themselves vigorously to awakening him; and others put forth
their energy. And others smote the kettle-drums, and others set up loud
cries. And others cut off his hair, and others bit his ears. And others
poured into his ears a thousand vessels of water. But Kumbhakarna come
under the spell of a mighty slumber did not wink. And others--strong
ones--armed with poniards (_kutas_) and maces, made their poniards and
maces alight on his person. And struck with _sataghnis_ bound with
cords,[195] that huge-bodied one did not wake up. And then when a
thousand elephants rushed against his body, recovering his
consciousness, he awoke. And assailed with mountain-peaks and trees
descending on his body, he, without minding those tremendous blows,--on
sleep having been dispelled, suddenly got up, yawning,--suffering the
pangs of hunger. And then that night-ranger resembling an elephant or a
serpent or a mountain-peak, casting about his arms superior in force to
the thunder-bolt itself, and opening his deformed mouth like unto that
of a mule, yawned (again and again). And as he yawned, his mouth
resembling the subterraneous regions, looked like the Sun stationed at
the summit of Meru. And that night-ranger possessed of unwieldly
strength woke up, yawning. And the breath that he breathed resembled a
storm raging in a mountain. And then as he sat up, Kumbhakarna's form
appeared like that of the Destroyer himself at the universal
wreck,--intent upon consuming all creatures. And the large eyes of that
one, resembling a live flame and endowed with the splendour of
lightning, appeared like a pair of glowing planets. And then they
pointed unto him all those heaps of edibles, various and profuse,--bears
and buffaloes,--and that powerful (Rakshasa) fell to. And hungering, he
fed on flesh and athirst, drank blood. And then that enemy of Sakra
drank vesselfuls of fat and blood. And concluding that he was replete,
the night rangers came up; and bowing down their heads, stood circling
him on all sides. And then with his eyes discolored and drooping from
drowsiness, he casting his eyes around, addressed those night-rangers.
And that foremost of Nairitas cheered all those Nairitas; and surprised
at his having been roused,--spoke unto the Rakshasas,--"Why, being
honored, have I been awakened by you? Is it well with the king? Or hath
any fear sprung up here? Or hath a mighty fear presented itself forsooth
from among others; for which I have been speedily awakened by you? This
very day will I uproot quite the fear of the sovereign of the Rakshasas.
I will split up the great Indra himself,--or make Fire himself give up
his heat. One doth not awaken my like for a light cause. Therefore do ye
give the real truth of the cause of your awakening me". Thereat a
minister of the king, named Yupaksha, with joined hands said unto that
humbler of foes--Kumbhakarna--wrought up with wrath, who was thus
speaking,--"No fear anywise springs to us from the Deities. But, O king,
a great fear doth cross us, coming from a mortal. And never fear so
cometh unto us anywise from Daityas or Danavas, as it hath arrived from
a man, O king. This Lanka hath been hemmed in by monkeys resembling
mountains. And terrific is the terror that cometh even from Rama
scorched with fire springing from the ravishment of Sita. Ere this by a
single monkey was this splendid city burnt down. And the prince Aksha
hath been slain along with his following and elephants. And that thorn
in the sides of deities, that lord of the Rakshasas--Pulasta's son
himself--hath been set free in conflict by Raghava endowed with the
splendour of the Sun,--saying---'Go thou.' And what had been done unto
the king by neither the gods nor the Daityas nor yet the Danavas, hath
been done by Rama; and he hath been set free, having come to a pass
imperilling his life". Hearing Yupaksha's speech and hearing of the
defeat of his brother, Kumbhakarna, with his eyes whirling, spoke unto
him, saying,--"To day, O Yupaksha, after vanquishing in battle the
monkey-army together with Lakshmana and Raghava, shall I see Ravana. And
I shall regale the Rakshasas with the flesh and blood of the monkeys,
and myself drink the blood of Rama and Lakshmana". Hearing his words as
he haughtily spoke thus with his spirit of insolence magnified by much,
that foremost of the Nairita soldiers, Mahodara, with joined hands
observed,--"O long-armed one, having at first heard Ravana's words and
considered their justice or otherwise, thou wilt afterwards defeat the
foe in fight". Hearing Mahodara's words, the exceedingly energetic and
mighty (Kumbhakarna) surrounded by the Rakshasas, prepared to depart.
And having roused from his slumbers that one of terrific prowess having
dreadful eyes,--the Rakshasas speedily arrived at the residence of the
Ten-necked one. And presenting themselves before the Ten-necked one
seated on a superb seat, all the night-rangers spoke with joined
hands,--"O lord of the Rakshasas, thy brother, Kumbhakarna, hath been
roused. Shall he march from there; or wilt thou see him come here?"
Thereat, Ravana, pleased, spoke unto those Rakshasas who had presented
themselves,--"I wish to see him here, and do ye honor him fittingly".
Thereat, saying 'So be it', the Rakshasas, directed by Ravana, going
back, spoke unto Kumbhakarna,--"That foremost of all the Rakshasas--the
king--wisheth to see thee. So mind thou going, and gladden thy brother".
And the irrepressible Kumbhakarna possessed of prodigious prowess,
learning the mandate of his brother, saying,--'So be it,'--rose up from
his bed. And washing his face, and having bathed, that one, feeling
refreshed and enjoying exceeding exhilaration of spirit,--wishing to
drink, urged (the Rakshasas) to bring the nerve-conferring draught. And
then the Rakshasas, at the command of Ravana speedily procured wine and
various kinds of viands. And having drunk two thousand vessels (of
wine), he prepared to go. And slightly swolen and flushed, Kumbhakarna,
attaining access of strength and fire, waxed wroth, and resembled the
Doom and Destroyer--Yama himself. And striding to the residence of his
brother backed by the Raksha force, Kumbhakarna shook the earth with his
tread. And illuming the highway with the splendour of his person, like
the thousand-rayed (Sun) discovering the earth with his rays,
(Kumbhakarna) went on, engirt around by joined hands resembling
wreaths,--like Satakratu[196] going to the abode of the Self-sprung. And
suddenly seeing that slayer of foes of immeasurable prowess, resembling
a mountain-summit,--walking along the highways, the wood-rangers
stationed outside (the monkey-camp), along with the leaders of bands,
were seized with affright. And then some sought the shelter of Rama,
worthy of being so sought; and some, stricken (with panic), dropped to
the earth; and some, suffering (from fear), lied to the cardinal points;
and some through stress (of apprehension) lay down on the ground. And
seeing that one resembling a very mountain-peak, decked with a diadem,
seeming to touch the Sun himself with his energy, of colossal altitude,
and wonderful to behold,--the wood-rangers, tormented with fright, began
to scamper on all sides.
[189] Punjikasthala.
[190] Punjikasthala cursed Ravana that he should come by death if he
should use violence on a woman against her inclination. Ravana had
_not_ been cursed by Rambha herself, but by Nala Kuvera in _her_
interest. 'Thy head shall be sundered in seven when thou forcest a
female against her will.' Uma had cursed Ravana that for a woman
he should meet with death on the shaking of the peak of
Kailaca.--Nandicwara had cursed him that as he had slighted and
scoffed at him, he should find his fate at the hands of the
monkeys, being emanations of himself.--T.
[191] An instance of the material sublime unsurpassed in all literature.
Kumbhakarna himself is the emblem of the material as contrasted
with the spiritual typified by Rama.--T.
[192] A variety of the mace.
[193] Another reading is, _Tatah prapuritah garham_--then densely
filling the cave--T.
[194] Brahma had cursed him, as will appear afterwards.--T.
[195] What does this mean?
[196] Lit. _him of an hundred sacrifices_--an appellation of Indra.--T.