Thus addressed, Kumbhakarna rebuking Mahodara, said unto that foremost
of Rakshasa--his brother--Ravana,--"Even I shall remove thy great fear
by slaying the wicked-minded Rama. On thy foe having been slain, attain
thou ease. It is not for naught that the heroes roar, like unto clouds
containing no rain.[219] Behold thou their roaring resulting in action
in the field! Heroes do not vaunt; but without boasting of their prowess
in speech, they perform feats difficult of being achieved. O Mahodara,
what thou sayest is ever acceptable only to kings that are incompetent,
and foolish, pluming themselves on their knowledge. All the affairs of
the monarch have been wrecked by you--cravens in
fight,--sleek-tongued,--following the king (fawning) ye have made Lanka
contain only the king, the treasury is lean; and the forces have been
slain. By the king ye have done like foes in the guise of friends. For
repairing in mighty conflict the wrong that ye have perpetrated, I am
about to set out for battle for routing the enemy". Thus addressed by
the intelligent Kumbhakarna, the lord of Rakshasas, laughing
answered,--"Sure this Mahodara is affrighted at Rama. And therefore, my
child, O thou versed in warfare, he doth not relish battle. Like thee
have I none either in friendship or strength. Therefore, O Kumbhakarna,
go for destroying the foe and securing celebrity. I have waked thee up
that wast lying down, in order that thou mightst destroy the enemy. O
subduer of foes, perilous is the time for the Rakshasas. Go forth,
grasping thy spear, like the noose-handed Destroyer himself. Do thou
devour up the monkeys as well as the princes possessed of the energy of
the Sun himself. On seeing thy form, the monkeys shall flee away; and
the breasts of Rama and Lakshmana shall be riven". Having spoken thus
unto Kumbhakarna endowed with prodigious might, that foremost of
Rakshasas--the exceedingly energetic Ravana--felt as if he had received
life over again. And well acquainted with Kumbhakarna's might, and
knowing his prowess, the king felt delighted, like the cloudless Moon.
Having been thus accosted, that highly powerful one, went out
cheerfully.[220] And hearing the king's speech, he made ready for fight.
And he took a whetted dart, destructive to foes on account of its
impetuous vehemence; entirely made of black iron; flaming; decorated
with garniture, of shining gold; looking like Indra's _acani_; ponderous
as the thunder-bolt; capable of destroying gods and Danavas, Gandharvas,
Yakshas and Pannagas; adorned with festoons of crimson flowers; and
belching forth flames. And taking that huge dart decked with the blood
of foes; the wondrous energetic Kumbhakarna spoke unto Ravana,
saying,--"I shall go alone: let this mighty host remain here. To-day
hungry and enraged, I shall devour up the monkeys. Hearing Kumbhakarna's
words, Ravana said,--"Go thou, surrounded by the forces bearing darts
and maces in their hands. The monkeys are high-souled, heroic and
well-skilled in battle; and if they find thee alone or unwary, they may
slay thee with their teeth. Therefore do thou exceedingly irrisistible,
go, environed by the forces; and destroy the entire party of the foes,
who are bent upon doing harm unto the Rakshas". Then starting up from
his seat, the exceedingly energetic Ravana hung on Kumbhakarna's neck a
wreath stringed with gems in the centre. And Ravana also decked that
high-souled one with _angadas_, and finger-fences, and noble ornaments,
and a chain resembling the Moon. And Ravana adorned his person with
garlands gorgeous and fragrant, and set ear-rings to his ears. And
adorned with golden _angadas_ and Keyuras and other ornaments of gold,
the large-eared Kumbhakarna appeared like a fire fed full of sacrificial
libations. And with his great dark girdle he seemed like the Mandara
fastened by the serpent on the occasion of the churning of the sea. And
donning on his impenetrable golden mail, splendid like lightning, and
shining in its own brilliance, Kumbhakarna appeared like the monarch of
mountains enveloped with evening clouds. Having all his limbs adorned
with ornaments and bearing a dart in his hand, the Rakshasa resembled
Narayana in elation of spirits, when he covered heaven and earth and the
nether regions with three paces. And then embracing his brother and
going round him and bowing down the head unto him, that exceedingly
powerful one went out. And Ravana sent him with choice
benedictions,--while he caused kettle-drums and conchs to be sounded and
forces equipped with excellent weapons, to accompany Kumbhakarna. And
high-souled mighty warriors followed that foremost of heroes with
elephants and steeds and chariots sending out rattle resembling the
rumbling of thunder. And mounting serpents and camels and asses and
lions and leopards and deer and birds, (Rakshasas) followed the grim
Kumbhakarna endowed with tremendous strength. And strewn with blossoms,
and, with an umbrella held over him, that exceedingly terrible enemy of
the Deities and the Danavas, wielding a dart in his hand,--went out,
maddened with the smell of blood. And countless footmen wondrous
powerful and mighty and dreadful and fierce-sighted Rakshasas, carrying
weapons in their hands, went in his wake. The Rakshas measuring each
many a _vyama_ and red-eyed, and resembling masses of dark-blue
collyrium,--went out upraising darts and swords and sharpened axes and
_bhindipalas_ and _parighas_ and maces and huge _talaskandhas_ and
irrisistible _Kshapanis_. And the exceedingly energetic Kumbhakarna
endowed with prodigious strength sallied forth, assuming another form
terrific and dreadful to behold. And the gigantic huge-faced and fierce
Kumbhakarna, measuring an hundred bows in breadth and six hundred in
altitude, having eyes resembling car-wheels, and resembling a towering
hill, or a mountain burnt,--marshalling the Rakshas, said with a
complacent countenance,--"Like fire consuming insects, shall I to-day,
wrought up with wroth, burn up one by one the bands of the flower of the
monkey-forces. But the wood-ranging monkeys have not transgressed
anywise unto the like of us. That species is the ornament of the gardens
attached to our residences. The cause of the seige of the city is
Raghava along with Lakshmana. He being slain, all are slain. Therefore
shall I slay him in battle". As the Raksha--Kumbhakarna--was speaking
thus, the Rakshasas sent up terrific shouts, as if making the very sea
shake. As the intelligent Kumbhakarna sallied out speedily, dreadful
were the omens that presented themselves on all sides. Clouds containing
meteors and lightning looked dark like asses. And the earth shook with
her oceans and woods. And fierce jackals began to cry, opening their
flaming mouths. And birds began to wheel at the left. And as he marched
a vulture alighted on his dart. And his left eye throbbed and his left
arm shook. And a meteor dropped down with a tremendous crash. And the
sun was bedimmed, and the air did not blow, enhancing pleasure. But
without heeding these mighty omens that took place, capabale of making
people's down stand on end, Kumbhakarna went out, urged on by the force
of the Finisher. And leaping over the wall with his legs, that one
resembling a mountain saw the wonderful array of the monkeys, resembling
clouds. And seeing that foremost of Rakshasas resembling a hill, the
monkeys began to disperse in all the ten cardinal directions like clouds
driven by the wind. And seeing that terrific host of monkeys scattering
in all directions, like clouds broken through (by winds), Kumbhakarna
possessed of the splendour of clouds, from joy, emitted roars like
clouds. Hearing those terrible shouts like unto the roaring of clouds in
the welkin, innumerable monkeys dropped to the earth even as _sala_
trees that have their roots severed. And issuing forth for destroying
the foe, the high-souled Kumbhakarna, equipped with a tremendous
bludgeon, struck extreme terror into the monkey-ranks, like unto the
Lord armed with the Fatal rod at the Universal wreck.
[219] _i.e._ autumnal clouds and which roar but do not pour.--T.
[220] He did not, however go yet awhile.--T.