Kumbhakarna Devours the Vanara Host Like Locusts Entering a Cave
Lanka Kanda, Chaupai 67
Doha 67 · Movement 1 of 2
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Kumbhakarna advances through battle fury like wrathful Time. He seizes monkeys in their millions and devours them as swarms of locusts vanish into a mountain cave. Others he crushes against his body or grinds into the dust beneath him.
The scale becomes grotesque beyond ordinary battle. Bears and monkeys escape through the openings of his mouth, nostrils, and severed ears. Drunk on combat, the demon appears ready to swallow the world itself.
Warriors turn and flee past the reach of command. Eyes no longer see and ears no longer answer calls to rally. As Kumbhakarna tears the vanara army apart, demon forces rush out to join him in new formations. Rama looks upon his distressed host and the enemy multiplying around it. The human play has reached the moment when the Lord himself will step forward.
The giant becomes a moving cave of death until Rama sees the army vanish around him and prepares to enter the field.
Read the passage from the Manas
कुंभकरन रन रंग बिरुद्धा। सन्मुख चला काल जनु क्रुद्धा।। कोटि कोटि कपि धरि धरि खाई। जनु टीड़ी गिरि गुहाँ समाई।। कोटिन्ह गहि सरीर सन मर्दा। कोटिन्ह मीजि मिलव महि गर्दा।। मुख नासा श्रवनन्हि कीं बाटा। निसरि पराहिं भालु कपि ठाटा।। रन मद मत्त निसाचर दर्पा। बिस्व ग्रसिहि जनु एहि बिधि अर्पा।। मुरे सुभट सब फिरहिं न फेरे। सूझ न नयन सुनहिं नहिं टेरे।। कुंभकरन कपि फौज बिडारी। सुनि धाई रजनीचर धारी।। देखि राम बिकल कटकाई। रिपु अनीक नाना बिधि आई।।
Kumbhakarna, maddened with battle-fury, advanced as if wrathful Death himself marched forward. He seized and devoured millions of monkeys, as locusts vanish into a mountain cave. Millions he crushed against his body; millions he ground to dust upon the earth. Bears and monkeys escaped in droves through the openings of his mouth, nose, and ears. Drunk on battle-pride, the demon raged as if empowered to swallow the entire universe. All the brave warriors turned and fled; they could not be rallied. Their eyes could not see and their ears could not hear the calls. After Kumbhakarna had scattered the monkey forces, hearing the news, streams of demons came rushing to join him. Seeing His army in distress and the enemy hosts arriving in many formations, Rama beheld the scene.